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Emergency care

Emergency care is the treatment of unexpected, severe medical injuries or infections. It is typically delivered in an emergency room or an ambulance. Our emergency medicine physicians stabilize your condition as quickly as possible to prepare you for the next step of care or discharge.

Emergency room (ER) doctors in Sebring, FL

When you need emergency medical care fast, we're here to help.

At HCA Florida Highlands Hospital, our 24/7 emergency room is staffed with a team of dedicated doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals focused on providing you and your loved ones with expert care. We work collaboratively within our emergency department — and with other experts at our hospital — to quickly and efficiently diagnose your condition and determine the most effective treatment. Together, our goal is to help you heal. 

High-quality emergency care

Our highly trained staff can provide emergency care for everything from cuts and broken bones to life-threatening conditions, such as heart attacks or strokes.

We also offer:

  • A continued commitment to keeping wait times to a minimum
  • A dynamic emergency design focused on providing a better experience for patients and visitors
  • Highly qualified, dedicated healthcare professionals who are committed to the highest standards of care
  • Multi-functional treatment rooms for patients with a wide range of conditions
  • Primary stroke care services offered 24/7

Senior-friendly emergency room

Our goal is to provide the community with safe, efficient and compassionate healthcare for people of all ages. Because of this, our hospital also features the area's only dedicated senior emergency room. 

Our senior-friendly emergency room features:

  • Dedicated parking close to the emergency room entrance
  • Rooms specially designed for seniors, equipped with hearing amplifiers and optical enhancement devices
  • Special attention to discharge planning
  • One-on-one help with scheduling follow-up appointments

Our emergency room wait times

When it comes to emergency care, our goal is to continually work toward enhancing the care you receive, while reducing our wait times. This ensures you get the care you need, when you need it most. 

Our wait times are updated every 30 minutes and are available on our website and digital screens on roadside billboards throughout the region.

To find out the wait times of the HCA Florida emergency room nearest to you, check the top of our website or text "ER" to 32222.

Note: Message and data rates may apply. Emergency room wait times are approximate and provided for informational purposes only. 

When to go to the emergency room

We understand it can be hard to know what type of medical care you need, like whether you should go to the emergency room or wait for your doctor's office to open. 

However, we want you to feel secure about your choice for care, which is why we've created a list of symptoms that may indicate you need to visit the emergency room:

  • Back pain, when it is unbearable or accompanied by fever, numbness, weakness, confusion, slurred speech, vision loss or loss of control over bladder or bowels
  • Broken bones, when the pain is severe or there is a visible deformity 
  • Chest pain, when it is crushing or squeezing and accompanied by other heart attack symptoms, such as shortness of breath or nausea
  • Concussion, when you have lost consciousness, even briefly, or experience amnesia, vomiting, slurred speech or a seizure
  • Flu, when symptoms become severe, such as having trouble breathing, vomiting uncontrollably or becoming dehydrated 
  • Side pain, when it is severe and occurs in the lower right stomach, side or back or is accompanied by fever, nausea, diarrhea or blood in the urine
  • Stomach pain, when accompanied by a hard or tender stomach, nausea, shortness of breath, fever or irregular heartbeat
  • Trouble breathing, when breathing stops, is noisy or high-pitched and comes with pain in the chest or severe shortness of breath

If you are unsure if your symptoms require an emergency room visit, you can speak to a nurse 24/7 by calling our Consult-A-Nurse® team at (863) 824-4250.


What to expect at the emergency room

When you get to the emergency room, one of our triage nurses will assess your symptoms and vital signs. Next, a registration clerk will collect your insurance card (if available) and other information.

We medically screen, evaluate and stabilize all patients — whether or not they have insurance or are able to pay.

Anyone who has severe, life-threatening illnesses or injuries will be treated first. Everyone else will be treated in the order they arrive.

Before discharge, we encourage you to ask our emergency care teams any questions you have. It is also useful for you to keep all of your paperwork, discharge information and medicines or prescriptions together after you leave the emergency room.

After discharge, our emergency department staff will reach out to your primary care provider to ensure they are updated on your care.

What to bring to the emergency room

When coming to the emergency room, we recommend you bring:

  • A list of medicines you currently take
  • A list of known allergies
  • Copies of results from recent medical tests, if available
  • Personal care preferences and restrictions
  • A responsible adult or phone number for someone to contact

Our Emergency care Locations

Currently Viewing:

Highlands Hospital
3600 S Highlands Ave
Sebring, FL 33870
 (863) 385 - 6101

Currently Viewing:

Highlands Hospital
3600 S Highlands Ave
Sebring, FL 33870
 (863) 385 - 6101
Raulerson Hospital
1796 US Highway 441 N
Okeechobee, FL 34972
 (863) 763 - 2151

39.7 miles

Poinciana Hospital
325 Cypress Pkwy
Kissimmee, FL 34759
 (407) 530 - 2000

46.9 miles

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