Emergency Medicine
Our Emergency Departments are open 24/7 to provide expert care when you need it most. Our teams are trained in emergency medicine and equipped to treat adults and children with all types of injuries and illnesses.
Emergency care at University of Iowa Health Care and University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital means that everything needed to combat a sudden illness or injury is available in one place that's designed, equipped and staffed to support patients of all ages and clinical conditions.
Staff in our Department of Emergency Medicine are trained for all aspects of emergency treatment, including specialization in pediatric emergency care.
Emergency Department Wait Times
Below are the estimated average wait times visitors to the Emergency Department have experienced in the last hour, three-hour, and six-hour time frames. Here are some things to know:
- If your medical condition is deemed to be life threatening, you will be seen immediately
- You will be screened quickly, even if the wait times below appear long.
- Please note, these are averages, and may not be your experience. Your wait may vary based on medical condition and rapidly changing conditions within the department.
- "Wait time" is defined as the time from arrival in the Emergency Department to when you will be placed in an Emergency Department exam room. Afternoon and evening hours are generally busier and more likely to require a longer wait. We will do our best to see you as soon as possible.
- Not sure if you need emergency care? We have other options to be seen right away! You can review the difference between Quick Care, Urgent Care, and emergency care.
University Campus Wait Times
| Patient Type | Last Hour | Last 3 Hours | Last 6 Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult | 3 hours 25 minutes | 2 hours 56 minutes | 2 hours 45 minutes |
| Pediatric | 9 minutes | 24 minutes | 24 minutes |
Downtown Campus Wait Times
| Patient Type | Last Hour | Last 3 Hours | Last 6 Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult | 1 hour 2 minutes | 43 minutes | 41 minutes |
| Pediatric | 52 minutes | 49 minutes | 49 minutes |
Emergency Notice
Please call 911 or seek emergency care for severe shortness of breath, allergic reactions, bleeding that does not stop after 10 minutes, sudden and/or severe pain, head injuries, seizures, poisoning, major injuries or broken bones, coughing or vomiting blood, suicidal or homicidal feelings, fainting or signs of a heart attack or stroke, fever of 100.4 or higher in an infant younger than 3 months, active labor or for any other condition that results in acute symptoms requiring immediate attention from a health care provider.
Emergency Department
The Emergency Department at UI Health Care and UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital provides care for the most critically ill children and adults in a patient and family-centered atmosphere. In its present facilities, newly built in 2008, the department handles emergency cases from throughout Iowa and surrounding states. The multidisciplinary service works closely with the medical and surgical departments at UI Health Care and UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital to optimize the care and outcomes of patients young and old.
Pediatric Emergency Department
Children aren’t just little grownups when it comes to emergency medical care. University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital offers eastern Iowa’s only board-certified pediatric emergency medicine specialists and the state’s only Level 1 trauma center for both children and adults. That means trained experts are on hand 24–7 to help kids with serious illnesses or injuries, backed by UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital’s more than 200 pediatric specialists in dozens of medical fields. As part of the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, the Pediatric Emergency Department embraces the philosophy of family-centered care. In fact, our pediatric emergency care was ranked fifth in the country by Parent’s magazine in a 2009 survey. Along with expert care, the emergency department healthcare team is committed to service and to the comfort of you and your family.
Our Department and Facilities Include:
- 35 private rooms including:
- Dedicated rooms for:
- Pediatric patients
- Major trauma and medical resuscitations
- Behavioral health emergencies
- Special room for:
- Dental emergencies
- Ear emergencies
- Eye emergencies
- Dedicated rooms for:
- Anesthesia
- Cardiology
- Internal Medicine
- Orthopedics
- Neurology
- Neurosurgery
- Pediatrics
- Psychiatry
- Highest level designated by the American College of Surgeons
- Verified as a Resource Trauma Care facility by the Iowa Department of Public Health
- Experienced emergency nurses supported by clerical staff, nursing assistants, paramedics, and social workers
- Crisis Stabilization Unit facilitates prompt care for psychiatric emergencies in comfortable home-like environment
- Home to the UI Chest Pain Center for prompt evaluation, treatment, and counseling for patients with chest pain
- Host facility and medical control base for the Johnson County Ambulance Service
- Only Emergency Medicine residency in the state of Iowa
- Staffed primarily by board-certified emergency physicians and board-certified pediatric specialists
Additional Resources From the Emergency Medicine Department
The Department of Emergency Medicine at UI Health Care provides emergency medical care and transport for the critically ill and injured in central and eastern Iowa. AirCare, our helicopter aircraft ambulances, also can serve in extended areas, including Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Dakota.
We are committed to clinical and academic excellence as well dedicated to the constant improvement of emergency care in Iowa through research and outreach.
Why Choose Us?
University of Iowa Health is the state's acknowledged leader in emergency care. We have the state's only Level I trauma center for adult and pediatric care. Our Emergency Department is the only emergency room in eastern Iowa to staff board-certified pediatric specialists.
- We receive more than 1,070 patients transferred by helicopter between in a typical year.
- We care for nearly 50,000 Emergency-Trauma Center visits in an average year.
- The trauma team, administered by the Department of Surgery, includes six trauma surgeons, four of whom are also critical-care specialists. In addition, multiply injured patients receive care from specialists in many areas including but not limited to orthopaedic surgery, neurosurgery, otolaryngology, ophthalmology, anesthesia, radiology and the Emergency Department.
- The Emergency Department uses Air Care, which is the only flight program in the state affiliated with an emergency medicine residency program and is the only flight program in the state supplementing their medical crew with flight physicians.
- AirCare collaborates with 100 emergency medical services, fire and law enforcement programs throughout Iowa and the region
Our Care Team
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Have questions regarding our care team?
You can call our integrated call center for general inquires. Do not call if you are experiencing an emergency. Please call 911 or seek emergency care.
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