title: Emergency-room services for a community health center.
abstract: The development and maintenance of an organized system of emergency care in isolated ambulatory health-care centers are described. A system of three community health centers, staffed chiefly by midlevel practitioners (i.e., physician's associates and nurse practitioners), had a need to provide occasional emergency care to patients. Emergency care needed to be provided (for up to one hour) until an ambulance arrived to transport the patient to a hospital. A system of emergency care, consisting of treatment protocols, a drug manual, equipment and medications, and a program for periodic inservice education was developed by physicians, midlevel practitioners, and pharmacists. Weekly checks of the supplies and medications are conducted. Lists of supplies and medications stocked, and a sample drug monograph, are included in the paper. The program has resulted in more efficient emergency care, including less confusion in executing and documenting treatment.
mesh_terms: D003151:Community Health Centers / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004864:Equipment and Supplies; D009096:Multi-Institutional Systems / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009657:North Carolina; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations