Burgess Emergency Room entrance door to be locked 24 hours a day

Effective September 1, the outside door to the Burgess Emergency Room will remain locked 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to ensure patient privacy and safety. After 8:30 p.m., patients with an emergent medical condition are urged to go through the ER door, press the call button and speak with the operator for entry. All other patients and visitors, please use the main entrance of the hospital from 5:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. We understand the inconvenience but believe this new regulation is the kind of approach needed to foster the privacy and safety in our healthcare facility.

As an award-winning critical access hospital, Burgess Health Center is committed to improving the quality of life for the people and communities served, by providing excellent health care and exceptional patient experiences. We are always considering new and creative approaches to patient care.

Karla Copple, Director of Emergency Services states, “This is a collaborative effort to safeguard our patients and ensure they receive the appropriate and timely care they deserve.”

Burgess Emergency Service’s staff have begun the transition with current patients and will continue to implement the change with future patients. We feel that this new process will allow staff to provide adequate care, retain patient privacy, and prevent potential intruders from reaching patients.

“Our emergency department’s caseload is unpredictable and we want to provide the quality care necessary for our patients,” Fran Tramp, president of Burgess Health Center said. “We are pleased that Burgess is taking additional steps to ensure all emergent patients are examined effectively in a private and safe environment.”

The Burgess Emergency Room is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for the treatment of emergent and urgent medical conditions.

Here are some examples of emergent conditions:

  • Head injury
  • Signs of a heart attack or stroke
  • Bleeding that will not stop
  • A health issue that is getting much worse very quickly

For more information please call, 712-423-2311.

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Burgess Health Center, located in Onawa, Iowa, is a rural acute care hospital that is accredited by the State of Iowa. Burgess Family Clinics serve the communities of Dunlap, Sloan, and Mapleton in Iowa as well as Decatur, Neb. Burgess has retail family pharmacies in Dunlap and Whiting, Iowa. The staff is committed to improving the quality of life for the people and communities served, by providing excellent health care and exceptional patient experiences.