Admission / Discharge
Contact Numbers
Our Credentials
Health Info Privacy
Living Will
Pastoral Care
Social Services
Visitor Services
Your Care At Home

Behavioral Medicine
Birth Center
Cancer Center
Cardiopulmonary
Emergency Department
Healthy Heart
Home Care
Laboratory
Nutrition Services
Outreach Services
Progressive Care
Radiology
Rehabilitation
Sleep Lab
Surgical Care Unit
Senior Diagnostics
Social Services
Women's Health
Wound Care

Open Arms Free Clinic
Ministries of Deaconess
Pregnancy & Adoption
Our Heritage

Giving Opportunities
Planned Gifts
Tree of Life
Roll of Honor
Heritage Council

Physician Portal
Scope Newsletter

This fall marks the specialty of emergency medicine's 25th anniversary. Today, more than 114 million people seek care in the nation's emergency departments annually, making the emergency medicine department America's health care safety net.

The increase in usage at Deaconess's ER is remarkable; 34,502 patients were treated in FY 2004 compared to 30,014 three years ago. While the vast majority of visits are true emergencies, more Oklahomans are using the ER for primary care illnesses due to the rising number of uninsured residents.

While the volume of patients has risen, patient satisfaction has enjoyed increase. Jerry D. Brindley, MD, director of emergency medicine at Deaconess, said the ER team- physicians, nurses, and allied health employees - is skilled in technical skills and pays attention to the emotional needs of emergency patients as well.

"Emergency physicians have expertise in almost every other medical specialty," said Dr. Brindley. "We might be treating patients with chest pain, pregnancy complications, bed sores and a fractured hip all at the same time."

"A common thread among emergency workers is the ability to manage multiple challenges at the same time as well as a team approach to helping people, " he continued. "I'm proud of the emergency physicians at Deaconess and their ability to recognize, evaluate, treat and stabilize patients with a wide variety of illnesses and injuries."

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and dispose of the tissue afterward.
• If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your sleeve.
• Wash your hands after you cough or sneeze. Use soap and warm water, or an alcohol-based hand cleaner.
• If you get the flu, stay home from work or school. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.
• Remember, don’t visit the hospital when you are sick and don’t bring others, like children, to visit the hospital when they are sick.
• In a health care setting, remember to use Droplet Precautions for any patient with an Influenza diagnosis and always, always use appropriate hand hygiene between patients.