Columbia Memorial | Health Compass | Summer 2018

When is it an emergency? Call 911 if you think you’re dealing with a medical emergency. Signs include: ●   ● Severe chest pain ●   ● Uncontrolled bleeding ●   ● Poisoning ●   ● Seizures ●   ● Head trauma ●   ● Coughing up or vomiting blood What to do when it’s not an emergency When you need us, our emergency department is ready. We’re open 24 hours a day, every day. And we’re prepared for every kind of medical emergency. But what if a health issue needs quick attention but isn’t an emergency? If your doctor isn’t available, urgent care or virtual care may be a good choice for getting care without an appointment. Urgent care centers treat minor illnesses—such as flu, fever, earaches and rashes—and some minor injuries. CMH has two urgent care centers, one in Astoria and one in Warrenton, that also provide x-ray and laboratory services. When it’s not an emergency and urgent care isn’t a good option, you can speak to a doctor at the CMH Virtual Clinic over the phone or by video call for a flat rate of $39. Our Virtual Clinic doctors can diagnose and prescribe treatment for many conditions—at any time of day. Go to columbiamemorial.org/care-now to get started. But remember: An urgent care center isn’t a replacement for your primary care doctor or the emergency department. urgent care ER vs length of stay within the ED, proper documentation and proper treatment administration, as well as the level and quality of our equipment. When the Oregon Health Authority re-approved our trauma designation (Level 4), the survey team called out our continued improvement efforts in trauma management as one of our strengths. How do you keep sharp on your skills and make sure that new doctors want to come here? A. As part of the OHSU Department of Emergency Medicine, we are in continual medical training. Each physician is required to attend weekly lectures and to review up-to- date topics in emergency medical science. We also teach at the School of Medicine and within the OHSU Department of Emergency Medicine’s residency program. We started the rural residency program here in 2016. Through the program, doctors in their second year of residency training at OHSU come to CMH for a month. With oversight by the attending physician, a resident physician cares for patients in the ED. This gives them the opportunity to practice rural emergency medicine, which differs greatly from urban areas because the physician is responsible for a greater part of the patient’s care. This is great experience for resident physicians’ future practices once out of training, and we hope it will encourage them to consider practicing emergency medicine in a rural community like Astoria. What role do you see the ED playing in the community? A. We are here 24/7 for any injury or illness that residents or visitors to the area might have—even in the middle of the night when patients cannot call their primary doctor. We provide high-quality, highly scientific emergency medical care. We are also educators and enjoy teaching resident physicians about the joys of practicing emergency medicine in a rural setting. With Regina Mysliwiec, MD, as EMS Medical Director, Medix leadership and Life Flight leadership, we have further linked emergent and critical care services—especially trauma care. That way, critically ill or severely injured patients can be resuscitated in Astoria and transported to Portland hospitals for further stabilization and treatment. This quick, efficient chain of care is saving lives. What lies ahead for the ED? A. There are good things ahead for the ED. The CMH strategic plan includes an expansion of the department. This will allow us to manage even more patients in a timely manner. We are also pleased to welcome Steve Donnelly, MD, in August. He is dually trained in emergency medicine and family medicine. I see him playing a large role in linking emergency care and subsequent ongoing primary care services. 2016 The year our rural residency program began. 24/7 We provide around-the- clock emergency care. COLUMBIAMEMORIAL.ORG SUMMER 2018 5