If you have chest pain or think you are having a stroke, call 911.

Know the signs of a heart attack and stroke.

ER Services at NYM -- 718.780.3137 or 718.780.3148

At New York Methodist, we work hard to make your emergency room (ER) experience a pleasant and positive one. Our ER is open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week and treats more than 65,000 patients each year. We have modern technology and procedures and our staff is amongst the most highly-trained in emergency medicine that you’ll find anywhere in New York.

Tips for Knowing When to Visit an Emergency Room

Learn About Our Services
S.M.A.R.T. Program
Pediatric Area
Women's Area
Stroke Center
Chest Pain Center
Language Assistance
Visitor Information
Why the Wait?

Request Our Emergency Handbook

S.M.A.R.T. Program   (10 a.m. – 10 p.m.)

S.M.A.R.T. stands for Simple Medical screening And Rapid Treatment. This program allows our doctors and nurses to quickly assess the severity of your illness or injury and treat you promptly.

The Program Is Simple

Sign In: When you walk into our ER, you will be greeted by a patient liaison. This person will help you sign in and answer any questions you may have.

Medical screening: A registered nurse (RN) or physician's assistant (PA) will ask you about your symptoms and medical history (medications you take, allergies you have) and check your vital signs (temperature, blood pressure, pulse). If you already have an NYM doctor, now is the time to tell us.

Information gathering: A clerk will want to know more about your current health and past illnesses so he or she can create your medical chart. Depending on the severity of your illness or injury, you may be registered either before or after you receive treatment.

Treatment: You may be treated by a PA who is supervised by an ER doctor. During your visit, you may need to have blood drawn, X-rays taken and/or other exams done.

Going home: If you are treated by a PA, he or she will explain your illness and how it has been treated. The PA may prescribe medication and give you instructions for what to do once you get home and how to schedule a follow up visit.

Separate Pediatric Area

For the comfort and convenience of all patients, we have created separate waiting rooms and treatment areas for adults and children needing medical attention. The pediatric area is decorated with friendly storybook characters and has a television that provides children's programming. The pediatric area is open from 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.  Children are treated in the adult area when the pediatric area is closed.

Separate Women's Area
Female patients who require more privacy will be treated in an area where only other women and medical staff are permitted. Treatment areas allow for complete privacy between the patient and her doctor.

State-Designated Stroke Center
New York State has designated New York Methodist a stroke center. This means we have advanced technology and highly-trained stroke doctors and nurses available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.  In 2006 and 2007, Healthgrades, an independent research organization, awarded five stars--its highest rating--to our Stroke Program.

If you think you may be having a stroke, call 911 immediately. Do not wait! People who are having a stroke and who are treated within the first three hours after the first signs of a stroke have a better chance of surviving and avoiding long-term disability. Look for these signs, then act FAST:

Facial weakness - can you smile? Has your mouth or eye drooped?
Arm weakness - can you raise both arms?
Speech problems - can you speak clearly and do other people understand what you say?
Take action – call 911 and tell the operator at what time you started noticing these signs. Every minute matters!

Chest Pain Center
If you arrive to the ER with chest pain, our doctors may send you to the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, which is staffed with an outstanding team of heart specialists who provide 24-hour on-call seven day per week service to people with sudden, severe heart problems.

If you are having chest pain, do not ignore it. Heart attacks are not always easy to detect – they start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort in the chest.

Know the Signs:

• Chest discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.  
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.   
• Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.  
• Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness       

As with men, women's most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.

If you have these symptoms, call 911. Do not wait! Patients who arrive by ambulance to the hospital receive treatment faster and have a better chance of survival.

Language Assistance
In addition to an ER staff that speaks many languages, New York Methodist provides signers for the deaf. If you are non-English speaking or a person who is deaf, please contact someone at the reception desk when you arrive.

Visitors' Information
Visiting hours are 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Because treatment areas are small, no more than 2 visitors may sit with a patient who is receiving care. Additional friends and family are welcome to sit in our newly-designed waiting area. Visitors will find meals and drinks in our cafeteria which is open for breakfast from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., lunch from 11:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and reopens with a limited menu from 3:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. 

 
Why the Wait?
When you visit an ER, it's typical to have to wait to be treated by a doctor. At NYM, we work hard to reduce the amount of time that you may have to wait. Here's why you generally have to wait while visiting any ER:

Doctors and nurses are behind the scenes doing a lot of work on your behalf. They

• Check medical records
• Contact your family doctor
• Discuss your condition with other doctors and specialists to confirm a diagnosis and agree on treatment options
• Wait for and review your test results. Depending on the test you need, it may take a couple of hours for results to come back.
• Work on the paperwork needed to send you home

All of this takes time, so please be patient. It's also important to remember that the ER has many patients who need care. Only the ER doctors and nurses can determine those patients who are the sickest and need attention first.

As always, if you're waiting to see a doctor and start to feel worse, tell someone right away.

For more information, call 718.780.3137 or 718.780.3148