To meet the immediate care needs of you and your family, the Metro Health Hospital Emergency Department is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We are a comprehensive emergency department staffed by board-certified emergency medicine physicians. Our emergency department averages 61,000 visits annually and consistently ranks high in patient satisfaction with some of the shortest wait times in the area. Metro Health has repeatedly received Michigan's Governor's Awards for Quality & Safety. Those honors include recognition for our outstanding emergency department. Critical cases are seen immediately, and the average time to see a physician and start treatment is approximately 30 minutes or less. Learn more about when to go to ER. If your emergency concerns a poison, please contact Grand Rapids Poison Control Center at (800) 222-1222 first.. Here are some general guidelines to help you decide if a trip to the ER is necessary: • Loss of consciousness • Signs of heart attack that last two minutes or more. These include: pressure,fullness,squeezing or pain in the center of the chest; tightness,burning,or aching under the breastbone; chest pain with lightheadedness • Signs of a stroke,including: sudden weakness or numbness of the face,arm,or leg on one side of the body; sudden dimness or loss of vision,particularly in one eye; loss of speech,or trouble talking or understanding speech; sudden,severe headaches with no known cause; unexplained dizziness,unsteadiness or sudden falls,especially when accompanied by any other stroke symptoms • Broken bones and fractures • Severe shortness of breath • Bleeding that does not stop after 10 minutes of direct pressure • Sudden,severe pain • Poisoning – Note: If possible,call your local poison control center first (Grand Rapids Poison Control Center – 800-222-1222) and ask for immediate home treatment advice. Certain poisons should be vomited as soon as possible while others should be diluted with water as soon as possible. Such preliminary home treatment could save your life • A severe or worsening reaction to an insect bite or sting,or to a medication,especially if breathing is difficult • A major injury,such as a head trauma • Unexplained stupor,drowsiness,or disorientation • Coughing up or vomiting blood • Severe or persistent vomiting • Suicidal or homicidal feelings