The Emergency Room Experience
| Contact PIRC |
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| The Psychiatric Intake Response Center is staffed 24 hours a day and can be reached at 513-636-4124. The center can also be reach via email at psychiatryresponse@cchmc.org. |
Explanation | Emergency Room Sequence | What to Bring
The mental health evaluations completed in the Emergency Department (ED) are completed by psychiatric social workers from the Psychiatric Intake Response Center (PIRC). The goal of these evaluations is to assess patients with an immediate crisis and recommend an appropriate level of care based on the outcome of the evaluation. When arriving to the emergency department families need to register for a Psychiatric evaluation. Unaccompanied minors will not be evaluated until a guardian is present unless it is deemed an emergency by the emergency department physician.
Evaluations are generally first come, first served based on treatment room placement. The wait once in a treatment room can be lengthy based on several factors. Please remember that you and your child may encounter a significant wait, however your child will be monitored by the ED staff in a safe environment. Rest assured that everything will be done by the PIRC and ED staff to try to expedite the experience.
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Emergency Room Sequence:
- Registration - Registration staff will collect all demographic, insurance, and reason for presentation from the patient family.
- Waiting Room - The patient and family will be asked to wait for the triage staff.
- Triage – The nursing staff will assess the patient needs and the urgency of those needs.
- Treatment Room - The patient and family will be moved into one of the treatment rooms within the Emergency Department based on the outcome of the urgency assessment.
- Nursing Evaluation - The patient will be assessed medically by the Nursing Staff.
- MD Evaluation - The Emergency Medicine Physician will assess the patient's medical needs and medical stability.
- Psychiatric Evaluation - The Psychiatric Social worker will assess the mental health needs of the child. This assessment will include the collection of an accurate history of the present illness, past mental health concerns, past / current psychiatric treatment, family history and a thorough mental status examination to illustrate the symptoms of the patient.
- Treatment Plan - The Psychiatric Social worker will consult with the ED physician and family to determine the best treatment avenue for the presenting patient. The treatment team will discuss the proposed treatment plan with the patient family / guardian.
- Discharge / Admission - Upon completion of the evaluation, the treatment team will pursue the appropriate level of treatment for the patient. Some of the outcomes of a Psychiatric evaluation include:
- Discharge from the ED to resume outpatient care
- Discharge from the ED with specific mental health referrals to begin care
- Inpatient admission to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
- Inpatient admission to another mental health facility in the community based on bed availability
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| What to Bring: |
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- List of current meds and dosage
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- Provider contact information (pediatrician, psychiatrist, therapist with phone number)
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- *Comfort item(s), which can include but not limited to a stuffed animal, pillow, special blanket
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- *One change of cloting labeled with the child's name
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*(If the child is admitted)
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