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) in Highlands, North Carolina
No matter what, your health and safety is always our first priority.
At Highlands-Cashier Hospital, the team of experts in our emergency room offers rapid attention and compassionate care. We are dedicated to treating physical and mental health emergencies any time, any day.
Medical airlift services
Our 24/7, regional helicopter service — Mountain Area Medical Airlift (MAMA) — provides transport if you are critically ill or injured within a 150-mile radius of Asheville. This enables our adult and pediatric care teams to get you the life-saving care you need.
Our 24/7, regional helicopter service — Mountain Area Medical Airlift (MAMA) — provides transport if you are critically ill or injured within a 150-mile radius of Asheville. This enables our adult and pediatric care teams to get you the life-saving care you need.
Conditions and injuries requiring emergency care
Our experienced doctors are trained to treat urgent and life-threatening conditions, including:
- Abdominal pain
- Arm weakness
- Broken bones
- Burns
- Chest pain
- Confusion
- Deep cuts
- Difficulty breathing
- Eye injuries
- Facial drooping
- Fever
- Heart attack
- Poisoning
- Pregnancy complications
- Seizures
- Severe vomiting
- Shortness of breath
- Speech difficulty
- Traumatic injuries
- Weakness
Services provided in our emergency room
We are here to treat your mental and physical health emergencies with empathy and urgency.
Features of our emergency department
Our emergency room is equipped with the latest technology, enabling our doctors to provide timely and comprehensive care to you and your loved ones. We offer private exam rooms to ensure you are comfortable and safe, as well as Fast Track areas for injuries or illnesses that are less severe. Other features include:
- Emergency response protocol for heart attacks
- Evaluation of emergency conditions
- Expedited transfers from regional facilities
- Mental health intake and assessment
- Treatment of pain and other symptoms related
Stroke and heart attack care
Certified by The Joint Commission as an Acute Stroke Ready Hospital, our emergency department is capable of handling even the most complex strokes.
When it comes to stroke and heart care, we only use the most up-to-date and evidence-based treatment methods to ensure the health of your heart. Regardless of the type or severity of your condition, you will receive rapid attention from our trained and qualified specialists.
If you are experiencing a medical emergency, do not wait to seek treatment. Our emergency department is safe and ready to help 24/7.
Behavioral health services at Sweeten Creek Mental Health and Wellness Center
Our 84,000 square foot facility in Asheville offers 120 beds for both acute inpatient and outpatient mental health care. To get admitted, you must first undergo a medical screening from one of our emergency physicians to confirm conditional stability. Once this has been established, you or your loved one would be recommended a transfer to more longtime care in Asheville.
With separate and secure units for children, adolescents, adults and seniors, each age-appropriate unit has its own private outdoor courtyard, as well as a "psych-safe playground" for kids, basketball court for adults and an outdoor walking trail for seniors.
Our overall goal is to use various treatment methods to get you stabilized and through your crisis, before acquiring support in the community so you can thrive at home, rather than in the hospital.
Please call (828) 213-4696 to schedule your assessment today. If you're experiencing an emergency and you're worried about your own or a loved one's safety, call 911 or visit the nearest emergency room immediately.