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Ronald Reagan Medical Center

Emergency Department

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The Surgical Observation Unit is a specialized area designed to meet the needs of patients who physicians determine should stay for a short time in post-surgical care.
 

 
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
757 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles
(310) 825-9111
Emergency Department
(310) 825-2111
Maps and directions
 

UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica
1250 16th Street, Santa Monica
(424) 259-6000
Emergency Department
(424) 259-8400 
Maps, directions and parking

 

 
The Saperstein Emergency Department in the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center is located on the UCLA Campus in the heart of Westwood, California. We are a Level One Trauma, Stroke and STEMI receiving center, and see over 45,000 patients per year including many with complex and rare medical conditions. Our highly trained and skilled physicians and staff provide excellent quality care and service that each patient deserves. In addition to the higher level acute care, the Emergency Department also provides fast and efficient care for conditions such as sore throats, the flu, lacerations, and sprained ankles. Our goal is to make your experience the best one possible.

 

Information about your Emergency Department visit

Welcome. We've prepared this information for you to help make your visit to the Emergency Department as comfortable as possible. 

 

Upon arrival 

When you arrive and register in the Emergency Department, you will first see a specially trained triage nurse. The triage nurse may conduct a brief medical history and exam to determine the severity of your condition. Registration information will be taken by an admissions and registration counselor.

Depending on the seriousness of your injury or illness, you may be taken directly to a treatment room, or you may be asked to wait until a treatment area is available.

If your condition changes while you are in the waiting room, please notify the triage nurse immediately.

In the treatment room

Our physicians and nurses are specialists in emergency medicine. They will examine you and will create a plan of care based on your individual treatment needs. Lab tests and diagnostic procedures may be ordered to further help diagnose your condition.

Additional consulting physicians and/or social workers may also participate in the evaluation. Since UCLA is an academic medical center, residents (physicians receiving advanced training) may also be involved in your care, under the supervision of highly qualified professors, called "attending physicians."

Emergency Department physicians will discuss any treatment plans with you, or with you and your family, and will always protect your right to privacy.

After you have been evaluated

Depending upon your specific medical condition, the Emergency Department physician will either:

  • Discharge you and allow you to go home
    Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
    757 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles (310) 825-9111
    Emergency Department (310) 825-2111
  • Admit you to one of UCLA's hospitals in Westwood
  • Admit you to UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica

After your initial contact with a physician, an admissions and registration counselor will ask for your insurance and financial information.

If you are discharged

If you are released following treatment, you will receive written discharge instructions prior to leaving the Emergency Department. It is important that you understand and follow the instructions. At the time of discharge, you may be given a next-day appointment or a referral for further care. If you have any questions, make sure you ask your doctor or nurse before you leave.

If you are admitted to a UCLA hospital in Westwood

The Emergency Department physician will discuss details with you and your family if you are going to be admitted to a UCLA hospital in Westwood. You will be escorted to a hospital room, and your medical care will be taken over by the healthcare team in the assigned unit.

If hospitalization is required

UCLA Health System includes four hospitals on two campuses:

Westwood

Santa Monica

If you are admitted to UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica

Even if you are initially treated at the Emergency Department in Westwood, you may be admitted to UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica for hospitalization. Our team will make all the necessary arrangements, and you will be admitted directly to an inpatient bed. The Westwood Emergency Department physician will determine when it is safe for you to travel. You will be given a consent form to sign, a standard procedure for transporting patients between facilities.

You will be transported by ambulance at no additional cost to you. Professional staff will accompany you to monitor your condition and comfort. Your medical records will be sent with you to Santa Monica. If you traveled to the Westwood Emergency Department alone in your own vehicle, arrangements can be made to transport your vehicle to UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica. This service is free of charge, and you will not incur any parking charges during your hospital stay.

All UCLA hospitals are staffed by UCLA physicians and nurses, have state-of-the-art equipment, and provide the same level of exceptional care and compassion.

Who can I call for more information?

Patient Affairs (310) 267-9113
UCLA Parking (310) 825-3618

For more, visit our For Patients and For Visitors pages.