Emergency and Trauma

If you or someone you know is experiencing an emergency such as a heart attack or stroke, please call 911.

Our emergency room physicians, nurses, and support staff are specialists in emergency medicine, providing prompt, efficient care for injuries and illnesses requiring immediate and urgent attention. Our experienced team can assess, stabilize, and treat a broad range of conditions, manage critically ill patients, and help to prevent further complications. We have doctors and nurses who are multilingual and can compassionately communicate with patients to understand their healthcare needs.

Each year, more than 60,000 patients receive emergency medical care in our Emergency Department. We are open 24/7 to patients of all ages.

For further information, contact us at 310-900-8900

Trauma Map

The St. Francis Medical Center Emergency Room has the following designations:

Certified Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center
Approved STEMI Receiving Center
Emergency Department Approved for Pediatrics (EDAP)
Geriatric Emergency Department Accredited (GEDA)
Designation as a 5150 Receiving Facility for adult behavioral health patients under involuntary evaluation
Designated Paramedic Base Station

St. Francis Medical Center is a Level II Trauma Center verified by the American College of Surgeons. We are the only trauma center in our service area, providing care to nearly 2,000 trauma patients a year.

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Geriatric Emergency Department

The St. Francis Medical Center Emergency Department is accredited for geriatric care by the American College of Emergency Physicians. It is the largest, most comprehensive geriatric accredited emergency department in South Los Angeles County. This designation recognizes the hospital’s commitment and ability to deliver the highest standards of care for older adults within the community.

The Geriatric Emergency Department ( emergency room) Accreditation designation means that our care of older adults includes:

· Following proven best practices and standardized approaches to care that address issues common to seniors. This includes routine screening for delirium, dementia, and fall risk, among other senior vulnerabilities.

· Ensuring geriatric-focused education and staffing expertise from a range of disciplines.

· Facilitating optimal transitions of care from the emergency department to other settings (inpatient, home, community-based care, rehabilitation, long-term care).

· Having resources and equipment that are appropriate and that support care of older adults.

The geriatric accreditation reflects the hospital’s commitment to the delivery of excellent care for aging individuals. Our approach allows us to provide well-coordinated care for our senior population and the best possible experience. Older adults visiting our emergency department can be assured that we have the necessary expertise, equipment and personnel in place to provide superior, age-appropriate care.

Emergency Obstetric Care Access

St. Francis Medical Center has a dedicated Obstetrical Emergency Department (OB-ED) located in our Family Life Center. The OB ED augments the comprehensive maternity services provided by the medical center for expectant mothers in the community. If you are at least 20 weeks pregnant and feel you may have an OB emergency, please come directly to our Family Life Center. Our friendly staff will check you into our OB-ED, where you will be cared for by our highly skilled team of OB-ED physician and nurse specialists.
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Stroke Care

St. Francis is a Certified Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center by The Joint Commission, the leading accrediting body for hospitals in the United States. Our stroke program has earned the Gold Plus Performance Achievement Award from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association for excellence in stroke care. This award recognizes our commitment to patient care and to improving patient survival rates.

These awards recognize the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.

St. Francis Medical Center earned the award by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.

People who have symptoms of a stroke need to call 911 immediately.

A simple way to remember the warning signs of a stroke is the acronym BE FAST. It stands for:

Balance (sudden loss of balance)
Eyes (sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes)
Face drooping
Arm weakness
Speech difficulty
Time to call 911

STEMI Receiving Center

St. Francis is a Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency approved STEMI receiving center. STEMI stands for ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction, a severe heart attack caused by clogging in the arteries. With experienced and physicians and staff and advanced capabilities, we are able to treat patients rapidly and minimize heart damage. St. Francis Medical Center is the only STEMI Receiving Center within our service area, filling a critical gap in coronary intervention treatments available for residents in the community.

Ensuring Your Health and Safety

We’ve taken steps to ensure your safety when you visit our emergency department:

Mandatory masks: All patients and visitors must be masked.
Patient safety: Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms is isolated from waiting areas, patient rooms, entrances, and any space that the general population uses.
Cleaning: Our teams are providing extra cleaning and disinfecting in all spaces.