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 southern Miami-Dade County, Florida
Nobody plans for an emergency, but when one does occur, HCA Florida Mercy Hospital offers 24-hour, high-quality emergency care.
At our kid-friendly emergency room, we promptly treat a variety of conditions in both children and adults. In addition to our emergency doctors, we also offer access to all of the specialists in our hospital. Together, our goal is to provide the emergency care you need, when you need it most.
Types of emergency services we offer
Our top priority is making sure you get the expert emergency care you need quickly.
Features of our ER
To make sure you get the care you need, our emergency room provides:
- 24/7 full-service medical care
- A Certified Primary Stroke Center, as designated by The Joint Commission
- Dedicated certified emergency nurses (CENs)
- Intensive care services
- Pediatric emergency services
- Rooms dedicated for senior patients with reading glasses, step stools, lights that can be dimmed and telephones with larger numbers
- Shorter emergency room wait times and registration efficiency
Pediatric emergency care
We understand nothing is quite as stressful as when your child needs medical attention. The doctors and nurses at our pediatric-ready emergency room are trained to care for your child and address their unique needs in a gentle manner appropriate for young patients.
We also understand the role you play in your child's health, and we prioritize your involvement in developing a treatment plan.
Our pediatric-friendly ER features:
- Board-certified emergency medicine physicians
- Nurses with special training and certification in pediatric care
- A full lab and imaging services, including computerized tomography (CT) scan, ultrasound and X-ray
- Private treatment rooms
- Colorful, cheerful decorations
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.
Important information
Your safety, above all else.
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.
However, 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® team at (305) 285-2929.
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.
After discharge, our emergency department staff will reach out to your primary care provider to ensure they are updated on your care.
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
The Emergency Department at Mercy Hospital
Safe ER Care at Mercy Hospital
Looking for a Location?
Our Emergency care Locations
The Healthy Living Blog
Fresh knowledge and insights in and around healthcare industry.