When Every Second Counts...

The Emergency Department at Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to treat trauma and other emergency medical problems. During an emergency, it is important to call “911” and to get to the Emergency Room as soon as possible.  Every second counts during an emergency.

The Emergency Room is located within the East Tower of Valley Baptist, off Ed Carey Drive, northeast of Business Highway 77 Sunshine Strip in Harlingen. The Emergency Entrance is on Benwood Drive, between Ed Carey Drive and Treasure Hills Blvd. Follow the “Emergency” signs to the Emergency Room entrance.

Valley Baptist-Harlingen was designated as the first Level III Trauma Center in the Rio Grande Valley. Our hospital is the only designated Lead Level 3 Trauma Center in the Harlingen-San Benito area. It is very important for patients in emergency situations to be taken to the nearest Trauma Center as soon as possible.

Trauma Center designations by the Texas Department of Health represent a systematic approach to trauma care -- which is considered the best way to protect the public from premature death and prolonged disability. In order to be designated a Lead Level III Trauma Center, a hospital must meet a high level of monitoring for quality and reporting on trauma cases to a state-wide data base. Major trauma patients include those with critical injuries resulting from motor vehicle accidents, gunshot wounds, stabbings, falls, burns, or any injury severe enough to cause death or disability.

An Award-Winning Emergency Room

Valley Baptist’s Emergency Department has received national awards for customer service in treating emergency room patients. The “4 Star Customer Service Award” is presented only to those hospitals that rank in the top 25 percent in the nation. The award was presented to Valley Baptist by Professional Research Consultants (PRC), an independent customer and marketing research firm for the health care industry based in Omaha, Nebraska.

In presenting the award to Valley Baptist, the president of Professional Research Consultants, Joe Inguanzo, Ph.D., said that “Valley Baptist Medical Center is among a very elite group of hospitals and health care providers nationwide who put customer service first.”

The firm conducted its research by contacting a random sample of Valley Baptist patients by telephone on a weekly basis. The patients were asked to assess their level of satisfaction shortly after their hospital experience. Valley Baptist's Emergency Department had previously received a similar award from Professional Resource Consultants for best “Overall Quality of Doctor Care” by physicians in the Emergency Room.

We’re in contact with the ambulances

The Emergency Department at Valley Baptist-Harlingen is in direct radio contact with ambulance crews and can receive information about a patient's heart (EKG telemetry) while an ambulance is still en route to the hospital. This allows our physicians to begin diagnosis and treatment even before the patient's arrival, which can save precious seconds in emergency cases.

Entering the Emergency Room - by ground and by air

The ambulance entrance at the Valley Baptist Emergency Department accommodates up to six ambulances at a time. A separate entrance accommodates patients arriving in their own vehicles or being transported by family or friends. Upon entering the Emergency Room, each patient is assessed and prioritized by a specially-trained triage nurse.

A state-of-the-art heliport is located on the roof of Valley Baptist making the ease of transferring patients arriving by air to the Emergency Department as quick as possible.

Emergency Room Facilities

An emergency physician is available in each of the three distinct areas of the Emergency Department: Acute Care, Urgent Care, and Fast Track.

The overall Emergency Department was enlarged in 1998 to provide more work space for Valley Baptist’s full-time emergency physicians, the support staff of emergency nurses and technicians, and for state-of-the-art emergency equipment which helps save lives. The Kleberg Emergency Pavilion is also more convenient and comfortable, with expanded waiting areas, additional private consultation rooms, a large vending area, and a children's play area. Additional patient registration booths have been added to speed up the registration process. In addition, Valley Baptist has significantly improved turn-around times in the Emergency Room through our Six Sigma program of continuous improvement.

Emergency Room Physicians

Valley Baptist-Harlingen's Emergency Department is staffed by 15 full-time emergency physicians, including Michael Mohun, M.D., as Chief of Emergency Medicine.

Priority of Care

Our Emergency Department gives priority of treatment to patients with medical conditions that are a threat to life or limb. This means that patients with the most critical injuries are treated first. All other patients will be treated as quickly as possible, in order of severity.

The waiting room is provided for the comfort of family members and friends of patients. The waiting area is also open 24 hours a day and includes a television viewing area, as well as consultation rooms for those who wish to speak with a chaplain.