As the only medical center covering a large area of Nye County, which also sees patients from parts of eastern California, the emergency department at Desert View Hospital tends to a broad range of medical issues at any given time.
To celebrate some of the 25 nurses on staff that deal with the adversity covering such a wide area encompasses, Desert View celebrated National Emergency Nurses week Oct. 9 through Oct. 15.
The variety of the approximately 16,000 patients that have been treated this year to date for the various areas surrounding the Pahrump Valley makes Desert View the medical center it is.
“We take care of everything,” said Susan Davila, CEO and managing director of Desert View Hospital. “People may come in from ATV accidents on the sand dunes. Dehydrated tourists arrive from Death Valley. Babies are ready to meet their parents. Kids receive concussions while playing sports. And there are always people experiencing heart attack and stroke symptoms.
“Overall, the severity of our patients’ medical issues is very high.”
On any given day the emergency department cares for about 55 or more patients each day. Some are treated and released the same day, while others are admitted to the hospital’s inpatient nursing unit.
When the injured party has a critical need, they are quickly assessed and receive medical interventions at Desert View, before being transferred to Las Vegas-area hospitals for a higher level of care.
For example, patients who have a stroke, or are experiencing chest pain symptoms are especially vulnerable.
“There is a ‘golden hour’ where patients can be assessed, undergo diagnostic treatment, like a CT Scan, and receive some immediate treatment, like a clot-busting drug for stroke if they come to the hospital within three hours of noticing their symptoms,” said Chandra Anderson, director of the emergency department for Desert View. “At that point, we need to transfer them to a hospital designated as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center.”
The emergency department is also the first stop for patients with drug overdoses or mental health issues. The emergency team works closely with other local and Las Vegas resources to help patients access additional resources. They also work closely with Pahrump Fire and Rescue and Mercy Air to rapidly transport patients based on their medical situation.
“We are blessed to have the caliber of nurses we do in our emergency department,” Anderson said. “They are highly educated, skilled and competent to care for our patients.”
Contact reporter Mick Akers at makers@pvtimes.com. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.