Emergency Department Services at Somerset Campus

Highlights of our new Emergency Department include:

• Ample, convenient parking. A new adjacent parking deck, connected to the Emergency Department via a covered walkway, has 96 parking spaces reserved just for Emergency Department patients and visitors.
• Cardiac/trauma room. This two-bed room contains all of the resuscitation equipment needed to care for cardiac and respiratory emergencies and victims of motor vehicle accidents. Glass doors enable doctors and nurses to constantly observe patients.
• Express Care. Sixteen treatment rooms are designated for patients with non-life-threatening ailments, such as sprains, cuts, sore throats and flu-like symptoms.
• Isolation rooms. Seven patient rooms can accommodate patients with infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis, chicken pox and measles. The rooms have their own bathrooms and special ventilation systems to prevent the spread of illnesses to other patients. They also are equipped to treat patients involved in a bioterrorist attack. One isolation room features its own exterior entrance and a decontamination shower for patients in contact with hazardous substances.
• Laboratory services. Onsite laboratory personnel conduct diagnostic tests such as throat cultures, pregnancy tests and urinalyses.
• Obstetric/gynecologic exam rooms. Two rooms featuring private baths with showers are designed for patients with obstetric/gynecologic emergencies, such as ectopic pregnancies, miscarriages and ovarian cysts. Emergency Department nurses and physicians also provide compassionate medical care for sexual assault victims and work closely with the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office and Women’s Health and Counseling Center in Somerville to offer confidential emotional support and ensure timely and accurate evidence collection.
• Onsite radiology services. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset is one of only a few hospitals in New Jersey to have a CT scan, ultrasound and digital radiographic equipment in the Emergency Department, speeding diagnosis and treatment. Ultrasound equipment also can be wheeled to a patient’s bedside.
• Orthopedic treatment area. Patients with orthopedic injuries, such as broken bones or dislocated joints, are brought to this room where the affected limb or joint is immediately stabilized to prevent further injury. Casting and splinting is done in this area. Conscious sedation may be used for patients with severe pain.
• Pediatric treatment area. Five of the treatment rooms in the Express Care area are specially equipped to meet the needs of young patients. Children are cared for by physicians and nurses who are trained in pediatric care.
• Psychiatric emergency screening services. This area features three patient rooms and two interview rooms for patients who are suffering from psychiatric emergencies, such as severe depression, acute anxiety or suicidal tendencies. Patients requiring further treatment are admitted to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset’s inpatient behavioral health unit.
• Separate ambulance entrance. Ambulances have their own entrance to the emergency department so patients suffering from serious health problems, such as cardiac arrest or stroke, or those involved in a motor vehicle accident can get timely life-saving care.
• Wireless technologies. A wireless cardiac monitoring systems allows Emergency Department staff to continually track patients’ conditions even if they are moved to different areas of the Emergency Department. All nurses and physicians have wireless phones to facilitate prompt communication.