Emergency Room Guide

What to Bring

While most emergency room visits aren’t planned, there are some things that can be helpful to have with you, if you have the ability.

• Photo ID
• Health insurance card
• List of medications
• Contact information for your primary care physician and specialists

Check-in and Triage

When you arrive in the emergency room, your first stop should be the registration desk. Patients are seen based on the severity of their illness, so depending on your condition, you may be asked to wait in the waiting room until a physician is available to assess and treat you.

If you aren’t taken to an exam room immediately, you will be evaluated by a nurse to determine the severity of your injury or illness. Please avoid eating or drinking until after you are seen by a physician.

Going Home

When your physician determines you are ready to leave the ER, you will meet with your care team to discuss follow-up care, medications, and other instructions.

If You Are Admitted

If your ER physician determines you need further care, you may be admitted into a private room inside the hospital, in the unit most appropriate for your needs. Once admitted, a care team who specializes in your type of condition will continue or start your care.

How will I be billed?

After an emergency room visit, you will receive separate bills for services received in the hospital. In addition to the Baton Rouge General bill, you may receive bills from the lab, from an emergency room physician or radiologist who cared for you or interpreted your test results while in the emergency room.

Baton Rouge General also has a Financial Assistance Policy that explains how you may reduce or eliminate your hospital bill. Click here to see the policy or contact our Customer Service Center at (225) 819-1000 to request a free copy.

For more information about your bill, click here.