HSHS Hospitals: Don’t Delay Emergency Care!

Posted on 5-21-2020

Important Message During COVID-19 Pandemic

Green Bay, Wis. – Heart attacks, strokes, accidents and injuries: These are just a few examples of medical emergencies that can occur at any time, in any place and to any one – even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

HSHS St. Vincent Hospital and HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center in Green Bay, HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital in Sheboygan and HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital in Oconto Falls remind all area communities they are open and available to provide all types of emergency medical care, 24/7, regardless of the current public health crisis.

A recent report from the American College of Emergency Physicians states some emergency departments across the country are seeing a reduction in patient volumes, as well as patients delaying seeking medical care for non-COVID-19 related emergencies – potentially due to patients being concerned about contracting COVID-19 during a hospital visit or overwhelming health care workers.

“We urge our community members to never forgo or delay seeking medical care for any type of emergency, even in the midst of a pandemic,” says Dr. Kyle McCarty, emergency medicine physician for HSHS hospitals in Eastern Wisconsin. “We have highly-skilled, compassionate providers ready to care for you and protocols in place to prevent the spread of all infectious diseases, including COVID-19.” 

The following are some examples of symptoms/incidents in which a trip to the emergency department or call to 911 would be necessary:

Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath
Chest or upper abdominal pain or pressure
Severe abdominal pain
Bleeding that will not stop
Fainting, sudden dizziness, weakness
Sudden changes in vision
Sudden confusion
Injury due to accident, burns or smoke inhalation, near drowning
Deep or large wounds or other serious injuries
Choking
Difficulty speaking
Coughing or vomiting blood
Head or spine injury

This message is also timely in that May is Stroke Awareness Month!

Stroke is currently the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot, bursts or ruptures.

Signs and symptoms of stroke can include: sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body; sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; sudden trouble walking, dizziness or loss of balance; and sudden severe headache without a known reason.

An easier way to remember stroke signs and symptoms is to think of the phrase/acronym, BE FAST:

B – Balance difficulty
E – Eye changes
F – Face drooping
A – Arm weakness
S – Speech slurred
T – Time to call 911

Studies show patients who arrive in the Emergency Department within the first three hours of stroke symptoms have better outcomes and less disability than those who delayed care. Always call 911 if a stroke is suspected.

HSHS hospital emergency department locations in Eastern Wisconsin:

HSHS St. Vincent Hospital
835 S. Van Buren St., Green Bay

HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center
1726 Shawano Ave., Green Bay

HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital
3100 Superior Ave., Sheboygan

HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital
855 S. Main St., Oconto Falls

Hospital Sisters Health System’s (HSHS) mission is to reveal and embody Christ’s healing love for all people through our high quality, Franciscan health care ministry. HSHS provides state-of-the-art health care to our patients and is dedicated to serving all people, especially the most vulnerable, at each of our 15 Local Systems and physician practices.

HSHS Hospitals of Northeast WI

About HSHS St. Vincent Hospital and HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center

HSHS St. Vincent Hospital and HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center have been delivering quality health care to Green Bay and its surrounding communities since 1888. With HSHS St. Vincent being the largest tertiary care hospital and HSHS St. Mary’s location on Green Bay’s west side, patients from Northeastern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan benefit from a comprehensive range of services that include cancer care, women’s services, emergency and trauma care, preventive care across the lifespan, digestive health, orthopedic, cardiac care, neurosciences, rehabilitation and pediatrics. Affiliates of Hospital Sisters Health System, the hospitals primary purpose is to continue Christ’s healing love through the delivery of competent and compassionate health care in an environment sensitive to the needs of all people. Both hospitals are accredited by the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.

 

About HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital

HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital has been delivering high quality health care to Sheboygan and its surrounding communities since 1890. HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital provides a comprehensive range of services that include cancer care, women’s services, 24-hour emergency care, digestive health, orthopedics, cardiac, home health and hospice care. The hospital’s primary purpose is to continue Christ’s healing love through the delivery of high quality and compassionate health care in an environment sensitive to the needs of all people. HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.  An affiliate of Hospital Sisters Health System, we draw on the history of St. Francis of Assisi as we move to continue serving the health care needs of our area in Christ’s healing ministry, caring for all people. To learn more, visit www.stnicholashospital.org.

 

About HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital
HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital serves Oconto Falls and the surrounding communities as a federally-designated critical access hospital with a 24-hour emergency department, urgent care, general, vascular and orthopedic surgical services, inpatient and outpatient surgical and diagnostic services, rehabilitation, oncology outpatient clinic and women’s care. HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital, in affiliation with Prevea Health, has six regional health center locations in Gillett, Lena, Mountain, Oconto, Oconto Falls and Suring. HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital Pharmacies are located in Gillett and Oconto Falls. Founded in 1921 as Community Memorial Hospital, in 2014, HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital became the fourteenth hospital in Hospital Sisters Health System. As an affiliate of Hospital Sisters Health System, we draw on the history of St. Francis of Assisi as we move to continue serving the health care needs of our area in Christ’s healing ministry, caring for all people. For more information about St. Clare, visit www.stclarememorial.org.

 

About Hospital Sisters Health System

Hospital Sisters Health System’s (HSHS) mission is to reveal and embody Christ’s healing love for all people through our high quality, Franciscan health care ministry. HSHS provides state-of-the-art health care to our patients and is dedicated to serving all people, especially the most vulnerable, at each of our 15 Local Systems and physician practices in Illinois (Breese, Decatur, Effingham, Greenville, Highland, Litchfield, O’Fallon, Shelbyville and Springfield) and Wisconsin (Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Oconto Falls, Sheboygan, and two in Green Bay). HSHS is sponsored by Hospital Sisters Ministries. For more information about HSHS, visit www.hshs.org.  For more information about Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, visit www.hospitalsisters.org.

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