About the Department

The primary mission of the Emergency Department of the VA New York Harbor Healthcare Center is to serve our nation’s veterans with the highest quality emergency medical, surgical and psychiatric care. Features of our department include:

• 11 bed facility open 24 hours a day
• 14,000 visits in 2006
• referral center for interventional cardiology, cardiac surgery, neurosurgery and urology
• specific projects to monitor and improve care for those with acute heart attacks and pneumonia
• on-site testing allowing for quick diagnosis and management of heart attacks
• educational site for medical students and residents of the NYU School of Medicine Department of Emergency Medicine Residency Program

The Emergency Department has created Disaster Preparedness Program which puts in place current best practices. In collaboration with Bellevue Hospital and NYU Medical Centers, we have obtained several grants funded by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and HRSA. Activities have included:

• training for staff on methods of decontamination
• creating and maintaining a bank of pharmaceutical antidotes and emergency supplies
• enhancing the hospital's surge and isolation capacity

• computerized tracking software helps us monitor the flow of patients to avoid delays
• assistance by primary care physicians that see walk-in patients so we can focus on those with urgent illness without forcing those with minor complaints to suffer delay in care
• a 2-bed observation unit for patients who need attention but are expected to improve to allow for safe discharge within 23 hours