Coming to the emergency room can feel stressful and uncertain. The physicians and staff at Dubuque Emergency Physicians and MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center are committed to providing expert care as quickly and compassionately as possible. Here's a plain-language guide to what happens during your visit.
When you arrive, you'll be greeted by registration staff and then assessed by a triage nurse. Triage is the process of prioritizing patients based on the urgency of their medical condition — not the order they arrived. Patients with life-threatening conditions are seen immediately. If your condition is less urgent, you may wait while more critical cases are treated first.
If your condition changes or worsens while you are waiting, please notify the nursing staff right away.
Once you're taken to an exam room, one of our board-certified emergency physicians will evaluate you, order any necessary tests — such as blood work, X-rays, or imaging — and discuss a treatment plan with you. You may spend time waiting for test results. This is a normal part of the process and does not mean you've been overlooked.
We encourage you to ask questions at any point. Understanding your care is important, and our team is here to help.
Emergency departments treat patients based on medical urgency. Wait times vary depending on how busy the department is and the severity of cases being treated. We appreciate your patience and will keep you informed as best we can.
When you are ready to leave, a nurse will go over your discharge instructions — including any prescriptions, follow-up appointments, and warning signs to watch for. Please read these carefully and ask any questions before you go. It's a good idea to have a family member or friend with you when instructions are reviewed.
Following your visit, you will receive separate bills from MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center and from Dubuque Emergency Physicians. This is standard for hospital-based emergency care. Learn more about billing and how to pay your bill.
Don't have everything on this list? Don't let that stop you from seeking care. Our staff can help.
Call 911 immediately for:
