What to expect in the emergency department 

When you arrive at the Columbus Community Hospital emergency department (ED), a member of our staff will evaluate your condition. This is called triage.

In an emergency department, we make every effort to provide prompt care; however, it is extremely important that we see the most acutely ill and injured patients first. We may ask you to wait if we determine another patient's condition is a higher priority.

Information to bring to the emergency department

CCH’s ED staff needs accurate information about you, your symptoms and your medical history in order to offer you the best possible care. With that in mind, we encourage you to be open in all your communications with ED medical staff concerning any health or well-being issues. As required by law, all information you provide to ED medical staff is confidential.

To help the ED staff best care for you, please provide them with the following information:

• Any health problems you have had, past or present — onset, duration, what made it worse and what provided relief.
• All complaints of your pain. Identify where it hurts, how badly it hurts, how long the pain has been there, what makes it worse and what improves it. Please include medications, prescribed and non-prescribed, that you have taken for pain.
• All drugs and treatments you have used in the last 15 days or on a continuous basis. If you do not know this information, please bring all your medications in their containers with you when you come to the ED.
• Any drug or food allergies you have.
• Whether you are pregnant, think you may be pregnant or are breastfeeding.
• Any other facts pertaining to your health or well-being.
• Any cases of abuse.
• Current vaccinations.
• Recent travels outside of the country.

Discharge from the emergency department

When you leave the ED, you will receive instructions on how to continue your care. It is very important that you understand and follow these directions. If you do not understand these instructions, ask for clarification. Patients are responsible for their own care after they leave the ED and they should arrange for follow-up appointments, as directed in their discharge instructions.

Contact us 

Columbus Community Hospital
4600 38th St.
Columbus, Nebraska 68602-1800