Services > Outpatient Services
Keeping health care accessible and affordable to everyone in our community is a concern we share. For this reason and for our patients’ convenience, many of our hospital services are available on an outpatient basis, including laboratory testing, diagnostic imaging, therapy, dialysis, respiratory care, and even many surgical procedures.
Clinical Laboratory
Prompt, accurate diagnosis of each patient's medical condition is essential to effective, quality health care. Our fully automated clinical laboratory plays a key role in this process by performing a wide range of procedures, which help physicians diagnose and treat diseases. Specially trained and certified laboratory technologists and technicians maintain high quality control standards to assure complete accuracy and reliability of tests performed. Staff analyze biological specimens/tissues in blood bank, chemistry, hematology, histology, immunology, microbiology, toxicology, and urinalysis.
Diagnostic Imaging
Our professional staff uses various advanced technologies to provide visual diagnostic tools to aid your physician.
Emergency Room
The Emergency Department is staffed 24 hours a day by skilled health care professionals trained in treating trauma and acutely ill patients. The ER is equipped to handle emergencies and it also meets requirements for minor outpatient surgical procedures. Our emergency staff nurses are specially trained in critical care and certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support. Patients coming into the ER may be admitted to the hospital or transferred to a major medical center. The decision to transfer is made by the physician in consultation with the patient or family.
Observation Beds
This service provides patient care and observation, for up to 24 hours, while determining whether the patient can be safely discharged from the emergency room or outpatient area or admitted for acute care.
Poison Control
We offer emergency care and consultation to people who have ingested toxic substances. Specific antidotes to most common poison situations are available. Contacts with the State Poison Control Center afford expert advice and direction within minutes.
Rehabilitation
Our rehabilitation services goal is to help patients regain the optimal level of movement and function. We have treatments, activities, exercises, and educational programs to help those who are limited by injury, illness, developmental disabilities, or age. Our services include general physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, plus specialty areas, such as hand therapy, sports medicine, wound care, and more.
Renal Dialysis
Dialysis filters waste products out of the blood for patients whose kidneys are no longer doing this work adequately. Our new Dialysis Unit is scheduled to open in the Spring of 2007. Patients will need to be under the care of a Gundersen Lutheran nephrologist in order to be admitted to the new dialysis unit for treatments.
Respiratory Care
We provide treatments to preserve or improve pulmonary function. Services are available on an inpatient, outpatient, and emergency basis.
Sleep Lab: The Respiratory Care Department also has a Sleep Lab for the diagnosis of sleep-related disorders. The lab conducts sleep studies two days a week. Sleep evaluation requires a physician referral.
Surgical Services
Our surgical services include a fully equipped surgery suite for inpatient operations and procedures as well as many options for same-day (outpatient) surgical procedures.
Telephone Triage
Emergency Department staff do not give medical advice over the telephone. Patients should contact their family physician when the clinics are open or, if it is an emergency that can’t wait, patients should come to the hospital’s ER for an evaluation of their medical needs. If coming to the ER, patients should bring their medications.
Urgent Care
If medical care is needed after doctors' office hours, patients can use the hospital's Urgent Care Service, located in the Emergency Department. Urgent Care is a no-appointment, walk-in service for people with urgent medical needs that aren't life threatening, but still require prompt attention. A registered nurse will determine the level of care, urgent or emergency, based on the patient's illness or injury and the medical attention that is needed during the stay. If a patient's condition changes and requires a higher level of care, they may be upgraded to an emergency patient. Urgent Care is available weeknights from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and weekends and holidays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.