Compassionate Emergency Care, When Every Minute Counts
When you face a possible life-threatening emergency, rest assured that we will give you our full attention and diligent care. Getting to the heart of the problem – properly diagnosing and determining the best course of case – can take time. We promise to give you the time you deserve for the care you need. Our experienced Emergency Department staff is trained to recognize and act quickly to treat the most urgent, time-sensitive cases first. However, please know that each of our patients is a priority, and we promise to give you the complete and thorough care necessary to alleviate any fears and get you back on the path to better health.
Certified Levels of Care
Level II Trauma Center
Freeman Hospital West is a Level II Trauma Center as certified by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. As a Level II Trauma Center, Freeman provides 24-hours a day comprehensive trauma care including essential specialties, physicians, surgeons and equipment, as well as education, prevention and outreach programs.
Level I STEMI Center
The hospital is also a Level I STEMI Center, the only facility in the area to attain that certification. To receive this designation, a hospital must show that it has the providers and resources required for STEMI care, and that its physicians and staff annually meet rigorous educational standards.
Level II Stroke Center
Freeman is designated as a Level II Stroke Center by the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services and was the first in the area to obtain this designation. This certification means the state has verified that Freeman is able to provide the highest level of expert care to patients who have experienced stroke or a transient ischemic attack.
Emergency Medicine, Where You Are
Certified by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services as a Level II Trauma Center, a Level I STEMI Center and a Level II Stroke Center, the Dr. Robert & Dorothy Willcoxon Emergency/Trauma Center at Freeman West provides comprehensive emergency care 24 hours a day.
Freeman West – Emergency Department
1102 West 32nd Street
Joplin, MO
417.347.6656
Freeman Neosho provides the community with an emergency department staffed 24 hours a day by experienced ER physicians.
Freeman Ambulance Service covers the entire 540-mile McDonald County area, averaging more than 60,000 miles per year per ambulance. Freeman Ambulance Service provides reliable, safe and comfortable equipment to serve patients, particularly on the often difficult, rural roads of McDonald County.
Freeman Neosho – Emergency Department
113 West Hickory Street
Neosho, MO
417.451.1234
Freeman Fort Scott Hospital, Inc. provides the community with an emergency department staffed 24 hours a day by experienced ER physicians.
Freeman Fort Scott Hospital, Inc., is located in Fort Scott, Kansas, and is part of Freeman Health System. A six-bed emergency department and 10-bed acute care hospital, Freeman Fort Scott Hospital offers a range of services designed to meet the needs of the local community, with a focus on accessibility, innovation, and personalized care.
Freeman Fort Scott Hospital – Emergency Department
401 Woodland Hills Blvd.
Fort Scott, Kan., 66701
620.768.0388 – Switchboard
What to Expect
After you check in:
After you check in at the reception desk, a nurse will ask you about your symptoms and medical history to determine the severity of your medical condition. This process, called triage, helps determine which patients to treat first. Patients are treated according to the seriousness of their condition, not their arrival time. Depending on your condition, we will either immediately take you to an exam room where a provider will examine you and plan your care, escort you to the lab for tests or x-rays or ask you to take a seat in the waiting room until a provider or exam room becomes available. If your condition worsens or you feel you’ve had an unusually long wait, please talk with someone at the reception desk.
After treatment:
After treatment, we will either admit you to the hospital, transfer you to another facility, or discharged you home. If you are discharged, we will give you written instructions to explain your aftercare. Depending on your condition, you may wish to have a family member or friend review the discharge information.
Know Where To Go
Emergency or Urgent Care?
It can be difficult to decide which type of care to seek in the event of a medical issue, but there can be a big difference in time and money. If your condition is not life-threatening, you can visit one of the Freeman Urgent Care clinics listed below.
Non-life threatening
Freeman Urgent Care walk-in clinics provide quick, convenient care for health needs that are not life threatening, but can’t wait until the next day or longer. They are open outside of regular business hours and are less expensive than emergency department care. Examples of conditions that can be dealt with in an urgent care clinic include:
Life threatening
Call 911 or visit the emergency department immediately if you are in severe pain or your condition is endangering your life. Examples of medical emergencies include:
A Guide to Primary Care vs. Urgent Care vs. Emergency Care
Making the right choice can make a difference in time and money.
Additional Services
MedFlight provides access to emergency medical services through helicopters designed as “flying intensive care units.” Freeman West has two helipads located outside Freeman Heart & Vascular Institute and one hot off-load helipad with direct elevator access to state-of-the-art emergency room trauma bays. MedFlight air ambulance also provides emergency transport services to and from Freeman Neosho.
The MedFlight team consists of registered nurses and critical care paramedics experienced in trauma, cardiac, and critical care and hold advanced certifications in their area of specialty.
MedFlight pilots are trained to fly in various conditions and all crew members utilize night vision goggles when appropriate. Pilots have a minimum of 2,000 hours of flight experience and are put through recurrent training on emergency procedures several times a year.
Through the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program, Freeman doctors and nurses offer free forensic exams and compassionate care to adult female and male sexual assault victims at the Freeman Hospital West Emergency Department in Joplin. The program provides a coordinated hospital response and comprehensive care for victims of sexual violence.
