Treating the Mentally Ill in the ER

“How do you know I’m mad?” said Alice. “You must be,” said the cat, “or you wouldn’t have come here.”

Dealing with illnesses of a psychiatric nature is always tricky business, no matter the venue. But what happens when a mentally ill patient gets sick in the outside world and must seek help not in a psychiatric hospital, but the neighborhood Emergency Room? Unlike most physical ailments, whose symptoms can be readily seen and diagnosed by a qualified medical practitioner, illnesses of the mind are often more difficult both to identify and categorize. Furthermore, their treatment brings with it a host of legal, ethical and medical issues specific to mental illness, making an already difficult process even more convoluted.

Though our hospital is by definition a general acute care facility, the mentally ill who present to us are as much our responsibility as those patients admitted with physical ailments. Federal law defines an “emergency medical condition” as “a medical condition manifesting itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that the absence of immediate medical attention could reasonably be expected to result in . . . placing the health of the individual . . . in serious jeopardy.” 42 U.S.C. Section 1395dd(e)(1)(A)(i). Passed in 1986, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) is a United States Act of Congress that requires every hospital to treat any patient with an emergency condition in such a way that, upon the patient’s release, no further deterioration of the condition is likely. No hospital may release a patient with an emergency medical condition without first determining that the patient has actually been stabilized. For those who come to Coast Plaza with severe mental disabilities, this can create an unusual situation where understanding, patience, and compassion are of great importance.

When treating patients who are both physically and mentally ill, it is important to remember that mental illness is a disease just like heart disease or cancer, and these individuals are both in need of and entitled to our care. While their conditions certainly add an element of complexity to an already high-pressure situation, I am proud of our continued success as a hospital in doing our best to address their immediate psychological and physical symptoms as we help our patients find them the long-term care they may need.

Emergency Services

Offering top quality medical treatment to the people in and around Norwalk for over 50 years, Coast Plaza offers a complete in-house range of both adult and pediatric Emergency Services, 24 hours per day, every day, to ensure that the people of our community are always provided for in the event of any unforeseen medical situation.

Our combination of hands-on experience and advanced technology makes Coast Plaza the hospital to turn to when trouble strikes. The Emergency Department is staffed around the clock with a broad range of specialists including:

• Board Certified Physicians
• Emergency Room Nurses
• Laboratory Technicians
• Radiology Technologists
• Clinical Laboratory Scientists
• Administrative Specialists

In addition, our 24 hour in-house coverage includes prompt availability of care from specialists in orthopedic surgery, anesthesiology, radiology, internal medicine, oral and maxillofacial surgery, urology, neurology and general surgery. No matter the issue, our ER is equipped to offer top quality, efficient care.

The presence of the Coast Plaza Emergency Department has long been a source of comfort to those in our community. We are proud of the level of excellence we have achieved, as well as of the relationship we have developed with the people we pledge to serve every day of every year.

Medical Staff Department

At Coast Plaza Hospital there exists an exceptional, organized medical staff department that bears the overall responsibility for the quality of the professional services provided by individuals with clinical privileges associated with Coast Plaza, as well as addressing the various responsibilities of services to the Hospital’s Board of Trustees.

To do so, the Medical Staff Department works carefully under the Hospital’s Bylaws and specific Rules and Regulations, establishing appropriate oversight of the medical staff while ensuring the necessary accountability by the Hospital and its Board of Trustees. These include, in part:

• Credentialing the Medical Staff
• Maintaining the appropriate Hospital libraries
• Maintenance of Medical Staff Records and Files
• Facilitating and assisting to coordinate all scheduled Medical Staff meetings
• Assisting with the Hospital’s two Residency programs (Podiatry and ER PA)
• Facilitating the intake of the Hospital’s Medical Students
• Monitoring appropriate professional licenses and certifications
• Working with other departments to ensure an appropriate transition for new physicians joining the Hospital

With such a wealth of functions, we are all indebted to the Medical Staff Department for the job they have done and continue to do in ensuring the quality of services offered by Coast Plaza Hospital remains at the level of excellence that our patients and community have come to expect from us.

Coast Plaza Free Diabetes Education Seminar

This Thursday, May 6, Coast Plaza Hospital is pleased to offer our free Diabetes Education Program from 6 to 8 pm. This seminar helps patients address the many issues and concerns that affect people with diabetes. Patients are given the opportunity to discuss their situation with others who have the disease as well as medical professionals who will be happy to provide information, support and advice on how to control the symptoms of diabetes.

This week’s seminar will be held in the Coast Plaza Hospital Doctors Dining Room, 13100 Studebaker Road, Norwalk, CA, 90650. Patients are requested to reserve a spot early since space is limited. To register, please call 1-877-532-4545.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with diabetes, I urge you to make use of this free opportunity to learn more about your condition and discover new ways to improve your quality of life.