emergency sign in red letters.

Emergency & Trauma Services

During a medical emergency, depend on Avera to respond quickly with expert care.

Find an ER

Get prompt access to lifesaving services close to home through our regional network of emergency departments serving dozens of communities in South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa.

Acute Care or Emergency Room?

Seek emergency medical attention when you experience or suspect a condition that threatens a life, a limb or an organ, including:

  • Bleeding that’s not controllable
  • Broken bones
  • Chest pain
  • Heart emergencies, including heart attack and cardiac arrest
  • Major allergic reactions
  • Poisoning
  • Serious burns
  • Severe breathing problems
  • Stroke
  • Traumatic injuries, especially head injuries

For minor injuries or illness, choose acute care, also called urgent care or after-hours care — an alternative to the emergency department.

Vital Rural Emergency Services

Emergency services are vital in both urban and rural areas across the Midwest. The strength of the Avera health system means you can expect the same high level of care wherever you walk into an emergency room at Avera.

Critical Care & Intensive Care

If you’re admitted to the hospital with a serious condition, Avera’s potentially lifesaving critical care and intensive care units (ICUs) are designed to improve your outcome — with advanced telemedicine technology to link your local critical care team to other Avera health care professionals and specialists.

Sexual Assault Care

Avera’s specially trained sexual assault nurse examiners (SANE) provide trauma-informed care and forensic evidence collection for patients who have experienced sexual assault or sexual violence. Our professionals provide you with compassionate medical treatment, testing, resources and more.

Careflight Air Ambulances

In a medical emergency, one of Avera’s swift Careflight air ambulances could help save your or your loved one’s life. These helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft provide intensive care onboard while quickly transporting you to the nearest hospital that can treat your condition.

Highly Qualified Emergency Departments

If you have an emergency, trust that you’ll be in the expert hands of Avera’s emergency medical professionals at one of our 39 emergency departments across the Midwest.

Skilled Providers

Our extensive network of more than 900 emergency care providers includes:

  • Physicians who are board certified in emergency medicine
  • Doctors, midlevel providers and nurses trained in advanced trauma life support, advanced cardiac life support, pediatric advanced life support and neonatal advanced life support
  • Nurses with trauma nursing core course certifications
  • Experts who can consult remotely via telemedicine capabilities
  • Leading air and ground transport teams to provide care if transport to a higher-level facility is needed

Trauma Centers

Trust Avera to treat traumatic injuries. Each Avera hospital holds one of the following trauma center designations:

  • Level II trauma center – Delivers 24-hour immediate coverage by general surgeons, as well as coverage in orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, radiology and critical care.
  • Level III trauma center – Provides 24-hour immediate coverage by emergency medicine physicians and swiftly makes general surgeons and anesthesiologists available.
  • Level IV trauma center – Offers advanced trauma life support, trauma nurses and physicians, and may provide surgery and critical care.
  • Trauma receiving hospital – Receives patients 24 hours a day and treats or stabilizes them before transport to another hospital.

Mental Health Crisis

Immediate help is available if you or someone else is facing a mental health emergency.

  • Call 988 or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
  • In Sioux Falls: Go to Avera Behavioral Health Urgent Care.
  • Outside Sioux Falls: Call 911 or go to your closest emergency department.

Telehealth Emergency Technology

Get the fastest possible access to medical specialists while staying in your local community. Telemedicine emergency technology connects your local medical team with experts at Avera’s virtual hospital. High-definition video and audio at our telehealth emergency sites means you get the advanced care you need — no matter what emergency room is closest to you.

What to Expect at an Avera Emergency Department

No matter why you’re seeking emergency care, expect a fast response, expert diagnosis and high-quality care at Avera Emergency Department locations across the Upper Midwest.

Your Emergency Room Visit

When you visit an Avera emergency room, you’ll receive expert care from Avera’s experienced medical professionals and registered nurses. Avera strives to keep our average wait time far below national averages, so you’ll see a doctor as soon as possible. A visit to the emergency room may include:

  • Initial exam – Upon arrival, a registered nurse will inquire about your medical history and perform a brief exam in a private room.
  • Treatment – A certified emergency care provider will evaluate your condition and treat you. Your nurse may also start an IV, obtain blood or urine samples or send you for an X-ray.
  • Re-evaluation – After reviewing all test results, your emergency care provider will re-evaluate your situation and advise you on next steps, such as hospital admittance for specialty care or discharge.
  • Discharge – Before going home, you’ll receive after-care instructions personalized to your specific needs and a recommendation to follow up with your primary care provider or a referred specialty provider.

Comfort for Family & Friends

Family and friends can wait in a comfortable waiting room with entertainment and refreshment options while you receive treatment. Private consultation areas also provide the privacy and security you and your family need to learn and discuss important information and make decisions. You can also take advantage of our chaplaincy services to find hope and peace amidst uncertainty.

Specialized Emergency Care

No matter your age or condition, you benefit from specialized emergency care and in-person or telemedicine access to a variety of Avera specialists, such as:

  • Behavioral and mental health
  • Brain and spine
  • Children’s health
  • Heart and vascular
  • Radiology and imaging
  • Respiratory and pulmonary care
  • Orthopedics
  • Physical therapy and rehabilitation
  • Plastic and reconstructive surgery
  • Surgery services
  • Wound care

Choose Avera for Emergency Care

When you need emergency care, trust Avera emergency rooms in or near your community, with telemedicine options available for patients across our region.

Find a Location

Find an Emergency Room

Call 911 for life-threatening emergencies like chest pain, difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, stroke symptoms or uncontrollable bleeding. This includes if the condition is likely to worsen on the way to the hospital. If the situation is not life-threatening but requires medical attention, consider driving to the ER.

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