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On Monday, Sept. 14, 2009, residents will have access to Edward Plainfield ER, an upgrade of the current immediate care facility. The Edward Plainfield ER will be staffed and equipped to handle a wide range of issues, from conditions currently handled in the immediate care to more complex emergencies.

“The new Edward Plainfield ER will be open 24/7 to take care of small emergencies like high fevers and stitches to more serious emergencies such as asthma attacks and broken bones,” says Pete Schubel, MD, medical director of the new ER. “We’ll also be there to handle orthopedic emergencies and serious sports injuries.”

The 7,900 square foot, $5.7 million Edward Plainfield ER will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Prior to the Sept. 14 opening, the facility will continue to operate at an immediate care level.

The ER will be led and staffed by the team who operates Edward’s Naperville ER, one of the busiest in the nation, rated in the top one percent for patient satisfaction according to a recent independent Press Ganey survey and among the highest percentage of certified ER nurses in the nation. Edward’s ER team has also been recognized as the most preferred for ER services in the region according to a 2009 National Research Corporation survey.

The new facility, with 15 treatment stations, has an ambulance bay to receive basic life support (BLS) ambulance traffic. An advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) ambulance will be on-site and available 24 hours a day, year-round to transport cardiac and critical care patients, once they’ve been stabilized, to Edward Hospital in Naperville.

The Edward Plainfield ER will also offer:

• 30 minutes on average to see an ER doctor
• All board certified emergency physicians
• 24/7 radiology (X-rays, CT and ultrasound)
• Immediate access to medical records for current Edward patients
• All private rooms with cardiac monitors, wall-source oxygen, computers and flat screen TVs
• Specialized rooms for critical care, trauma, isolation and psychiatry
• New triage and waiting areas

In addition to immediate care-type needs, patients should use the Edward Plainfield ER for symptoms, conditions and injuries such as:

• Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath
• Chest or upper abdominal pain or pressure
• Fainting, sudden dizziness, weakness
• Changes in vision
• Confusion or changes in mental status
• Any sudden or severe pain
• Uncontrolled bleeding
• Severe or persistent vomiting or diarrhea
• Coughing or vomiting blood
• Suicidal feelings
• Difficulty speaking
• Shortness of breath
• Unusual abdominal pain

Patients who have chest pain or severe symptoms should call 911 immediately.

Area residents, especially those with chronic illnesses, are encouraged to talk to their physician and insurance company prior to an emergency to discuss treatment options such as the new ER.

Learn more about emergency services at Edward at www.edward.org/er. Learn more about services at www.edward.org/plainfield.

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Medical care is a bit inconvenient for Plainfield residents. But not for long! We’ll soon be able to get medical care closer to home. The Edward Plainfield Emergency Room and the Edward Plainfield Cancer Center are scheduled to open in September.

The Plainfield hospital project has been in the works for almost 7 years. Edward’s project approval application was denied by the state board last year, but Edward has submitted a letter of intent to apply again for approval.

More information here:
New Edward care centers near reality

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