Emergency services
Emergency services give you fast access to expert care, day or night. Atlantic Health emergency departments offer advanced treatment for serious illness and injury, with trauma, stroke, pediatric and transfer services when needed.
Speedy access to high-quality care
Atlantic Health’s hospitals have emergency departments, providing 24/7 access to state-of-the-art technology, life-saving treatments and expert medical teams trained in emergency medicine procedures.
Many of our locations offer comprehensive stroke care, pediatric emergency care, cardiovascular services, diagnostic imaging and fast-track areas for the treatment of minor injuries and illnesses.
What's more, at Atlantic Health Morristown Medical Center, our trauma center is verified as a Level I Regional Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons and designated a Level II by the state of New Jersey. We are equipped with a helipad for medevac air transport and have easy access for ground transportation.
In addition, through the Atlantic Health Transfer Center, we can expertly coordinate the transfer of patients or their loved ones in need of assistance from anywhere in the world to our hospitals.
What to do in a medical emergency
At Atlantic Health, we understand that it’s not always easy to know when you or one of your loved ones needs emergency care. An emergency can be defined as a severe injury or illness that is threatening to one’s health or might cause permanent harm. They can be both physical and psychological in nature with symptoms that may include:
- Unconsciousness or lack of response
- Skin or lips that look blue, purple or gray
- Difficulty breathing
- Chest pain or pressure
- Acting strangely or becoming more withdrawn and less alert
- Difficulty speaking clearly or garbled speech
- Weakness, numbness or incoordination on one side of the body
- Sudden loss of eyesight
- Rhythmic jerking movements or seizures
- Neck stiffness or rash with fever
- Increasing or severe, persistent pain
- Physical trauma involving the head, chest or abdomen
- Bleeding from large or deep cuts that does not stop after applying pressure for five minutes
- Burns that are large or involve the hands, groin or face
- Head injuries accompanied by a loss of consciousness, confusion, headache or vomiting
Ask your physician in advance what you should do in case of an emergency. You may also want to consider taking a basic life support course at your local hospital or school to help keep you prepared.
In case of an emergency, stay calm and:
- Call 911 if you need immediate help. If you do not have 911 services in your area, call your local emergency ambulance service or county emergency medical service.
- Bring any medication you or your loved one is taking to the hospital.
- If a person is not breathing, have someone who is properly trained start cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
- Call the poison center at once if a person has swallowed a suspected poison or another person’s medication, even if there are no signs or symptoms.
- Bring any suspected poisons or other medications the person might have taken to the hospital.
- Place the person on the floor with his or her head turned to the side if he or she is having a seizure. Do not put anything in his or her mouth.
- Do not move an injured person unless there is immediate danger.
- Apply continuous pressure to the site of bleeding with a clean cloth.
- Stay with the patient until help arrives.
Urgent care & walk-in medical care
We provide a variety of urgent care and walk-in services so patients can easily access medical treatment when they need it most.
AdvancED Urgent Care vs Emergency Department
Unsure where to go? Watch Atlantic Health emergency medicine physician, Dr. Michael Gerardi, go over the differences between the emergency department and AdvancED urgent care.
Patient transfers
Our Patient Transfer Center is ready 24/7 to transfer a patient to an Atlantic Health hospital.