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Due to COVID-19, our patient visitor policies are changing. Please visit: COVID-19: Enhanced Visitor Policy
If you believe you have symptoms of COVID-19, take these steps.
Timing and expertise are critical in an emergency. That's why families in Greater Houston depend on St. Luke's Health Emergency Departments and Baylor St. Luke's Emergency Centers. Board-certified emergency physicians, specially trained trauma nurses, and skilled health professionals—using the most advanced diagnostic imaging and artificial technology—are available around the clock, seven days a week.
Our hospitals' Emergency Departments attend to all emergencies—when minutes count— including heart attacks and strokes. Upon each patient's arrival, a triage process (to assess the degree of urgency) determines the order in which all patients are seen and the most efficient care plan.
Baylor St. Luke's Emergency Centers (Holcombe) provide a higher level of care than non-hospital affiliated clinics and urgent care centers. We refer and transport patients to Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center in the Texas Medical Center if a higher level of care is needed.
Our goal is to provide the best medical care as quickly as possible. Patients and their families take comfort in knowing that high-quality emergency care is available at all St. Luke's Health facilities.
Our online check-in feature minimizes your wait time at the ER and maximizes your time with our expert care team.
Shorten Your ER wait time
If you think you may be experiencing a life-threatening emergency, call 911 immediately. You can request that they take you to a St. Lukes Health emergency room.
While urgent care clinics and emergency rooms have similarities (they’re open 24/7 and accept walk-ins), they also have many differences. Emergency rooms can treat any condition that an urgent care facility can treat, but the reverse is not true. Emergency rooms tend to have more medical professionals on staff and have a greater range of capabilities. Patients at our emergency rooms also benefit from seamless admission to the nearest St. Luke's Health hospital, if necessary.
Emergency care is any type of medical service necessary for the prevention of death or severe harm to a patient.
If you experience any life-threatening symptoms, a trip to the emergency room is necessary. These include:
If you think you may be experiencing a life-threatening emergency, call 911 immediately. You can request that they take you to a St. Luke's Health emergency room.
Patients can go to the emergency room for any symptom, but it isn’t always the best option. For example, a patient could seek emergency care for the common cold. However, they may end up waiting for an extended amount of time, as emergency rooms prioritize patients with life-threatening conditions, even if they arrive later. If the condition is not life-threatening and you can reasonably wait for treatment, a virtual or in-person visit with a specialist may be a cheaper and more efficient option.
It is safe to go to the ER during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have implemented additional safety procedures, including mandatory mask-wearing, social distancing, and innovative cleaning techniques, to keep our patients as safe as possible. In fact, avoiding the emergency room due to the pandemic can be dangerous, as putting off care for a medical emergency can result in severe complications.
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U.S News & World Report has recognized Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center as one of the best hospitals for several specialties.
