LHDCMC Emergency Room

Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center provides high-quality emergency care 24/7. Our emergency medicine physicians and specially trained nurses and other clinicians stand at the ready.

We treat all ages, including children. Through a partnership with Children's National, we offer a dedicated Pediatric Emergency Room daily from 1 -11 pm.

To make emergency care more seamless for our older patients, we have a geriatric social worker available to help patients navigate the ER and hospital. We also have a geriatric-friendly environment, with easy-to-read signage.

We offer emergency care in this department, including for mental health emergencies.

You can always use our Find Care tool to schedule care within Luminis Health. Or, choose from the most-frequently searched services related to emergency care.

Emergency Medicine

CareConnectNow

LH DCMC Pediatric Emergency Room

Heart Attack Care

Surgery

Inpatient Psychiatric Care

Abuse and Domestic Violence

If you are experiencing any of the following conditions, call 911 for an ambulance. Do not drive yourself — or someone else — who is experiencing:

• Chest pain.
• Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath or feeling like there is a weight on your chest.
• Unconsciousness.
• Major bleeding.
• Stroke symptoms (such as sudden confusion, difficulty speaking, vision changes, sudden weakness or inability to use an arm or leg).
• A suspected drug overdose.
• Thoughts of hurting yourself or others.

Other reasons to come to the ER include:

• Abdominal pain, especially unusual pain.
• Bleeding or abdominal pain with pregnancy.
• Extreme headache or head injury.
• Persistent vomiting or diarrhea.
• Other sudden or severe pain.
• Serious burns.
• Broken bones and dislocated joints.

Alternatives to the Emergency Room

Need care for a medical concern today? If your situation is not an emergency, Luminis Health offers CareConnectNow. CareConnectNow is a virtual urgent care service. We provide expert care for many conditions that need immediate, but not emergency, attention.

Luminis Health also offers urgent care mental health services.

Our experienced and compassionate care team asks you the basics, like your name, birth date, medical history and the reason for your visit. Then we take your vital signs and decide on the next step.

We use a process called "triage" to carefully prioritize patients.

• Triage is not a first-come, first-served system. Instead, patients with the most urgent needs come first.
• Critical patients are those with time-sensitive or life-threatening conditions.
• This means that someone who arrives after you may receive care before you.
• Triage makes a lifesaving difference if you're experiencing a serious emergency, like a heart attack or stroke.

If you must wait, we do everything in our power to make you comfortable and relieve your pain.

Gather important information in advance

Keep an information card in your wallet or purse to help ease your mind and streamline your ER check-in. Be sure it includes:

• A list of your medications and any drug allergies.
• The name and number of your primary care physician.
• Your advanced directives, like powers of attorney and the name of your health care proxy.

Some mobile phones offer a Medical ID feature for storing this information, and your care team can access it even if your phone is locked. This is especially helpful if you're unable to talk when you arrive.

After your visit, we'll either release you from the hospital or move you to another floor for further treatment. Depending on the nature of your condition or injury, we may refer you to a specialist for follow-up care. We make sure you have the information you need to recover from your emergency and take control of your health.