Health care providers in the Department of Emergency Medicine at all three Mayo Clinic locations treat injuries, illnesses that are immediately life-threatening and other emergency conditions. Teams of doctors, registered nurses, advanced providers and other specially trained staff are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to treat anyone seeking emergency medical care. Each year, Mayo Clinic doctors see more than 160,000 patients in the emergency care setting.
Care providers evaluate people who come to the emergency department and determine the severity of their current condition. The care provider can admit people who need immediate care. For others, the provider can recommend outpatient diagnostic or physician evaluation options to address immediate health issues.
If you wish to be seen at Mayo Clinic for a nonemergency condition, request an appointment. Staff in the Department of Emergency Medicine cannot refer you to other Mayo Clinic providers for nonemergency conditions.
The Department of Emergency Medicine at each Mayo Clinic site is part of Mayo Clinic's integrated group practice of health care providers. If needed, Mayo Clinic physicians from other medical and surgical specialties are on call to aid in determining a plan of care for the patient while the patient is in the emergency room.
When patients are discharged from the emergency department, they are given recommendations for any follow-up care that may be needed. Often, the emergency medicine physician will recommend that patients see their primary care providers in follow-up. Patients should refer to their discharge instructions.
People with chronic- or long-standing health conditions should understand that a visit to a Mayo Clinic emergency department may not result in an appointment in another Mayo Clinic specialty department or division.
In addition to treating more common urgent or emergent medical conditions, the Department of Emergency Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota, provides Level 1 Trauma services, caring for patients with extremely severe injuries.
The departments of Emergency Medicine at Arizona, Florida and Minnesota all serve both adult and pediatric patients. Depending upon the pediatric patient's condition and need for medical or surgical subspecialty care in a hospital setting, pediatric patients who are evaluated in the Arizona and Florida emergency departments may be transferred to one of the children's hospitals in that area for treatment. In Minnesota, the full range of pediatric medical and surgical subspecialty hospital care is available within Mayo Eugenia Litta Children's Hospital.
The most common reasons for care and diagnoses include chest pain, respiratory distress, occupational injuries, sprains and fractures, drug overdoses, abdominal pain, injuries from motor-vehicle accidents, seizure disorders, cardiac dysrhythmias, lacerations, ocular injuries, and sepsis.
Emergency Department Self-Registration
Mayo Clinic offers an optional Self-Registration for most people visiting the Emergency Department. It helps save time during your visit as you can complete certain registration steps using your mobile device.
Learn more about Self-Registration.
Arizona
In Arizona, Department of Emergency Medicine physicians provide care for patients at Mayo Clinic Hospital, a 316-bed hospital on the Mayo Clinic campus in northeast Phoenix. The Arizona emergency medicine team has about 40 physicians, more than 100 registered nurses and numerous other clinical support staff.
Florida
In Florida, the Department of Emergency Medicine provides care for patients at Mayo Clinic Hospital, a 304-bed hospital on the Mayo Clinic campus in Jacksonville. The Florida emergency medicine team includes about 30 providers, more than 50 registered nurses and numerous other clinical support staff.
Mayo Clinic Hospital in Florida has been designated an Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center by The Joint Commission.
Minnesota
In Minnesota, the Department of Emergency Medicine cares for patients with about 60 physicians, more than a dozen advanced providers and nearly 30 residents, who are part of Mayo Clinic's Emergency Medicine Residency program. Mayo Clinic Hospital, Saint Marys Campus, has Level I Trauma accreditation, the highest level of emergency care possible. The department operates 72 beds within the 1,265-bed facility.
The majority of patients come from Olmsted County and the six adjacent counties in Southeastern Minnesota. On average, 20% of patients seen in the emergency department are children. A high number of patients have acute or critical emergency needs.
Medical emergencies often require immediate medical intervention in the emergency department setting. These emergencies include:
- Breathing difficulty of any type
- Chest pain or pressure
- Severe infections including cases of sepsis
- Acute abdominal pain
- Heavy bleeding
- High or sustained fevers
- Loss of consciousness
- Fractures
- Motor vehicle crash injuries
- Head or neck injuries
- Sudden severe headaches, paralysis, seizure or stroke symptoms
- Dehydration
Mayo Clinic Hospital in Florida and Mayo Clinic Hospital in Minnesota are certified as Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Centers by The Joint Commission. Mayo Clinic Hospital in Arizona receives its Comprehensive Stroke Center accreditation from Det Norske Veritas (DNV).
The physicians and nurses who work in the emergency department at each site are vital members of the stroke care teams.
Mayo Clinic has one of the largest and most experienced practices in the United States, with campuses in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota. Staff skilled in dozens of specialties work together to ensure quality care and successful recovery.
Find doctors and medical staff:
To support Mayo Clinic's long-standing commitment to provide cutting-edge patient care, Arizona, Florida and Minnesota emergency medicine staff members are involved in both clinical and operational efficiency research projects.
Arizona projects
- Redesign of nursing triage
- Use of physician scribes
- Physician telemedical triage
- Immediate physician-patient assignment system
- Patient fall prevention
- Hospital-acquired pressure ulcer prevention
Minnesota projects
- Auto Launch Program for Fillmore County, Minnesota
- Point of Care Troponin T Testing: Clinical Utility in the Prehospital Setting
- Emergency Department Observation Unit Care Versus Inpatient Management for Acute Atrial Fibrillation
- Immunopathways in Acute Coronary Syndromes
Emergency Medicine Fellowship
- This is a clinical research fellowship designed for residents or graduates of certified residency programs in emergency medicine or both.
- The goal of the fellowship is to provide a sound background in the principles and practice of clinical research for physicians who plan a career in academic emergency medicine.
- The fellowship is a two-year program that incorporates a master's degree in clinical and translational science from the Mayo Clinic Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences.
- Find details on the Emergency Medical Services Fellowship page.
Publications
See a list of publications by Mayo Clinic doctors on PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine.
Our patients tell us that the quality of their interactions, our attention to detail and the efficiency of their visits mean health care like they've never experienced. See the stories of satisfied Mayo Clinic patients.
Mayo Clinic works with hundreds of insurance companies and is an in-network provider for millions of people.
In most cases, Mayo Clinic doesn't require a physician referral. Some insurers require referrals or may have additional requirements for certain medical care. All appointments are prioritized on the basis of medical need.
Learn more about appointments at Mayo Clinic.
Please contact your insurance company to verify medical coverage and to obtain any needed authorization prior to your visit. Often, your insurer's customer service number is printed on the back of your insurance card.
Using Self-Registration is optional. It helps save time during your visit, offering a convenient way to complete certain registration steps, such as demographic information, insurance and signing necessary forms using your mobile device.
To get started with Self-Registration, check in at the Emergency Department Welcome Desk. If you have shared your communication preferences with Mayo Clinic, you will receive an email or text message with a link to Self-Registration. Click the link to complete your registration information. A registration staff member will review your information and may have additional questions once you have been placed in an exam room.
Frequently asked questions
Q. Do I have to complete Self-Registration?
A. Self-Registration is optional. If you decide not to participate, a staff member will visit with you to complete your registration once you are in an exam room.
Q. If I do not complete Self-Registration, will this delay me from being seen?
A. No. Self-Registration has no impact on how quickly you are seen by a healthcare professional.
Q. How do I provide my communication preferences to Mayo Clinic?
A. You can update your communication preferences in your Mayo Clinic Patient Portal account. If you do not have a portal account, you also can provide this information to the Emergency Department registration staff.
Q. I don't have a Mayo Clinic Patient Portal account. How do I sign up?
A. There are several ways to sign up for a portal account. You can download the Mayo Clinic app or visit mayoclinic.org and select "Log in" in the upper right-hand corner of most pages.
Q. Is Emergency Department Self-Registration available for all patients?
A. You will not receive a Self-Registration link if you are an international patient or if you have not shared a communication preference with Mayo Clinic. In addition, patients whose portal accounts are managed by caregivers or guardians do not qualify for Self-Registration at this time.
Q. How do I share feedback about my Self-Registration experience?
A. If you have questions or feedback to share about your Self-Registration experience, you can ask to speak with a registration staff member.