Michael & Susan Smith Emergency Department

While many of Eskenazi Health’s services focus on the detection and treatment of conditions and illnesses by referral from a primary physician, it is also prepared for the injuries and illnesses a patient doesn’t see coming. Day or night, emergency medicine physicians and nurses are prepared for a wide variety of acute, and often time-sensitive, conditions ranging from allergic reactions to car crash injuries to heart attacks and strokes. In fact, Eskenazi Health is certified by The Joint Commission as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center, which acknowledges the high quality of care that is provided to stroke patients.

Eskenazi Health has a long history of providing the residents of Central Indiana with state-of-the-art emergency services. The Michael & Susan Smith Emergency Department at Eskenazi Health is one of the busiest emergency departments in the state, providing care for more than 100,000 visits in a given year.

With a 90-bed capacity, the Michael & Susan Smith Emergency Department is staffed and equipped to evaluate and manage any type of acute illness or injury with resources ranging in acuity from resuscitation rooms to monitored beds and examination rooms.

The department is made up of more than 30 physicians, all specifically trained in emergency medicine. Many physicians have additional training in pediatrics, toxicology and pre-hospital care. All physicians are a part of the IU School of Medicine. The department is also staffed with more than 120 registered nurses who have had additional training in trauma, pediatrics, cardiac and stroke care. Several nurses have successfully completed certification exams to be certified emergency nurses and/or certified trauma nurses.

Other members of the Michael & Susan Smith Emergency Department health care team include:

• Care technicians
• Medical students and residents
• Physical therapists
• Pharmacists
• Medical social workers
• Mental health workers

Immediately upon arrival, all patients are greeted by a trained member of the nursing staff to identify life threatening conditions and to get treatment started quickly. All patients have an initial assessment completed by a nurse to gain additional information once placed into an exam room.