Emergency

A female emergency medical technician and a male paramedic care for a female patient inside an ambulance Brookings Health’s ER system quickly provides excellent medical care. Familiar, friendly faces connect with patients, giving the compassionate care expected from a Top 20 Rural Community Hospital.

The Brookings ER is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our emergency department includes 11 private patient rooms, including rooms dedicated to trauma, obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatric, and orthopedics. Emergency services include access to the best technology such as LUCAS mechanical CPR devices and enhanced security.

In case of emergency, dial 911.

Medical Excellence

As part of a Top 20 Rural Community Hospital, our ER system meets and exceeds key performance indicators for providing high-quality emergency medicine. See how our emergency department rates in the measures below.

Measure from Medicare.gov	Brookings Health System	South Dakota Average	National Average
Percentage of patients who came to the emergency department with stroke symptoms who received brain scan results within 45 minutes of arrival (higher percentages are better)	82%	70%	54%

Measure from Medicare.gov	Brookings Health System	South Dakota Average	National Average
Percentage of patients who left the emergency department before being seen (lower percentages are better)	0%	1%	2%
Average (median) time patients spent in the emergency department before leaving from the visit (a lower number of minutes is better)	108 minutes	112 minutes	123 minutes

Patient Connections

Our ED’s team of familiar, local faces offer patients comfort during stressful or worrisome situations. Interprofessional teamwork and collaboration between doctors, nurses and other departments like laboratory and radiology leads to better patient outcomes. Our team also arranges follow-up care if needed for discharged patients and connects them with their primary healthcare provider or specialists.

Watch & Learn

Tom Davis found support and relief from the Brookings Health ER and surgery teams as he dealt with the discomfort caused by kidney stones.

Harlan and Mary Christianson explain how the Brookings Health System emergency department and ICU gave them answers and support during Harlan’s life-threatening allergic reaction.

Jenny LeBrun recounts her experience with Brookings Health’s emergency care team where she says they saved her young son’s life.

Cassi Wright’s 18-month-old son had a fall at daycare, and with his symptoms, she was worried about a possible concussion. Fortunately, she was able to get reassurance quickly from the emergency department.

Supportive, Coordinated Care Offers Relief from Kidney Stone [Tom Davis]

Finding Answers During a Medical Emergency [Harlan + Mary Christianson]

Emergency Care Saves Infant’s Life [Jenny LeBrun]

Grateful for Local Emergency Care [Cassi Wright]

Local Emergency Care [Michelle + Adam Holtquist]

Emergency Doctor Explains When to Go to the ER [Dr. Adrian Dreessen]

Reassuring Care in an Emergency [Maryann Copley]

Local Emergency Care Quickly Manages Kidney Stone Pain [Tobias Leisenring]

Trauma Care

As a designated trauma receiving hospital, Brookings Health’s emergency department maintains 24/7 provider coverage. All Brookings emergency room staff are trauma trained and routinely use clinical skills and expertise in real-life scenarios.

Our emergency medicine experts have access to consult with the same specialists as larger ERs to aid in diagnoses and care. Our team will admit patients to the hospital if needed or transfer them to a larger facility if necessary.