Emergency Services - Virginia Mason Franciscan Health

When you have an emergency, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health’s skilled emergency medical teams are always here to provide exceptional care when and where you need it most. 

To ensure our facilities are safe places, please note the following:

• We ask that you arrive with a face covering; if you do not have a face covering, one will be provided to you upon entrance
• Face coverings must be worn at all times while in our facilities
• Valved face masks must be replaced or covered

When you’re having a medical emergency, wait times matter. The emergency department at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health has lower wait times than both the national average and Washington state average, according to Medicare data.

On average, people who come to our emergency department spend less time:

• Waiting to see a doctor
• Being admitted to the hospital, if necessary
• Waiting for a hospital room, if admitted

If you arrive by ambulance with a possible stroke emergency, cardiac emergency or other medical emergency, you will be quickly but thoroughly evaluated, and appropriate treatment will be started immediately.

Some medical emergencies seem obvious because of their dramatic symptoms. If you or someone near you has a life-threatening injuring or other medical emergency, dial 911 immediately. Other times, it is harder to decide whether a trip to the emergency department is necessary.

In addition to life-threatening emergencies involving strokes, heart attacks and injuries, the emergency department at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health also treats a wide range of symptoms, including:

• Blurred vision
• Breathing problems
• Broken bones
• Concussions
• Severe fever
• Numbness in arm, face or leg
• Seizures
• Severe burns or cuts
• Vomiting blood
• Other acute symptoms

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health’s emergency department is staffed by highly experienced, board-certified emergency physicians and certified emergency nurses. Each is certified in advanced cardiovascular life support and pediatric advanced life support. 

We have teams who are ready to treat all types of emergencies, including pulmonary issues, stroke, heart attacks, and sepsis. Our emergency department offers you:

• 24/7 care, including advanced care for heart attack and stroke
• Advanced diagnostic imaging
• Nationally recognized heart and vascular care, including two flagship heart centers: Franciscan Heart Center at St. Joseph (Tacoma), and the Center for Cardiovascular Health at St. Michael Medical Center in Silverdale
• Board-certified providers and registered nurses certified in emergency medicine and advanced cardiac life support
• Critical care units at all locations (St. Michael Medical Center—Bremerton critical care patients are transferred to St. Michael Medical Center—Silverdale)
• Seamless care—if you need to be admitted to the hospital, your medical records will be immediately available to any of our health care providers who will be taking care of you
• Shorter wait times—if you’re driving yourself or a loved one to an emergency department, remember that our wait times are shorter than average. Or if an EMT or paramedic asks what hospital you prefer to be taken to, we suggest Virginia Mason Franciscan Health. 

Bringing advanced emergency and trauma care right to your neighborhood, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health has locations throughout Washington state. Our Emergency Services locations include: 

• Burien: St. Anne Hospital
• Enumclaw: St. Elizabeth Hospital
• Federal Way: St. Francis Hospital
• Gig Harbor: St. Anthony Hospital
• Lakewood: St. Clare Hospital
• Seattle: Virginia Mason Medical Center
• Silverdale: St. Michael Medical Center
• Tacoma: St. Joseph Medical Center

The best time to plan for an emergency is before it happens. Research these items in advance:

• Location of nearest emergency departments
• Average wait times
• Hospital specialties
• If they have rapid-fire, dedicated teams to handle emergencies such as stroke, pulmonary embolisms, cardiac events, and sepsis

Keep an emergency information packet handy in your home and car that includes:

• Current medications
• Ongoing medical conditions, such as “insulin-dependent diabetic”
• Any devices you have, such as “have a pacemaker”
• Any allergies
• Contact information for your primary care and specialty care physicians
• A copy of your photo ID and insurance card
• List of emergency contacts