Medical Emergency Care in New York City

Medical Emergency Care

For life threatening medical crisis: The hospitals listed below have outstanding emergency treatment facilities (often referred to as "emergency rooms" for treatment of trauma, heart, stroke and other major medical crises. They are staffed with specialists in emergency medicine and have immediate access to the latest technology and operating rooms. For true medical emergencies, they communicate via radio with the transporting ambulance and literally meet you at the door.

Waiting and the principle of "triage": Emergency rooms are not the place to go for minor medical problems or non life-threatening medical conditions (colds, flu, sprains) which can be better treated in a doctor's office or ambulatory walk-in care center.
Otherwise, you are likely to wait for hours before speaking to a doctor because American emergency rooms treat patients strictly on the triage principle of "medical urgency". The "admitting staff" quickly evaluates the seriousness of your medical problem. Life-threatening conditions and immediate medical crises (mother in labor, unconscious patient, serious bleed, heart attacks, etc. ) are given the highest priority, then patients in serious pain (e.g. broken bones), and last the patient who needs medicine for their cold.

Where to go to see a doctor immediately: