Emergency Room at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Oktibbeha County

The emergency room treats sudden, severe or life-threatening conditions. Call 911 or come straight to the ER for any of the following.

• Chest pain, pressure or tightness
• Trouble breathing or shortness of breath
• Sudden weakness, numbness, slurred speech or facial drooping (signs of stroke)
• Severe bleeding that does not stop with pressure
• Major broken bones or deep wounds
• Severe burns
• Head, neck or spine injuries
• Severe abdominal pain
• Loss of consciousness or sudden confusion
• Seizures
• Severe allergic reactions
• High fever with stiff neck or rash
• Suicidal thoughts or thoughts of harming yourself or someone else

For non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries — sore throats, minor cuts, rashes, mild fevers, sprains — primary care visits, urgent care clinics or telehealth can often help faster and at a lower cost.

The emergency department at Baptist Oktibbeha County is fully prepared to manage a wide spectrum of medical emergencies, and welcomes 23,000 to 24,000 patients each year. What that means for you is faster access to the right care, sooner.

Experienced physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and registered nurses work together as one care team. Many of our emergency providers are Relias Healthcare physicians and clinicians working with our hospital — a relationship that brings deep emergency-medicine expertise to the community we serve.

Because we are attached to a full hospital campus, patients who need surgery, admission, imaging or specialty consultation move from ER to the next level of care without leaving the building.

• Cardiac emergency response
• Stroke response 
• Trauma response 
• On-site imaging 
• On-site laboratory 
• Hospital admission and specialty consultation

If your condition requires care beyond what we provide on site, our team coordinates safe transfer to the closest specialty hospital.

When you arrive at the emergency room, here is what happens next.

• Check-in — Tell our team your name and the reason for your visit. If you can, bring a list of medications, allergies and prior medical history.
• Triage — A nurse evaluates your condition. Patients with the most serious problems are seen first; all others are seen on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Treatment — A provider examines you, orders any tests or imaging needed and starts treatment right away.
• Discharge or admission — Once treatment is complete, you can be discharged with follow-up instructions or admitted to the hospital for further care.

Emergency care at Baptist Oktibbeha County is delivered by a coordinated team of physicians, nurses and support staff.

• Emergency physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants from Relias Healthcare — a group dedicated to emergency medicine that brings consistent staffing and expertise to our community.
• Registered nurses with specialized training in emergency care, triage and trauma.
• Radiology and laboratory staff on standby for immediate imaging and diagnostic tests.
• Hospital specialists available for consultation when an emergency requires specialized care.

Our team members live in the communities we serve and care for the same families they see at the grocery store, in the stands at Mississippi State University and at church on Sunday.

For patients who arrive by ambulance, working with MedStat means care often starts before you reach the hospital. MedStat ambulances bring advanced communication systems that let paramedics and EMTs access your medical records from prior emergency visits and hospital stays.

Real-Time Coordination

EMTs and paramedics can communicate directly with Relias Healthcare physicians on duty, so the care team is informed and ready by the time you arrive.

On-Site Response at Mississippi State Sporting Events

Our team is on the sidelines at Mississippi State University sporting events, ready to provide rapid medical attention when injuries happen on the field.