Emergency Medicine
Count on St. Bernards Medical Center for timely medical attention when you need it most.
Medical Emergencies
Call 911 if you or someone you love experiences:
- Abdominal pain (severe)
- Bluish or gray skin
- Broken bones or joint dislocations
- Change in mental status (unusual behavior or confusion)
- Chest pain
- Choking, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Excessive bleeding or bleeding that will not stop
- Fainting or loss of consciousness
- Headache (severe or unexplained)
- Head or spinal injury
- Near drowning
- Slurred speech/inability to speak
- Serious burns
- Severe, persistent vomiting
- Sudden dizziness, weakness or change in vision
- Sudden injury or deep or large wounds due to a motor vehicle accident, burns, falls or other blows or impacts
- Smoke inhalation
- Swallowing of harmful substances
- Swelling of the face, eyes or tongue
- Thoughts of harming yourself or someone else
- Unexplained dizziness, seizures or loss of coordination
- Vomiting/coughing up blood
- Weakness/numbness on one side
If you don’t have a serious injury or life-threatening emergency, consider urgent care—a faster, more affordable option for minor and moderate conditions.
Calling 911 Leads to Faster Care
In an emergency, call 911 to request an ambulance instead of trying to drive someone to the hospital. Your loved one receives essential care from paramedics and emergency medical technicians on the way to the hospital. These professionals alert us when someone with a stroke, heart attack or traumatic injury is coming, so we’re ready when the patient arrives. When every minute matters, prompt care makes all the difference.
If You Come on Your Own
You’ll find the emergency department at 722 South Church St. in Jonesboro. Park in the designated lot off Church Street. For details, view a hospital campus map.
Should I go to Urgent Care or the Emergency Department?
Going to see your primary care provider when you are sick and for your annual check-ups is always best. Having a primary care doctor who knows you and your health will help you make the best treatment decisions when you are sick. If you find yourself sick at a time when your primary clinic is closed, here is a guide about where to go for treatment.
Urgent Care:
- Flu, COVID-19 & RSV Testing
- Colds, Sore Throat, Ear Aches
- Stomach Aches, Vomiting, Diarrhea and Flu
- Migraines
- Sprains and Simple Fractures
- X-Rays
- Rashes and Skin Disorders
- Back Pain
- Dehydration
- Acid Reflux
- Asthma
- Eye Infections
- Minor Burns and Wounds
- Sports Injuries
- Workplace Injuries
- Pediatric Care (3 months and older)
Emergency Department:
- Chest Pain
- Numbness in Face, Arm or Leg
- Severe Difficulty Breathing
- Excessive Bleeding
- High Fevers
- Severe Abdominal Pain Severe, Unexplained Headaches
- Unexplained Dizziness, Seizures Loss of Coordination
- Severe Broken Bones
- Vomiting/Coughing up Blood
- Life Threatening
Should I go to Urgent Care or the Emergency Department? [PDF]
Heart Attack Treatment
St. Bernards Medical Center offers lifesaving angioplasty to stop a heart attack 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We often provide this treatment within 45 minutes of arrival. That’s twice as fast as the national standard of 90 minutes. Because of our excellent care, St. Bernards Medical Center is designated a Primary Heart Attack Center by The Joint Commission, the nation’s leading accrediting agency for hospitals. Learn more about our Heart Attack Treatment Center.
Stroke Response
Rest assured that our Stroke Rapid Response Team is ready around the clock to provide treatment that can reverse or reduce the effects of a stroke. You may receive care from our stroke coordinator and nurses with specialized training in stroke care. You’ll also have a video consultation with a neurologist who’s part of the Arkansas SAVES program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
If you have an ischemic stroke (caused by a blood clot), you may receive blood-thinning medication to restore the flow of blood and oxygen to your brain. If your stroke is hemorrhagic (due to a burst blood vessel), you may receive treatment from a neurosurgeon.
Arkansas Department of Health Stroke Care Awards 2023 - St. Bernards Medical Center
Trauma Response
We know accidents happen and often create high-stress environments. You can have peace of mind knowing St. Bernards is a Level III Trauma Center that provides personalized care to you and your family. Here at St. Bernards Medical Center, we have a Nationally Certified Trauma Response Team available 24/7, 365 days a year to care for you or your loved ones during a traumatic event. You may receive care from a team that includes but isn’t limited to:
- Board-certified emergency medical providers
- Board-certified general surgeons
- Board-certified neurosurgeons
- Board-certified orthopedic surgeons
- Nationally trauma certified registered nurses
Mental Health Emergencies
We’re here 24/7 to protect you or a loved one who experiences:
- Urgent thoughts of self-harm or hurting someone else
- Distressing hallucinations or delusions—seeing, hearing or believing frightening things that aren’t real
A psychiatric social worker will help determine what level of care you need. You may stay in our secure behavioral health unit for several days to protect yourself and others as you recover.
Wait Times
Your wait time in the emergency department depends on the:
- Severity of your condition
- Severity of other patients’ symptoms
- Number of other patients
We treat life-threatening emergencies first. As new patients arrive, your wait time may change, depending on their condition. If your symptoms change, tell a healthcare professional right away. Know that your visit is important to us; you can rely on our team for the care you need.
What to Expect
Depending on your symptoms, you may not need to go to a bed or a private room. We might take care of you while you sit in a comfortable chair instead of waiting for a bed to become available. You’ll receive the same high-quality treatment, but sooner than it would otherwise be available.
