Critical information
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UPDATE: Emergency Department in University Hospital entrance change: Jan. 28, 2025. The Emergency Department entrance in University Hospital has temporarily moved. The temporary entrance is on the north side of The James, accessible from 12th Avenue via the road between the Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute and Harding Hospital (Davis Drive).
Patients and visitors are strongly encouraged to valet park. You can also self-park in the nearby Wexner Medical Center Garage and walk into the south-facing doors of The James. A Patient Experience representative will lead you to the Emergency Department entrance. Free transportation is available for patients and visitors to and from medical center parking garages and buildings – view Campus Area Bus Service options.
Time-critical diagnosis resources
A time-critical diagnosis (TCD) means a patient’s life is in imminent danger, and the more quickly a problem is assessed, the better the potential outcome. A well-run TCD system requires coordination between every responder at every level of the emergency process – from a 911 operator to any dispatched ambulance, fire truck or police.
The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center can provide resources to help you treat a variety of TCDs, including:
The American College of Surgeons has designated Ohio State University Hospital (UH) as a Level I Trauma Center and Ohio State East Hospital as a Level III Trauma Center. Both Emergency Departments are widely recognized for expertise in the care of trauma patients, with on-site physicians in more than 40 medical specialties. We offer specialized care services, including the only emergency department in central Ohio with hyperbaric medicine facilities specifically for emergency care at UH .
A one-call referral hotline, 614-366-8111, facilitates rapid activation of appropriate surgical teams and resources.
The Ohio State Comprehensive Burn Center is the only adult burn center in central Ohio. Our team of specialists treats more than 700 patients each year with burns ranging from minor to severe. We provide inpatient and outpatient care for burn wounds and handle complex burn management and serious skin conditions.
For more information or non-emergency treatment, call 614-293-BURN (2876).
The Heart and Vascular Emergency Program optimizes treatment of emergent, time-critical and life-threatening cardiovascular conditions. One of the first of its kind in the nation, our Level I program facilitates rapid response to aortic dissection, aortic rupture, limb ischemia, pulmonary embolism and ST-elevation myocardial infarction, or STEMI.
Utilizing a protocol for rapid activation of surgical teams and resources, the Level I system focuses the entire staff in a coordinated response to these time-critical emergencies.
Download ICECAP Education guide
View Ohio CARES – Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival
Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for STEMI is available at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital as well as at Ohio State East Hospital. At either location, a STEMI alert from the field will result in immediate activation, available 24/7, of the cardiac catheterization lab (cath lab) intervention team. A new program for our EMS providers allows them to obtain CEU credit on-site, in both of our cath labs, for observing a cardiac catheterization procedure.
Ohio State’s in-house stroke team is available 24/7. Paramedics can call a stroke alert while the patient is in transport to our facilities to activate the team for rapid evaluation as soon as the patient arrives. At the Ohio State Comprehensive Stroke Center, our physicians, nurses and researchers are at the forefront of stroke care, developing and delivering the most advanced and innovative treatment techniques.
The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center’s emergency team provides rapid assessment and treatment of sepsis and septic shock. Our sepsis alert system allows EMS to activate an alert from the field and expedite life-saving interventions, including administration of antibiotics. This early detection and rapid treatment is critical to saving patients’ lives.
The nation’s first fully integrated cancer emergency department can be found at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James). This gives cancer patients with urgent, sometimes life-threatening, issues the access they need to highly skilled teams of oncology and emergency medicine experts.
EMS outreach
Ohio State’s Center for EMS connects with emergency medical services (EMS) agencies and the communities they serve to support outreach activities and events related to emergency services. The Center for EMS also partners to share preventive tips and information about available emergency services, health and safety.
Please reach out to the Center for EMS if you’d like more information about hosting an event or activity in your area.
EMS education
Explore available EMS training and education opportunities, including on-demand courses, live events and conferences and our Emergency Medicine Fellowship curriculum.
EMS news and updates
Keep current with changes in EMS programming at Ohio State, as well as events, opportunities and local EMS unit, agency and community news.