Emergency Care

When to seek emergency care

Call 911 or visit an Emergency Department, or ER, if you or a loved one has an illness, injury or other symptoms that could cause death or disability.

If you need care quickly, but your condition isn’t life-threatening, go to urgent care. This can help you save money and time. Learn more about whether you should go to the Emergency Department or urgent care.

Waukesha County trauma centers

ProHealth Waukesha Memorial Hospital and ProHealth Oconomowoc Memorial Hospital are Level III trauma centers. That means you can trust us for quick, expert care of serious injuries 24 hours a day.

Prompt heart attack treatment

Rely on ProHealth to respond quickly when you arrive at the Emergency Department with chest pain or other symptoms of a heart attack. The sooner you receive heart attack care, the better your outcome.

Nationally recognized stroke care

Trust the emergency teams at ProHealth Care's hospitals for exceptional stroke care that supports better outcomes. Waukesha Memorial and Oconomowoc Memorial are certified as Primary Stroke Centers by The Joint Commission. If your care begins in Mukwonago, you may be transferred to Waukesha Memorial for advanced treatment options and inpatient care.

ProHealth has the most advanced imaging software available to help visualize reductions in blood flow to the brain and early signs of brain injury. Physicians receive scans in a few minutes, allowing them to make critical decisions faster and greatly reduce the time to treatment.

What to expect

When you arrive for emergency care, a triage nurse assesses your condition. Patients with critical injuries or symptoms are seen first. That means people who arrive after you may be seen before you. If you are waiting and begin to feel worse, tell the triage nurse. If you have to wait, you can use this time to complete registration and insurance forms.

When it’s your turn, you’ll go to a treatment room. There, you’ll talk with a nurse and a doctor, physician assistant or nurse practitioner about your symptoms. Your doctor will examine you, and may recommend blood tests or imaging tests to get more information about your condition.

Your care team will explain your options. You might be treated in the Emergency Department and return home the same day with instructions on how to care for yourself. Or you may stay overnight at the hospital for more tests and treatment.

Family and friends

Rest assured, we work closely with you to include your family and friends in your care. Depending on your condition and the size of your treatment room, your doctor may request that they remain in the waiting room.

Follow-up after an emergency visit

Follow your emergency team’s instructions for follow-up care after your visit. A follow-up appointment with your primary care provider can help you have a smoother recovery and prevent future health problems.

Emergency air transportation

ProHealth works with air medical transport services to make sure you get to the specialized critical care you need. Waukesha Memorial, Waukesha Memorial-Mukwonago and Oconomowoc Memorial have helipads for air ambulances.