Emergency Services

No one plans a trip to the emergency room. When you arrive at the Augusta University ED, know that no other hospital in the area can provide the comprehensive emergency care that we can. We strive for the best possible outcomes. No matter what brings you to us, we'll be the best part of your worst day.

• Emergency expertise: Our board-certified emergency medicine physicians work with trained emergency nurses to provide all types of urgent and emergent care. 
• Critical care transport: We do real-time en-route conferencing with emergency medical services (EMS) and are often involved with your care even before you arrive at our ED. Patients are brought to us via ground or AirCare transport. 
• Fast Track: While our ED specializes in taking care of emergencies, we are well-equipped to address non-urgent patient needs as well. Our dedicated Fast Track area allows us to more efficiently treat patients seeking non-emergency care.
• Telehealth: Augusta University offers extensive telehealth consults for less urgent medical problems. Patients can be evaluated virtually by our ED providers via the online Direct to Consumer (D2C) platform. Rural hospitals around Georgia are also able to tap into the expertise of our emergency physicians through real-time telehealth support.

We are recognized for our commitment to patient care. Our accreditations let patients know that they can trust us with providing the complex care they need. We offer:

A Comprehensive Stroke Center

Emergency physicians are able to rapidly assess and diagnosis stroke, working closely with Neurologists and Interventionalists to provide immediate access to advanced therapies including thrombolytics and catheter-based treatment.

Our Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center is accredited by The Joint Commission, providing stroke patients with the highest quality of care available in the area.

A Chest Pain Center

Emergency physicians can quickly assess and diagnose heart attacks. We work closely with cardiologists to provide rapid diagnosis and treatment, including immediate access to catheter-based therapy such as angioplasty.

We are fully equipped to receive all cardiac patients for treatment at Augusta University Medical Center. We were the first hospital in the region to receive national accreditation as a Chest Pain Center with PCI and Resuscitation by the American College of Cardiology.

The Highest Level Trauma Center

We care for more than 1,500 trauma patients each year. Emergency Department physicians work closely with the trauma team and other surgical specialists, to provide sophisticated resuscitation and definitive care to patients. AU Health has the only American College of Surgeons verified Level I Adult Trauma Center and Level II Pediatric Trauma Center in the region.

Our emergency department uses advanced techniques and technology, including:

• Emergency bedside ultrasound: We are one of the national leaders in Emergency Ultrasound. This technology is used in all aspects of emergency care.  Ultrasound use decreases complications associated with medical procedures, guides resuscitation of critically ill and injured patients, and improves overall efficiency in the ED.
• Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO): We have the area's only Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO). EMCO is a heart/lung bypass machine that can add oxygen to the blood and help pump oxygenated blood through a patient’s body.  ECMO can be lifesaving in certain critical care situations. 

Did You Know

When it comes to emergency training, our ED provides the local community with outstanding programs and services. We are unique in that we offer:

• Emergency medicine training: As a major teaching hospital, we are actively involved in training the next generation of Emergency Medicine physicians and leaders. We accept 14 Emergency Medicine residents per year, approximately half of which are civilians and half of which are military. Of note - we are the only civilian hospital in the U.S. training active Army physicians in Emergency Medicine.
• Emergency medicine critical care training: A two-year training program, working with anesthesia critical care colleagues, that provides additional education to emergency medicine physicians who manage complex critical care patients.
• Emergency medical service (EMS) training: Your local paramedics and pre-hospital care providers are trained by the AU ED. Our physicians also provide medical direction to the majority of ambulance services serving the greater Augusta area.
• Event medicine: Augusta University Health provides medical support for local events including major golf tournaments, Augusta Southern Nationals drag boat racing, and the Ironman 70.3 Augusta triathlon, among others.