Brattleboro Memorial Hospital Emergency Department
If this is an Emergency, Call 9-1-1 at Once!
At Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, we know that medical emergencies can happen anywhere, at any time, to anyone. From minor bumps and bruises to life-threatening conditions and everything in between, our Emergency Department offers the latest in medical technology and skilled providers offering the most personalized emergency medical care possible to every patient who comes through our doors.
The Emergency Department includes eight private treatment rooms, an incident response room, a family consultation room, secure rooms for psychiatric/substance abuse patients, and a large, 2-bed Trauma/Cardiac Room. We care for nearly 14,000 patients each year (365 days a year, 24 hours a day). We serve people from throughout southeast Vermont, northwest Massachusetts and southwest New Hampshire.
Emergency Team
- BMH’s Emergency Department is staffed with a team of board-certified, residency-trained emergency medicine specialists from BlueWater Health.
- BlueWater’s core ED team is made up of a group of highly-skilled and experienced providers – physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician’s assistants – all of whom specialize in emergency medicine.
- The Emergency Department at BMH offers a high level of skill and expertise where procedures such as sedations, setting fractures, and intubations can be performed right in the Emergency Department, providing our patients with quick and effective relief.
Right Patient, Right Room
As part of Brattleboro Memorial Hospital’s goal to provide the best possible care for our patients, we have developed a “right patient for the right room” emergency medicine model to deliver efficient, high-quality, personalized care.
- Walk-in patients proceed to the registration desk, where they are greeted by a staff member and asked very few questions: name, date of birth, chief complaint and social security number. At the same time a nurse is paged to triage the patient into the most appropriate acuity level. One of the most important parts of this step is receiving an identification band. This band is unique to the patient and is the foundation for many safety processes.
- Generally, if space allows, the nurse will lead the patient to a room in the emergency department where the more formal triage process will occur. When possible, the nurse will utilize the model of “the right patient for the right room.” Issues requiring fewer resources or acute care will be assigned to one of the minor treatment rooms.
- In many instances the emergency department provider arrives at the room during the triage process or shortly thereafter. The team of physician, nurse, and patient devises the most appropriate plan of care and executes that plan safely and efficiently.
- From the time they arrive in BMH’s Emergency Department to the time they leave, patients are cared for by a team of providers all working in collaboration.
- Family or other support persons are encouraged to accompany patients throughout the emergency care process to provide comfort and to help answer questions.
Emergency Transport
When medically necessary, critically ill or injured patients are transported to Dartmouth Health by helicopter or ground ambulance. This comprehensive emergency air and ground transportation program provides critical care level treatments during rapid transport from the BMH helipad or accident scenes to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. Transport vehicles are staffed by specially trained RNs and paramedics. This service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The program is a partnership between Rescue Inc., Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, and Dartmouth Health.
Mental Health Services
Emergency mental health services are supported through a contract with Health Care and Rehabilitation Services, Inc (HCRS). A 24-hour-a-day emergency mental health screening service provided by HCRS staff is available for people of all ages. This service is evaluative in nature and can provide some crisis stabilization when appropriate. Once the assessment is completed, a referral may be made for treatment, inpatient services, or follow-up care to other community services.
