Emergency Department
Available to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the Astera Health Emergency Department provides exceptional care when you need it most.
Here When You Need Us.
Accidents can happen at any time and it’s nice to know you have the emergency care you need to help. Designated a Level IV Trauma Center, Acute Stroke Ready and CALS Hospital Astera Health’s Emergency Department specializes in acute care of patients who arrive without an appointment either by their own means or by ambulance. Patients are seen with a variety of illnesses and injuries, some of them life-threatening. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the staff is trained to work quickly and efficiently to provide treatment with minimal information.
Our Emergency Department is staffed by specially trained physicians and nurses dedicated to emergency medicine. Each has received advanced training in the areas of life support, trauma, stroke, and advanced cardiac care.
If you have any of the following symptoms please utilize the ED:
- Change in mental status or confusion
- Chest pain or pressure
- Dehydration
- Dizziness or weakness
- Fever with another symptom on this list
- Passing out/fainting
- Poisoning/overdose of drug or alcohol
- Seizures
- Severe burn
- Severe allergic reaction
- Severe injury/amputation
- Severe pain
- Stroke symptoms
- Sudden or new abdominal pain
- Suicidal thoughts
- Trouble breathing/severe shortness of breath
Patients Younger Than 18
In all but a few instances, patients younger than 18 must have parental or guardian consent before their emergency room evaluation. Patients who plan to be out of town, for example on vacation, should leave a written consent designating who can authorize care in their absence. Most often, this is an individual who will be caring for any children younger than 18, whether a family member or a friend.
CONTACT US
Dial 911 for an emergency.
Toll-Free: 800-631-1811
Phone: 218-631-3510
Hours:
24 hours a day
Location:
Enter the second entrance at the Astera Health Campus, located at:
421 11th St. NW
Wadena, MN 56482
For patients needing more extensive medical support at another facility, Astera Health offers the ability to quickly transport patients via MedFlight with its helipad access. Adjacent to the ambulance entrance and Emergency Department, emergency personnel can quickly transport patients to and from the hospital within minutes.
When patients arrive by their own means to the Emergency Department, the first step includes a triage visit with a nurse. This nurse will assess the patient and collect a set of vitals (including blood pressure and temperature) prior to the emergency room visit. This defined process helps the staff prioritize issues based on established emergency guidelines.
Astera Health now provides Telestroke services to patients thanks to a partnership with St. Cloud Hospital Stroke Center. Telestroke uses video conferencing technology to allow a stroke neurologist from St. Cloud Hospital Stroke Center to evaluate a patient in another hospital, view diagnostic scans and recommend treatment. Through Telestroke, interventions such as the delivery of clot-busting medications can be administered quickly. Such steps are considered the first line of treatment for acute ischemic stroke but it must be administered within a four and a half hour window from the onset of symptoms to work best. Telestroke services are available to patients 24/7, and works to save precious time and brain function in stroke patients which allows them to recover more quickly and ideally, suffer less disability.
Which type of care is right for you?
ReadyCare
Walk-in and same-day care for illnesses and injuries that do not require emergency room care, but could worsen if treatment is delayed. ReadyCare is open for extended hours during the week and on Saturdays to provide care you need close to home.
eClinic
Virtually diagnose, treat, and prescribe medication for anyone ages 2-75. An online interview collects your symptoms and health history. A provider reviews the information and makes a diagnosis and treatment plan. The fee for the eClinic visit is $45.
Family Medicine
As your main healthcare provider, your family medicine provider has extensive knowledge of your medical history and past conditions. These routine checkups and preventive screenings work closely with any specialists who you need for short or long-term care.