Emergency Care
No one ever plans to go to the ER. Should you need emergency medical care, however, Ringgold County Hospital is here for you – 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
The RCH Emergency Department is staffed by a team of professionals who love what they do. Three board-certified physicians, a physician assistant, and a nurse practitioner share shifts to ensure there’s always an emergency medicine provider available. Also on staff are local physicians and contracted emergency physicians and nurses who are certified in advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), pediatric advanced life support (PALS), and trauma care.
Most people experience very little wait time because our emergency room is large enough to serve those with emergency medical needs – but small enough to make you feel comfortable.
What We Treat
The Ringgold County Hospital ER is available around the clock to help with your emergency medical needs. If you are seriously ill, injured, or have a potentially life-threatening emergency, call 911 or come immediately to the ER.
Our emergency medical providers use state-of-the-art technology and equipment to provide high-quality and timely emergency care for situations that include:
- Loss of consciousness
- Bleeding that won’t stop
- Chest pain
- Sudden dizziness, weakness, or change in vision
- Severe or persistent vomiting
- Sudden, severe pain
- Confusion or a change in mental status
- Suicidal or homicidal feelings
- Coughing up or vomiting blood
- Severe weakness on one side of the body
- Possible poisoning or overdose
- Severe shortness of breath
- Severe allergic reactions
Signs of a Stroke or Heart Attack
Stroke and heart attack are considered medical emergencies requiring immediate medical attention. In both cases, the sooner you get to the ER, the less likely you are to suffer debilitating, and possibly deadly, consequences.
Common symptoms of cardiac distress include:
- Shortness of breath
- Dull pressure in the mid-chest area
- Pain radiating down the left arm
- Pain in the neck, jaw, or between the shoulder blades
- The sudden onset of sweating
Stroke signs and symptoms can range from barely noticeable to sudden paralysis. To lessen potentially irreversible brain damage, it is critical to seek emergency medical attention as quickly as possible after suffering a stroke, no matter how mild or temporary the symptoms.
It may be helpful to use the FAST acronym to identify signs of a stroke:
- Face: try to smile; is the smile uneven or does one side of the face droop?
- Arms: lift both arms; does one arm drift downward or can’t be steadily held up?
- Speech: repeat something; is speech slurred?
- Time: don’t hesitate – call 911 or get to the nearest ER if you suspect a stroke
Additional stroke signs and symptoms include:
- Dizziness, loss of balance
- Severe headaches
- Vision problems in one or both eyes
- Numbness, especially on just one side of the body
- Confusion surrounding speech
Who We Serve
Ringgold County Hospital serves all who come to its ER, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay.
RCH’s Ringgold County Ambulance Service serves patients within Ringgold County and the surrounding counties. We provide countywide 911 emergency coverage and transport patients to Ringgold County Hospital and other nearby hospitals, including responding to calls from local nursing homes and via Lifeline services.
Ambulance services include initiating lifesaving medical care prior to arrival at the hospital. Our first responder teams include professionals certified as EMTs, AEMTs, and paramedics. Advanced level care is provided by AEMTs and paramedics in more than 95% of emergency situations.
Operating as part of the Emergency Department at Ringgold County Hospital, the ambulance service is equipped to respond quickly to medical emergencies – with three ambulances, specialized equipment such as the LifePak cardiac monitor, and the capability to call MercyOne (Mercy DSM), or Life Flight (Methodist DSM) helicopters.
Emergency Medical Care in Mount Ayr, IA
For excellent emergency medical care, you can count on Ringgold County Hospital in Mount Ayr, Iowa. If you have any questions for us, call the RCH main phone line at (641) 464-3226. If you require emergency medical assistance, call 911 right away or come immediately to the ER.
