Important information

Emergency rooms (ERs) in Austin and Central Texas

St. David’s HealthCare provides 24/7 emergency services. We are prepared to treat serious injuries or illnesses with efficiency and quality. Our hospitals are staffed by board-certified emergency physicians. We are also the only system in the region fully accredited by the American College of Cardiology.

If you or a loved one is experiencing an emergency, call 911.

Advanced care for life-threatening conditions

Physicians and nurses at St. David's emergency rooms (ERs) are standing by 24/7 to treat life-threatening conditions. In addition to emergency care offered at our hospitals, St. David’s has five freestanding emergency centers treating all types of emergencies, including injuries, illnesses, and accidents, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays.:

Conveniently located throughout the Greater Austin area, hospital emergency care and freestanding ERs are open 24/7, and provide access to:

  • Board-certified emergency care physicians at most locations
  • On-call specialists
  • On-site imaging and lab testing
  • Care that accepts most major insurance plans
  • Admission to St. David's Healthcare affiliated facilities

If you are in need of inpatient services our emergency care team will assist with facility admission to the hospital of your choice. We can also provide direct admission by ambulance to a room at a St. David's Healthcare affiliated hospital.

Arrival, exam and emergency treatment

After arriving for emergency care, a board-certified specialist will conduct an initial exam and order lab work or tests as needed. Our freestanding clinics and ERs also offer in-house imaging services. This enables us to fully diagnose your condition and move forward with care as soon as possible. For patients at our freestanding ERs, we will arrange transport to a nearby hospital if you need inpatient care.

St. David's Healthcare emergency care services

Urgent versus emergency care

Knowing where to go when you need prompt care is key to getting effective treatment as soon as possible. Urgent care clinics are for minor health issues. This includes colds or flu and their related symptoms, such as fever, sore throat or nausea. Urgent care clinics also treat non-severe:

  • Burns
  • Infections
  • Lacerations
  • Rashes
  • Sprains

Emergency clinics are better equipped to treat serious illnesses and injuries. If you have symptoms of a life-threatening issue, such as chest pain or difficulty breathing, call 911 or go to the ER. Emergency care is also appropriate for:

  • Fractures
  • Head injuries
  • Seizures
  • Severe burns
  • Snake bites
  • Signs a of stroke or heart attack
  • Traumatic injuries
  • Uncontrollable bleeding

Trauma care

St. David's ERs are equipped to treat trauma. Traumatic injuries are those resulting from an event or accident, such as a fall. This includes:

  • Brain injuries, such as concussions
  • Crush injuries
  • Electrical injuries
  • Major burns
  • Puncture wounds
  • Spine fractures and other broken bones with the potential to cause long-term disability or death

Several emergency centers and freestanding ERs in the St. David's network have dedicated trauma rooms. Patients will also work with trauma-certified nurses who offer specialized experience treating these injuries.

Pediatric emergency care

Every St. David's ER is capable of treating emergencies affecting children. However, specialized pediatric care is offered at St. David's Children's Hospital. This facility provides:

  • A 10-bed pediatric emergency unit
  • An eight-bed medical surgical inpatient unit
  • A six-bed pediatric intensive care unit (PICU)

St. David's Children's Hospital provides emergency, inpatient and intensive care for patients who are 17 years old or younger. This includes:

  • Pediatric surgery
  • Pediatric radiology
  • Pediatric anesthesia
  • A wide range of other pediatric specialties, including cardiology, orthopedics, neurology and urology

Emergency imaging services

Paramedics and emergency physicians will diagnose your condition as soon as possible. If you need more lab work or screening, we can move forward with imaging services once you arrive at the ER. Tests we offer include:

  • Computed tomography (CT) scans and X-rays
  • Diagnostic radiology, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans
  • Ultrasounds

Some of our ERs also have their own labs. This enables us to process and interpret results as quickly as possible.