Emergency care
Emergency care is the treatment of unexpected, severe medical injuries or infections. It is typically delivered in an emergency room or an ambulance. Our emergency medicine physicians stabilize your condition as quickly as possible to prepare you for the next step of care or discharge.
Emergency room (ER) in Panama City
When you need emergency care, the emergency medicine team at HCA Florida Gulf Coast Hospital is here for you.
We offer convenient care for adults and children in Bay County. Each year, our specially trained doctors, nurses and support staff provide emergency care to more than 40,000 patients. We are here for you and your family 24/7, providing exceptional emergency care when you need it most.
Our emergency care services
We provide a wide range of services and have developed systems to aid in triage, treatment and stabilization for our patients.
Emergency stroke care
The physicians in our emergency department are equipped 24/7 to treat patients with stroke symptoms.
We are designated as a Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission and the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. This recognition exemplifies our adherence to strict standards when providing stroke treatment to our patients.
We provide comprehensive care for patients who have experienced strokes through our neurological care program. From initial assessment and lifesaving treatment to inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, we help our patients make healthy recoveries.
Pediatric emergency care
More than 20,000 children are treated in Bay County emergency rooms each year. Almost half of those children are cared for here. The reason our facility is so trusted by the Greater Panama City community is because we provide an emergency department designed specifically for pediatric patients.
Our seven-bed pediatric department is open 24 hours a day for children in need of immediate medical attention.
Our freestanding emergency facility
HCA Florida Panama City Emergency is an extension of our hospital's emergency care services, serving Bay County and the surrounding community. Our freestanding facility is open 24/7, offering emergency care services to those in need.
Our emergency room wait times
When it comes to emergency care, our goal is to continually work toward enhancing the care you receive, while reducing our wait times. This ensures you get the care you need, when you need it most.
Our wait times are updated every 30 minutes and are available on our website and digital screens on roadside billboards throughout the region.
To find out the wait times of the HCA Florida emergency room nearest to you, check the top of our website or text "ER" to 32222.
Note: Message and data rates may apply. emergency room wait times are approximate and provided for informational purposes only.
When to go to the emergency room
We understand it can be hard to know what type of medical care you need, like whether you should go to the emergency room or wait for your doctor's office to open.
Conditions that may require emergency care
We want you to feel secure about your choice for care, which is why we've created a list of symptoms that may indicate you need to visit the emergency room:
- Back pain, when it is unbearable or accompanied by fever, numbness, weakness, confusion, slurred speech, vision loss or loss of control over bladder or bowels
- Broken bones, when the pain is severe or there is a visible deformity
- Chest pain, when it is crushing or squeezing and accompanied by other heart attack symptoms, such as shortness of breath or nausea
- Concussion, when you have lost consciousness, even briefly, or experience amnesia, vomiting, slurred speech or a seizure
- Flu, when symptoms become severe, such as having trouble breathing, vomiting uncontrollably or becoming dehydrated
- Side pain, when it is severe and occurs in the lower right stomach, side or back or is accompanied by fever, nausea, diarrhea or blood in the urine
- Stomach pain, when accompanied by a hard or tender stomach, nausea, shortness of breath, fever or irregular heartbeat
- Trouble breathing, when breathing stops, is noisy or high-pitched and comes with pain in the chest or severe shortness of breath
If you are unsure if your symptoms require an emergency room visit, you can speak to a nurse 24/7 by calling our Consult-A-Nurse® line.
What to expect at the emergency room
When you get to the emergency room, one of our triage nurses will assess your symptoms and vital signs. Next, a registration clerk will collect your insurance card (if available) and other information.
We medically screen, evaluate and stabilize all patients — whether or not they have insurance or are able to pay.
Anyone who has severe, life-threatening illnesses or injuries will be treated first. Everyone else will be treated in the order they arrive.
Before discharge, we encourage you to ask our emergency care teams any questions you have. It is also useful for you to keep all of your paperwork, discharge information and medicines or prescriptions together after you leave the emergency room.
What to bring to the emergency room
When coming to the emergency room, we recommend you bring:
- A list of medicines you currently take
- A list of known allergies
- Copies of results from recent medical tests, if available
- Personal care preferences and restrictions
- A responsible adult or phone number for someone to contact
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