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K O O T E N A I
H E A LT H
is working to expand
its emergency department to
better serve our growing com-
munity. To learn more about the
expansion project, visit
KH.org/
phase2
. You can reach our emer-
gency department by calling
(208) 625-5700
.
your primary care provider’s office,
it’s good to keep a list of all the
medications you take with you. Be
sure it includes dosages and any
over-the-counter medications and
vitamins you take. Your list should
also include your allergies, especially
to medications, and any previous
invasive medical procedures and
surgeries, the dates they were done
and the names of the physicians or
surgeons who treated you.
C O S T
No health care discussion would
be complete without a few words
on cost. Costs vary based on the
facilities where you receive care.
Equipping and staffing an emer-
gency department to respond to
medical emergencies is more ex-
pensive than operating a physician
office or urgent care. This means
that care received in the emergency
department will cost more than care
received elsewhere.
If you are having a life-threatening
emergency, call 911 or visit the
emergency room as soon as pos-
sible. If you do not need immediate
care, consider using an urgent care
or your primary care provider to
keep your costs as low as possible.
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Loss of balance or fainting
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Difficulty speaking, altered mental
status or confusion
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Falls with injury or while taking
blood-thinning medications
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Head and eye injuries
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Sudden testicular pain and
swelling
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Intestinal bleeding
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Loss of vision
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Broken bones or dislocated joints
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Vaginal bleeding with pregnancy
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Serious burns
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Seizures without a previous diag-
nosis of epilepsy
If you are ever in doubt, you
can call the Nurse on Call at
(208) 620-5300
between 9 a.m.
and 9 p.m., seven days a week.
W H E N T O C A L L 9 1 1
Call 911 for any emergency that
requires immediate assistance from
an ambulance (or the police or fire
department).
It is appropriate to call 911 when
you have a medical emergency
such as an injury from a car crash,
or a situation in which someone is
unconscious, gasping for air or not
breathing, experiencing an allergic
reaction, having chest pain, hav-
ing uncontrollable bleeding, or
any other symptoms that require
immediate medical attention. For
certain medical emergencies, such
as a heart attack or stroke, taking an
ambulance is safer because para-
medics can deliver life-saving care
on the way to the hospital.
If you’re not sure whether the
situation is a true emergency,
officials recommend calling 911
and letting the call-taker determine
whether you need emergency help.
When you call 911, be prepared
to give your location and detailed
information on the situation. Stay
on the line until the call-taker says
it is OK to hang up.
If you dial 911 by mistake, or if a
child in your home dials 911 when
no emergency exists, do not hang
up. Instead, simply explain to the
call-taker what happened.
B E P R E P A R E D
Whether you’re going to urgent
care, the emergency department or
KH . ORG
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