The Wake Forest Baptist Health – Wilkes Medical Center Emergency Department provides treatment and stabilization to all patients seeking emergency medical care.

The hospital’s Emergency Department is a 28-bed unit that is open 24-hours, seven days a week and is staffed by emergency physicians, physicians assistants, nurse practitioners, and registered nurses.

The nursing staff at the Emergency Department are all certified in advanced cardiac life support, which is an advanced cardiac course designed to enhance cardiac proficiency. The nursing staff also are all certified in pediatric advanced life support, which is an advanced pediatric course designed to enhance emergency pediatric proficiency.

Several nurses in the Emergency Department hold certification in emergency nursing which is the highest level of Emergency Department nursing expertise awarded by the Emergency Nurse's Association.

You should seek emergency care when experiencing:

  • Chest pain
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Serious trauma
  • Severe burns
  • Broken bones
  • Seizures
  • Severe abdominal pain
  • Vomiting that is severe and continues for several hours
  • Poisoning
  • Deep cuts and abrasions where bleeding is uncontrollable
  • Pregnancy-related medical conditions
  • Facial drooping
  • Arm weakness
  • Confusion
  • Speech difficulty

About 1 in 4 patients are sick enough to be admitted to the hospital and more than 50 percent of patients need X-rays, scans, blood work or IV therapy.