Emergency Care

Emergency Care at Winchester Hospital

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you have a life-threatening illness or injury.

Emergencies come out of nowhere. You may not be ready for them. But at Winchester Hospital's emergency department (ED), we are, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We see more than 50,000 patients each year.

Here, you get fast, lifesaving treatments when you need them from experts who know the importance of a caring touch. Our team includes highly trained nurses who have been recognized for excellence and experienced, board-certified emergency medicine doctors. They have the knowledge and skills you can rely on during any medical crisis. And they'll offer a generous dose of kindness and empathy at your bedside. We promise to care for you as if you were a member of our own family and create an environment of mutual respect.

Care That Sets Us Apart

A trip to the emergency department is never easy. But we work to make your visit as smooth as possible for you and your family. We offer:

• Fast-track care. We may order lab tests, start an IV for fluids and begin care as we check your needs, shortly after you get here. We give you a jump start on your treatment and work to get you care as quickly as we can.
• Patient-centered treatment areas. We offer separate treatment areas for children, less-severe cases and people with critical illnesses. They’re designed to help keep everyone comfortable.
• Specialized pediatric care. Pediatricians from Boston Children’s Hospital are on site every day from noon to midnight. Consultations with pediatric specialists are also available 24 hours a day, ensuring your child will get high-level specialty care.
• Behavioral health expertise. Behavioral health counselors and technicians provide specialty care directly in the ED.
• Case management. Case managers are available to assist you at your time of discharge. They connect you to resources and help ease your transition home.

When To Seek Emergency Department Care

If you recognize the symptoms of a possible medical emergency, it’s crucial to call 911 as soon as you can. These include:

• Bleeding that occurs when you cough
• Bleeding that won’t stop
• Breathing difficulties
• Chest pain
• Pregnancy-related emergencies
• Severe abdominal pain
• Severe burns
• Stroke symptoms
• Vomit that contains blood

If you need medical attention quickly but don’t have a life-threatening condition, we encourage you to visit one of our convenient urgent care centers. Care providers with emergency department experience staff these centers. And they typically save you time and money compared to an ED visit.

What To Expect in the ED

When you arrive in the ED, we evaluate your condition (the triage process), usually within 15 minutes. This allows our providers to determine how quickly you need treatment.

Please be aware, we work hard to see and treat you as quickly as possible. But you may not receive treatment in the order in which you arrive. For everyone’s benefit, we provide care to the most seriously ill or injured patients first. And it takes time to get results from lab work, imaging studies or other tests we may order during your visit. These results make sure you receive the best possible care.  We pledge to keep you informed throughout your emergency services stay. If you have any questions about this process, please don’t hesitate to ask.

After you receive a diagnosis, we’ll either admit you to the hospital or send you home with detailed care instructions. Case managers assist with this process and work to make sure we meet your needs. Usually, we recommend that you follow up with your primary care doctor.

Visitor Policy

We understand that the presence of family or support people in the emergency department may help your recovery. Please learn more about our visitor policy.