Here For Emergencies

Your Safe Care is Our Priority

• Patients seeking Emergency Care should proceed to the Emergency Department entrance.
• Due to high patient demand, wait times in the ER may be longer than expected.
• All patients seeking emergency treatment will be screened, triaged, stabilized and treated as soon as possible.
• Palm Beach Children's Hospital emergency rooms are not COVID testing sites. To find a testing site near you, please click here.
• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is providing free at-home COVID tests by mail. Order yours here.

A Community Built on Safety

We remain committed to safe, quality care as always, and we want you to feel confident coming to our hospital. We take precautions to separate COVID-19 patients and ensure a safe environment for treating non-COVID-19 emergencies, chronic conditions and new or worsening symptoms.

Commitment from our hospital staff

We understand that you may be concerned about COVID-19 when coming to the hospital. Rest assured, our staff is taking every precaution to keep you and your loved ones safe. We are:

• Increasing precautions for infection prevention
• Training staff with timely safety measures
• Wearing masks and other protective gear to prevent contact and spread of germs

When to come to the ER

Please – don’t delay care if you or a loved one have symptoms that are best evaluated in an emergency room, which may include:

• Broken bones and dislocated joints
• Chest pains
• Concussion/fainting
• Confusion/change in mental state
• Digestive problems, especially sudden, severe stomach pain, coupled with nausea and vomiting
• Facial lacerations
• Fever with a rash
• Head or eye injury
• Intense back pain with numbness, weakness and fever
• Muscle strain, when tied to the inability to walk, fever or an open wound
• Seizures
• Serious burns
• Severe cuts that may require stitches
• Severe COVID-19, cold or flu symptoms
• Shortness of breath
• Vaginal bleeding with pregnancy

Signs of a heart attack

• Chest pain or discomfort
• Upper body discomfort, such as arms, back, neck, jaw or stomach
• Difficulty breathing
• Cold sweat, nausea, lightheaded
• Especially for women – difficulty breathing, nausea/vomiting, back or jaw pain

Signs of a stroke

• B – Balance – Is there a loss of balance, coordination or trouble walking?
• E – Eyes – Is it difficult to see in one or both eyes?

• F – Face – When the person smiles, does one side of the face droop?
• A – Arms – Does one arm drift down when the person raises both arms?
• S – Speech – Is speech strange or slurred?
• T – Time – Don’t wait to call 9-1-1 if you see any of the above signs

When to call 911

Call 911 for an ambulance for certain emergencies such as a heart attack or stroke. Paramedics can often begin delivering life-savings treatment on the way to the hospital. Also call 911 if you’re unsure whether to drive yourself. Your safety is our highest priority.