Emergency Services at Meadowlands Hospital

Welcome and thank you for choosing our Emergency Department

We strive to provide the best care possible for our patients, so we have designed this page as a tool to help you know what to expect and help you understand the services and benefits which can make your visit to the Emergency Department more comfortable. If you have further questions after you have reviewed this information, please don’t hesitate to ask an Emergency Department staff member.

Triage

Triage is the beginning of the medical treatment process in the Emergency Department and is performed by a licensed medical professional. In Triage, a determination will be made as to the severity of your condition. It is important that the most acutely ill and injured patients are seen first. The Triage Nurse will check your temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and respiration rate, as well as take a brief medical history and evaluate your condition. The Triage Nurse may also request a urine specimen, draw your blood, or send you for an x-ray in order to expedite your care.

Registration

In order to create a permanent record of your visit, you will be asked to provide one or all of the following: a driver’s license, social security card, insurance information, address, phone number, and other information. You will also need to sign consent forms, giving us permission to treat you.

If you have a doctor, or go somewhere routinely for your care, please make the registrar and the medical staff aware so we can let your doctor know of your visit to the Emergency Department.

We treat all patients regardless of their ability to pay. However, if you do not have insurance and meet certain financial criteria, you may be requested to complete a Charity Care Application.

Please be sure to complete this application process, prior to leaving the Emergency Department, or shortly thereafter in order to ensure access to continued follow-up care. Please note that Charity Care is not dependent upon US citizenship, but only proof of NJ residence. If you have questions regarding Charity Care, please call 201-392-3273.

Admission

If you are required to be admitted to the hospital, you will be instructed as to what floor and bed you will be going to, and will be asked to sign additional consent forms for treatment.

Discharge

You will be given complete instructions for follow-up care before you leave the Emergency Department. Please do not leave the Emergency Department until you receive and understand all the information necessary for your follow-up care. All prescriptions should be filled and follow-up appointments made as soon as possible.

Visitors

In order to ensure the best care, protect your privacy, and provide a safe environment for all our patients, we ask relatives and friends to remain in the waiting room unless their presence is absolutely necessary for the care of the patient. After the physician has completed the medical evaluation, one visitor may be allowed to stay with you. However, as space in the Emergency Department is limited, it is essential that visitors remain at the patient’s bedside while inside the treatment area. Visitors and patients should feel free to approach any member of the Staff with any questions regarding patient care while they are waiting.

Our patient representative is available at 201-392-3510 for your questions or concerns.

Our Emergency Team

Our emergency department is staffed by board-certified/board eligible emergency department physicians, from Emergency Medical Associates (EMA) one of the premier emergency physicians groups in the country and supported by a comprehensive team of healthcare professionals.

Waiting Time

Patients are treated according to the seriousness of their condition, and not in order of arrival. Waiting times will vary if you should require a special room or laboratory or x-ray results to be completed. Our goal is to provide the highest quality of clinical care to all patients in a timely manner. Our state-of-the-art clinical information systems allow us to closely monitor our waiting times and operations.

Billing Information

You or your insurance company will receive several bills for your visit to the Emergency Department. One bill is from the hospital; physician services are billed separately. Meadowlands Hospital may participate with some insurance carriers that do not participate with the physician caring for you today. Below is a list of services you may be billed for and their contact numbers if you should have any questions once you receive your bills.

1. Meadowlands Hospital - for Emergency Department facility use, procedure(s), and supply(ies): 201-770-3700
   
   
2. Meadowlands Emergency Medical Associates LLC - for Emergency Department physician professional services: 1-800-345-0064
   
   
3. Jersey Liberty Radiology - for Radiology physician services, if applicable: 866-688-8613

We are committed to quality patient care. If your visit did not meet or exceed your expectations, please contact the Nurse Manager of the Emergency Department at 201-392-3548 or the Physician Director at 201-392-3290. In addition, if you are discharged from the ED, a member of our staff will be contacting you within 48 hours to see how you are feeling and if you have any questions or concerns about your care.

You will also receive a survey in the mail asking you to rate your visit to the Emergency Department on a scale of 1 to 5. If at any time during your visit you feel that we cannot achieve a score of "5" or “Very Good” which equals 75% or better , please let us know immediately.