Emergency care
Emergency care is the treatment of emergent medical conditions. It is generally performed in an emergency room, but can also refer to treatment in an ambulance. In addition to life-threatening conditions, emergency medicine physicians may treat patients with injuries or infections.
24-hour emergency room in Ocala
We are prepared to handle any medical emergency you may have 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
All five of our ER locations host teams of board-certified physicians, nurses and healthcare professionals who are specially trained to deliver emergency medical services at a moment's notice. We offer ERs at our two hospitals, HCA Florida Ocala Hospital and HCA Florida West Marion Hospital and three additional freestanding ERs to provide emergency care close to home.
Related Specialties
Learn more about our related specialties
Our emergency care features and services
We offer high-quality emergency treatment for various conditions and strive for quick ER wait times to get you the care you need, fast.
ER features
Our ERs feature:
- Biplane angiography technology
- Care Path, a fast track option to reduce time in the ER for patients with less serious injuries and illnesses
- Dedicated unit and beds for cardiovascular services and treatment
- Dedicated unit and beds for neurological services and treatment
- Self-check-in kiosks
Please know, to ensure we treat anyone at immediate risk first, a triage nurse promptly evaluates you once you arrive at the ER. We will do everything we can to attend to you quickly and make you as comfortable as possible in the meantime.
Stroke treatment
We are certified by the Florida Agency for Health Care Association and DNV-GL Healthcare as the first and only Comprehensive Stroke Center in Marion County. This status means our highly trained neurological team provides more advanced stroke treatments in Marion, Lake and Sumter counties.
To provide this, the highest level of stroke care in the region, we offer dedicated neurological units and neuro-intensive care beds. These units are equipped with advanced technology, such as biplane angiography, which produces 3D brain views to help diagnose and treat complex strokes.
Trauma center
As a Level II Trauma Center, we treat patients with wounds or injuries as a result of traumatic events. Patients in need of emergency trauma care have immediate access to trauma surgeons, who are on site at all times.
We specifically serve Trauma Service Area 6, which is made up of Marion, Citrus and Hernando counties.
Our trauma center status is designated by the Florida Department of Health's Office of Trauma.
Freestanding ERs
When you need emergency care close to home, you can visit one of our five ER locations. This includes 24/7 emergency care at the following locations:
At any of our ER locations, you will find the same compassionate, expert-level care you need as well as:
- Adult and pediatric emergency services
- Comprehensive laboratory services
- Certified, trained emergency physicians and nurses
- Diagnostic imaging
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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