If this is a medical emergency, dial 9-1-1.
➤ Know Where to Go for Care
COVID-19 Treatment and Testing
If you are experiencing mild COVID-19 symptoms or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 but are asymptomatic, please contact your primary care physician’s office for testing and treatment options.
Please do not use our emergency department for routine testing for COVID-19. This allows us to focus our resources on the patients with more severe injuries or illness. Click here for testing information at our urgent care centers or drive-through clinic in Concord.
If you have severe symptoms of COVID-19, please seek emergency care immediately. Per the CDC, severe symptoms include:
- Trouble breathing
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- New confusion
- Inability to wake or stay awake
- Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone
You can count on Emerson Hospital in an emergency. The Polo Emergency Center is always open. Located at Emerson Hospital’s main campus in Concord, our fully equipped, 22-bed emergency department is staffed around the clock by board-certified physicians, physician assistants and nurses with specialized emergency medicine training.
Pediatric emergency care, too
Emerson’s emergency department also has pediatric experts — an emergency medicine specialist and a staff pediatrician — who are always on call in the hospital.
Many of our clinical staff and support personnel also have completed advanced training in caring for very sick children, including certification in Pediatric Advanced Life Support. We also have a
Pediatric Intervention Team (PIT) to help families and children cope with emergency medical care.
Comprehensive emergency medicine services
In addition to resources for assessing and treating general medical issues, inside the Polo Emergency Center you will find specialized treatment rooms for:
- Trauma and cardiopulmonary resuscitation
- Eye, ear, nose and throat problems
- General medical issues
- Orthopedic injuries
- Obstetrical emergencies
- Behavioral health issues
A clinical laboratory and comprehensive imaging facilities for diagnostic X-rays, ultrasound, nuclear medicine, CT scanning and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are on site, and specialists — including pediatricians, hospitalists and anesthesiologists — are in-hospital 24/7.
Designated a Primary Stroke Service
Emerson Hospital is designated a Primary Stroke Service by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. This means we have met stringent standards and
our staff is equipped to diagnose and treat stroke upon arrival — when seconds count.
What to expect at the Polo Emergency Center
When you arrive, a triage nurse will assess the nature and urgency of your medical condition. X-rays or lab tests may be performed before you see a provider to help us evaluate you more efficiently. You will be taken to a treatment room and registered by the admitting secretary.
While we make every effort to expedite your care, please understand that patients are treated based on the urgency of their medical need. The seriously ill and injured must be seen first.
Serious treatment of less critical condition
The Olsen Emergency Care Center is like an emergency room within our emergency room. It is open during peak hours to provide fast treatment for non-life-threatening emergencies and less-acute illnesses and injuries. This way, we are able to offer you more privacy and shorter wait times.
The Olsen Emergency Care Center is named for Ken and Aulikki Olsen in recognition of their generous support.
To get the most out of your emergency department visit
- Be ready to list your allergies.
- Bring your medicines or list of medicines you take.
- Bring your insurance card.
- Bring your license or identification card.
- Confirm or update your address, telephone number and insurance information with the admitting secretary.
- Identify your primary care doctor and any specialists who are treating you related to your visit.
- Tell us if you are pregnant and your obstetrician’s name.
If you have questions or concerns about your visit, please ask any member of our team.
When your medical emergency is not life-threatening
For urgent, but not life-threatening illnesses and injuries, Emerson Urgent Care Centers in Hudson and Littleton might provide a better option. Learn more about
Emerson’s Urgent Care Centers.
The Polo Emergency Center is named for Violet and Vincent Polo in recognition of their incredible generosity.
