Emergency Care Services at St. Joseph's/Candler
If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please call 911 immediately.
At St. Joseph's/Candler, our emergency departments provide confidential, emergency care for patients of all ages. We treat all types of health conditions, including critical and life-threatening emergencies, regardless of social or economic status, disability, literacy or native language.
We are also a key player in Chatham County’s disaster preparedness efforts, working closely with local agencies, first responders and community organizations to ensure the safety of our residents during large-scale emergencies. Learn more about how our emergency departments serve and safeguard the community below.
Our emergency departments
St. Joseph's Hospital Emergency Department
Location: 11705 Mercy Boulevard (facing Abercorn Street)
St. Joseph's Hospital ED offers both general and specialized emergency care, providing expert treatment for cardiac conditions (heart attacks, arrhythmias), neurological emergencies (strokes, seizures), respiratory issues (asthma attacks, respiratory failure) and orthopedic injuries (fractures, dislocations).
To ensure rapid and effective care, the facility includes an air-ambulance helipad for transporting critically ill or high-level trauma patients. This service allows us to swiftly transfer patients to other leading medical centers for more advanced treatment, ensuring continuity of care and the best possible outcomes.
Patients with less severe conditions, such as sprains, sore throats or minor cuts, may be seen quickly in our Fast Track service, designed to reduce wait times and expedite treatment for minor emergencies.
We’re proud to be nationally certified as a Primary Stroke Center, a Chest Pain Center, and the central hub for our region’s Stroke NET-work telemedicine service—a distinction that sets us apart and saves lives every day.
- Faster, Smarter Stroke Care: As a certified Stroke Center, we follow the most advanced protocols to recognize and treat strokes quickly—often within minutes—because every second counts when brain health is on the line.
- Life-Saving Cardiac Expertise: As a Chest Pain Center, our team is trained to rapidly identify and treat heart attacks and other cardiac emergencies, improving outcomes and survival rates.
- Regional Leader in Tele-Stroke Medicine: As the hub of our Stroke NET-work, we provide immediate virtual access to stroke specialists across our network of hospitals, ensuring expert-level care even in rural or smaller facilities.
These certifications mean you’re walking into one of the best-equipped ERs in the region. For any critical emergency, our highly trained team, rapid response systems and pioneering are ready 24/7.
Phone: 912-819-2419
Fax: 912-819-2644
Candler Hospital Emergency Department
Location: 5353 Reynolds Street (facing DeRenne Avenue)
Candler Hospital’s ED offers comprehensive care for general health emergencies and specialized treatment for respiratory emergencies (COPD exacerbations, breathing difficulties), complex medical conditions (severe infections, acute illnesses), orthopedic injuries (sprains, fractures) and pediatric emergencies.
For patients with minor illnesses and injuries, our PromptCare service provides a quicker, more convenient option, helping you get the care you need without the long wait times of the emergency department. For conditions like sore throats, sprains, minor cuts or other non-life-threatening concerns, PromptCare offers faster treatment so you can get back to your day.
Phone: 912-819-6037
Fax: 912-819-6264
Comprehensive emergency services
At St. Joseph's/Candler, we provide full-service emergency care 24/7 at both hospital campuses, treating a broad spectrum of conditions. Each emergency center includes dedicated treatment rooms equipped for trauma, pediatric, orthopedic, psychiatric and isolation patients. We specialize in:
- Neurological emergencies, such as strokes and seizures
- Cardiac events, including heart attacks and arrhythmias
- Orthopedic injuries, like fractures and dislocations
- Pulmonary conditions, such as asthma and respiratory failure
- Gastrointestinal issues, including severe abdominal pain and internal bleeding
- Gynecological emergencies
Our facilities feature wireless technologies for faster patient monitoring and communication, mobile X-ray equipment, ultrasound, EKG and echocardiogram for rapid diagnostics, point-of-care testing for real-time lab results, sophisticated drug-dispensing systems for safe and accurate medication management and decontamination facilities to care for patients exposed to toxic chemicals.
In addition to our comprehensive capabilities, we understand that some medical situations may require more specialized treatment. If a patient requires care that exceeds the scope of what we can provide in our emergency department, we have a continuity of care strategy in place. This ensures seamless transitions for patients, whether it’s through our air-ambulance helipad for immediate transfer to higher-level care facilities or through our telemedicine network, which connects patients with specialists across the region.
Why choose St. Joseph's/Candler for emergency care?
From the moment a patient enters our emergency department, we prioritize not just their immediate medical needs, but their overall well-being. Our approach extends beyond the emergency room—from stabilization and diagnosis to treatment, recovery and ongoing support. Our emergency departments are staffed 24/7 by highly trained and credentialed professionals, with specialists on call for consultation.
Our team includes:
- Board-certified emergency physicians with advanced training in emergency medicine.
- Expert nursing staff credentialed in basic, advanced and pediatric life support.
- Ancillary staff proficient in basic life support.
In addition to medical expertise, we offer support services to provide comfort and assistance during emergencies. Interpreters, social workers, spiritual care providers and volunteers are available to support both patients and their families. What sets us apart is our unwavering commitment to treating the whole person—body, mind, and spirit—at every stage of the emergency care journey.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why aren't patients seen on a first-come, first-served basis?
Our emergency departments prioritize care based on medical urgency, not arrival time. Upon arrival, most patients are greeted by a GRASP nurse (Greet, Reassure/Receive, Assess, Sort, Prioritize).
This experienced RN evaluates the patient’s condition and determines the appropriate level of care. Patients with life-threatening conditions are treated first, while those with less severe issues can be treated through our FastTrack and PromptCare services.
The GRASP nurse is just one member of a team of emergency department staff who help make sure a patient gets to a room as quickly as possible.
After a patient sees a GRASP nurse, a navigator (typically an employed EMT or paramedic) will take the patient back to his or her assigned room as the rooms become available, where a PCT is waiting to prep the patient and begin vitals.
A triage nurse will also be present to assess the patient and make sure everything that can be done is ready when the physician arrives.
What is triage?
Triage is the process of sorting and prioritizing patients based on the severity of their condition. Our emergency departments use a five-level acuity scale:
- Critical – life-threatening (e.g., no pulse, not breathing)
- Emergent – serious conditions requiring immediate attention (e.g., chest pain, severe trauma)
- Urgent – moderate conditions that require medical care but are not life-threatening (e.g., fractures)
- Less urgent – minor conditions (e.g., sprains, mild infections)
- Non-urgent – minor issues (e.g., prescription refill requests)
This system ensures that patients with the most serious conditions receive care first. For patients with minor illnesses and injuries, PromptCare and Fast Track services are designed to get you treated quickly. These services are tailored for conditions such as sore throats, sprains, minor cuts and other non-emergency health concerns. By offering PromptCare and a Fast Track process, we ensure that you can get the care you need without the extended waiting times typical of an emergency department.
Can I see my doctor in the emergency department?
The ED physician is responsible for your care during your visit. However, you may request that your physician be contacted. If your physician is part of the hospital’s medical staff, the ED will attempt to reach them.
Why do nurse practitioners (NPs) or physician assistants (PAs) treat some patients?
NPs and PAs have extensive training and experience under the supervision of emergency physicians. Using NPs and Pas reduces patient waiting times, speeds up treatment for less severe conditions and ensures that patients receive quality care even during high-volume hours. All patients are ultimately overseen by the attending emergency physician.
Can my family accompany me in the emergency department?
We recognize the importance of family support during medical emergencies.
Visitors are allowed based on the patient’s condition and department capacity.
To maintain privacy and safety, visitor access may be limited at the discretion of the nurse or physician.
Parents of children under 12 are encouraged to stay with their child throughout the visit.