Vail Emergency Department

Level III Trauma Center in Colorado

If you or a loved one are experiencing an urgent or emergent medical emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest Emergency Department.

Call (970) 479-7225 with questions. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days/week. The Emergency Department is located in Vail Health Hospital at 181 W. Meadow Drive, Vail, CO 81657.

Vail Health's Emergency Department (ED) is a 24-hour Level III Trauma Center staffed by board-certified physicians. Emergency trauma care is available to infants, pediatrics, adolescents and adults of all ages. Our highly trained staff is qualified to care for medical emergencies and stabilization of critical patients with full resuscitation capabilities. Walk-in patients are treated promptly and efficiently. The Emergency Department serves the emergency medical needs of the community and visitors.
 
FEATURES
  • Emergent and trauma care
  • Treatment and care of sports-related injuries with expertise in ski injuries, splinting and casting
  • Disaster preparedness and response in conjunction with county and pre-hospital agencies
  • Occupational health services
  • Limited Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) Program – Please call our 24/7 administrative nurse supervisor at (970) 471-9286 to determine the closest resources within our SANE network, including St. Anthony Summit Medical Center in Frisco. 

OUR SERVICES
As a Level III Trauma Center, our physicians and trauma team are ready 24/7.
  • 24-hour immediate coverage by general surgeons, as well as coverage by the specialties of orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, radiology and critical care. 
  • Top trauma and orthopaedic surgeons
  • Full-time cardiologists with Cardiac Catheterization Lab on-site
  • Tertiary care needs such as cardiac surgery, hemodialysis and microvascular surgery may be referred to a Level I Trauma Center. 
  • State-of-the-art imaging and diagnostics
  • On-site laboratory
  • Intensive Care Unit for critical patients
  • Family Birth Center with Level II Nursery
  • Emergency helicopter transport
  • Transfer agreements for patients requiring more comprehensive care at a Level I or Level II Trauma Center 
  • Back-up care for rural and community hospitals
  • SBIRT Health Educatior. Vail Health's Trauma Services department has a full-time Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) health educator. Statistics show that almost 50 percent of trauma patients have a positive blood alcohol concentration and that excessive drinking and substance abuse are significant risk factors for traumatic injury. The health educator's role is to screen all trauma patients. Those patients who are found to be at risk for alcohol or substance abuse will then be provided a brief intervention, and if necessary, a referral to treatment. 
Vail Health Incorporates a comprehensive quality assessment program and provides trauma prevention and continuing education programs for staff.    

Emergency Department or Urgent Care?

When To Call 911

In the case of a medical emergency, call 911. Paramedics can deliver life-saving treatment on the way to the hospital. 
  • Heart attack
  • Stroke
  • Severe chest pain
  • Severe bleeding
  • Shortness of breath
  • Severe abdominal pain
Please note, children may display different symptoms than adults. Always get immediate medical attention if you think a child is having a medical emergency.

When To Visit An Urgent Care

Vail Health Urgent Care in Avon and Colorado Mountain Medical Urgent Care in Vail and Eagle are same-day, walk-in clinics for minor illnesses or injury. Urgent Care clinics are a great resource if your primary doctor is not available. They treat the following medical symptoms right away.
  • Altitude sickness
  • Respiratory and urinary tract infections
  • Cough, cold, fever and flu symptoms
  • Minor cuts and burns
  • Minor fractures, strains and sprains
  • Stomach illness and dehydration
Please note, children may display different symptoms than adults. Always get immediate medical attention if you think a child is having a medical emergency.

When to Visit The Emergency Department

The following symptoms are best evaluated in an Emergency Department. 
  • Persistent chest pain, especially if it radiates to your arm or jaw or is accompanied by sweating, vomiting  
  • Chest or upper abdominal pain or pressure
  • Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath
  • Confusion or changes in mental status, including suicidal thoughts
  • Any sudden or severe pain, particularly in the abdomen or starting halfway down the back
  • Sudden clumsiness, loss of balance, fainting or dizziness
  • Sudden difficulty speaking, or trouble understanding speech 
  • Sudden weakness or paralysis, especially on one side of the face or body
  • Severe heart palpitations
  • Sudden, severe headache
  • Sudden testicular pain and swelling
  • Newborn baby with a fever (a baby less than three months old with a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher needs to be seen right away)
  • Falls that cause injury or occur while taking blood thinning medications
  • Sudden vision changes, including blurred or double vision and full or partial vision loss
  • Broken bones or dislocated joints
  • Deep cuts that require stitches — especially on the face — or a large open wound that won’t stop bleeding
  • Head or eye injuries
  • Severe flu or cold symptoms
  • High fevers or fevers with rash
  • Vaginal bleeding during pregnancy
  • Severe and persistent vomiting or diarrhea
  • Serious burns
  • Seizures without a previous diagnosis of epilepsy
  • Blood in your stool or urine
  • Uncontrolled bleeding
  • Coughing or vomiting blood
  • Infection with severe symptoms
  • After-hours care for minor illnesses or injuries if no other option is  available
Please note, children may display different symptoms than adults. Always get immediate medical attention if you think a child is having a medical emergency.