For emergency medical situations, Ochsner Lafayette General is there for you with emergency rooms across Acadia, Lafayette, St. Martin and Vermilion parishes:
- Ochsner Abrom Kaplan Memorial Hospital
- Ochsner Acadia General Hospital
- Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center
- Ochsner Lafayette General Orthopedic Hospital— An Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center Campus
- Ochsner St. Martin Hospital
- Ochsner University Hospital & Clinics
These emergency departments are staffed and open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For non-life threatening injuries and potentially less expensive and quicker service, please visit one of our Urgent Care Centers or use the Health Anywhere app on your iOS or Android device to remotely connect with a provider. This app is a great option for treating minor illnesses and injuries, especially when Urgent Care facilities are closed. Download the app today, or learn more about Health Anywhere here.
Sometimes it’s hard to know if you should seek emergency care, urgent care or schedule an appointment with your provider. View our guide to emergency care below to know which option is best for you.
Lafayette’s Level II Trauma Center
As a Level II Trauma Center, Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center handles the highest level of trauma in the Acadiana region. Our facility staffs essential physician specialists providing comprehensive care around the clock. It also means that Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center offers care throughout the continuum of a patient’s illness and injury. The hospital boasts a large adult intensive care unit (ICU) staffed 24/7 by intensivists (physicians specializing in critical care). In addition, Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center offers a Dedicated Pediatric Treatment Area within the Emergency Department. The Pediatric Treatment Area is open every day from 1 p.m. – 9 p.m. and is staffed by pediatricians.
Our Emergency Triage Process
The urgency of your condition is determined by an ER triage nurse, which is based on a triage process that is designed to get the sickest and most seriously injured patients in front of a doctor first. Those facing immediate life-threatening conditions are prioritized and more critical patients are seen first, regardless of their arrival time.
To adequately disperse ER resources to the sickest/most injured, sometimes less urgent cases will wait a significant amount of time due to more urgent cases continuously arriving. Often, patients with less urgent cases will see a physician assistant or nurse practitioner – this helps the patient receive quicker medical treatment.
Many conditions discovered in the ER require more monitoring and care. Please take all of the medication prescribed to you and follow up with your primary care physician. If you don’t have a doctor or are concerned about your ability to afford follow-up care and medications, Ochsner University Hospital & Clinics has programs that can help.
As of Oct.1,2015, the Emergency Department providers (doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants with SCP Health, formerly known as Schumacher Clinical Partners, that work at Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center, Ochsner Lafayette General Orthopedic Hospital—An Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center campus, Ochsner University Hospital & Clinics, Ochsner St. Martin Hospital, Ochsner Acadia General Hospital and Ochsner Abrom Kaplan Memorial Hospital) are now in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana.
Care for Non-Critical Emergencies
With the exception of Ochsner Abrom Kaplan Memorial Hospital, all Ochsner Lafayette General emergency departments offer a Fast Track program for patients who do not have critical emergencies or have minor ailments or injuries only. Fast Track allows non-critical patients to be seen and released more quickly than waiting for an emergency room physician to become available. This not only helps reduce emergency room backlogs, it reduces wait times for non-critical patients that might get stuck behind more critical cases in the Emergency Room.
Non-critical illnesses or injuries should also visit Ochsner Lafayette General's urgent care clinics:
- Ochsner Lafayette General Urgent Care Center at River Ranch in Lafayette
- Ochsner Lafayette General Urgent Care Center at Sugar Mill Pond in Youngsville
- Ochsner Lafayette General Urgent Care Center at Ochsner University Hospital & Clinics (accepts Medicaid)
- Ochsner Health Center - Maurice
ER vs Dr: Is it an Emergency?
Deciding whether your illness or injury is a true emergency can be hard when you feel sick or are in pain. While the hospital’s emergency department (ER) is prepared for every kind of medical emergency, Ochsner Lafayette General Urgent Care Centers provide treatment for common illnesses and minor injuries. See below for more information about when to visit the ER versus when to visit an urgent care clinic. You can also view our Care Options chart to determine which service is best for your situation.
Remember: For a life-threatening emergency, always call 911. If you are seriously ill or injured, it may be safer to be transported by ambulance.
