What to Expect During Your Visit

If your condition is life-threatening, we will take you directly to a treatment area and begin your care immediately. Otherwise, a triage nurse will ask you about your symptoms and medical problems and might need to take your blood pressure, temperature and pulse to determine what care you might need.

We will then register you by taking your name, address, phone number, employer and insurance policy number for your medical record and to help us bill your insurance. You will notice that a security officer is stationed in the Newport Hospital emergency department to ensure everyone's safety.

Waiting to Be Treated

We make every attempt to keep your waiting time as short as possible, and our wait times are now the lowest in the state. The Newport Hospital emergency department treats thousands of patients each month, and even when there are no patients visible from the waiting area, there often are several in the treatment rooms. With such volume, sometimes the wait for treatment is longer than we hope. If your condition changes while you're waiting, please let the nurse know immediately. Take comfort in knowing that, when your turn arrives, you will receive our fullest attention.

If a family member or friend is waiting with you, he or she might wish to use the vending machines or watch television to help pass the time. During the day, the hospital cafeteria is open and serves hot food at the lunch and dinner hour, in addition to coffee, tea, salads and cold foods all day.

Your Treatment in the Emergency Department

An emergency department nurse will evaluate your condition and ask you about your medical history, current medications and drug allergies. Then one of our board certified physicians or physician assistants will assess the problem you're having, discuss it with you and recommend a course of treatment. Sometimes he or she might order diagnostic tests or a specialist consultation.

We screen all patients for domestic violence, smoking, alcohol and drug use. We will provide referrals if you would like assistance with any of these issues.

During your treatment you may have one person accompany you, and other friends or family members may remain in the waiting area. There might be times when we ask your visitor to step out of the room and wait elsewhere, because patient confidentiality and privacy are important to us. We will keep your visitors informed if you wish.

Some cases—both adult and pediatric—may require further consultation with a specialist not available at Newport Hospital. In these cases, patients may be transferred.

The Newport Hospital Emergency Department is also equipped to manage emergency matters involving children. Infrequently, a child will require inpatient (overnight) care. Since children are best served in a specialized children’s hospital, inpatient care is provided at Hasbro Children’s Hospital.  We are fortunate to have Hasbro Children’s Hospital as a Lifespan partner, sharing one medical record.

Remember, in an emergency situation, patients/parents/guardians should always proceed to the nearest emergency room. We evaluate and stabilize every patient, and only transfer patients when necessary.

When Your Treatment Is Completed

If the emergency medicine physician believes you should be admitted to the hospital, he or she will discuss this with you and make the necessary arrangements.

If the physician determines that you can be discharged, a physician or a nurse will review written instructions with you to be sure you understand any medications that have been prescribed for you and how you should care for yourself at home. He or she might refer you to your own physician or another physician for follow-up care. We will contact your primary care physician if you wish.

Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns, please call us at 401-846-6400.