Emergency Care

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center Emergency Department

757 Westwood Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90095
Emergency department: 310-825-2111
Hospital information: 310-825-9111
Maps and directions

UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center Emergency Department

1250 16th St.
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Emergency department: 424-259-8400
Hospital information: 424-259-6000
Maps and directions

When should you go to the emergency department (ED)?

If you or someone you know is having a medical emergency, don’t wait. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department if you have:

• Chest pain, chest pressure or heart attack
• Choking or difficulty breathing
• Loss of consciousness
• Moderate to severe burns
• Poisoning or overdose
• Seizure
• Severe abdominal pain or severe vomiting
• Severe bleeding or fractures
• Stroke, sudden weakness or inability to walk, talk, see or move
• Trauma to the head, neck or back

When do you need urgent care?

If you have a minor injury or illness, such as flu or a sprain, you may not need emergency attention. At UCLA Health Immediate Care, our team provides same-day visits for a wide range of non-life-threatening medical issues. You can walk into one of our Immediate Care locations or connect with a provider online through a secure virtual visit. Learn more about UCLA Health Immediate Care.

UCLA Health excellence in Emergency Care

Our skilled team specializes in delivering the highest level of care to children and adults. As leaders in emergency medicine, we offer specialized expertise in stroke, heart attack, trauma and pediatric critical care. Using advanced technology, including on-site CT scanners, all-digital X-rays and sophisticated cardiac catheterization labs, we’re able to respond to emergencies quickly and efficiently.

What should you expect at your UCLA Health emergency department visit?

When you arrive in the ED, our team members work quickly to assess your health and determine a path for your care. Your visit involves several stages:

Triage: We check you in, create your medical record and review your symptoms. A nurse measures your heart rate, breathing and blood pressure. We then move you to a treatment area.

Evaluation: Your doctor and nurse coordinate your care, deliver a diagnosis and plan treatment. To determine a diagnosis, your doctor may order blood tests, urine tests or imaging studies, such as an X-ray or MRI. After reviewing test results and explaining a diagnosis, your doctor recommends a treatment plan.

Registration: A member of the registration team visits you in the treatment area to confirm your address, primary care doctor, and insurance and pharmacy information.

Treatment: Your care team provides treatment and answers any questions you may have.

Discharge: When it’s time for you to go home, our team gives you detailed discharge instructions. We coordinate follow-up care and send prescription medications to the pharmacy of your choice. We also send information about your ED visit to your primary care physician.

Download Emergency Department Guide (PDF)

What happens after your visit?

Some people need to be admitted to the hospital following an ED visit. If you need inpatient care, your team coordinates the transition, answers your questions and communicates with specialists as necessary.

UCLA Health doctors care for patients at four hospitals. Your care team may recommend inpatient care or observation at:

• Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
• UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center
• UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital
• Stewart and Lynda Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA

Your health plan may request you to be transferred to a different hospital. Your care team will discuss this option with you and keep you informed so you can plan ahead prior to a hospital transfer.

We understand that an ED visit can be stressful. We’re here to offer guidance and comfort throughout the process.