Emergency Medicine

Townsend Emergency Medical Center

Day Kimball Hospital | 320 Pomfret Street, Putnam, CT 06260
(860) 928-7503 | If you are experiencing a medical emergency, dial 911
TTY: (860) 963-6345 | Fax: (860) 928-6368
Open 24/7, 365 days per year | Get directions > (opens in a new tab)

Exceptional Emergency Care, Lowest Wait Times in Connecticut, Modern and Comfortable New Facility

When you or a loved one has a medical emergency the Townsend Emergency Medical Center at Day Kimball Hospital is here for you with quick access to the best care in a modern and comfortable environment. Our Emergency Department (ED) serves well over 20,000 people each year from all over Connecticut as well as nearby Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

We provide exceptional care for patients of all ages and with all types of illnesses and injuries, including first-rate care for heart attack and stroke. Our newly renovated facility offers the best in technology, comfort and privacy and LifeStar and Life Flight critical care helicopter services are available for air transport of patients who require care at a tertiary care facility.

High Quality Care, in a Caring Community Environment

98% of our patients say they are either satisfied or very satisfied with their overall experience and would recommend the Day Kimball Hospital Emergency Department to family and friends, according to Qualitick Client IQ survey data.
Lowest average door-to-provider time among all Connecticut hospitals at just 13 minutes. That's nearly half the national average. And our average door-to-pain medication time is 40 minutes, nearly 40% faster than the state and national average. (source: Medicare's Hospital Compare website)
Our ED nurses are certified in advanced cardiac life support and advanced pediatric life support.
Our ED physicians are experts in emergency care from NES Health, a national leader in emergency medical care management are led by Dr. Vanessa Brown, Medical Director of the Day Kimball Hospital Emergency Department, and Dr. Steven Wexler, Chairman of Day Kimball Hospital Emergency Department and Chief Medical Officer for NES Health.

Advanced Primary Stroke Center

Day Kimball Hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers and is also a designated Primary Stroke Center by the CT Dept. of Health.

Patients who come to the Day Kimball Hospital ED suffering from stroke receive specialized stroke care faster than CT and national averages. Our stroke care team collaborates with UMass Memorial Medical Center neurologists using cutting-edge bedside telestroke video-conferencing technology to rapidly diagnose and treat patients suffering a stroke via bedside telestroke videoconferencing technology.

Types of Stroke

Vanessa Brown, MD, JD, FACEP, FAAEM, Medical Director of the Townsend Emergency Medical Center at Day Kimball Hospital, describes the two broad categories of stroke: ischemic (brain deprived of blood flow) and hemorrhagic (bleeding in the brain).

Stroke Risk Factors

Stroke is the fifth highest cause of death in the United States, so it’s important to understand your risk factors -- both manageable and non-manageable. Dr. Vanessa Brown discusses some of the common risk factors for stroke.

Recognizing Stroke Symptoms

Recognizing the warning signs of stroke can save a life. Dr. Vanessa Brown explains the common stroke symptoms along with how to use the F.A.S.T. acronym to spot a stroke. Once stroke symptoms have been identified, receiving immediate medical attention is vital for stroke victims.

Advanced Cardiac Care

Patients who come to the Day Kimball Hospital ED suffering from a cardiac event receive specialized cardiac care faster than CT and national averages. Our partnership with Umass Memorial Medical Center enables patients who come to the Day Kimball Hospital E.D. suffering from a heart attack to be stabilized and transported directly to the UMass Memorial Medical Center catheterization lab for immediate treatment. This partnership allows our patients to receive life-saving catheterization care on average almost twice as fast as at other community hospitals throughout the nation.

New, State-of-the-Art Facility

The Townsend Emergency Medical Center was completed in November, 2015 and features:

24 all-private patient rooms that offer the best possible privacy, confidentiality and dignity
Spacious waiting area with natural lighting provides a comfortable and calm environment for patients awaiting care and their families
Bedside registration that allows for faster and more efficient care
A state-of-the-art two-bed resuscitation room to serve the most critical patients
A dedicated behavioral health wing that provides safety and privacy for behavioral health patients

What to Expect

Patients are seen by the ED physician or physician assistant/nurse practitioner in a sequence which is based first on the severity of the patient’s condition according to triage criteria and secondly on the order of their arrival. Waiting patients are reassessed regularly and the order in which they are seen is changed if condition changes. Family/Significant other is allowed in the examination room with the patient at the discretion of the nurse and physician.

Important Things to Remember

If you or your family is required to wait for Emergency Department services, it is most likely because the medical staff is treating patients who require more immediate attention. We ask for your understanding and patience.

It is important to understand that awaiting results of lab work or x-rays may take time and may prolong your emergency department visit.

Vending machines are located in the Emergency Department. The Hospitality Café, located next to the hospital’s main lobby, is open Monday – Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Please check with the patient’s nurse before allowing the patient to eat or drink anything.

Pay phones are available in the waiting area. Since the hospital uses electronic telemetry, cell phones are prohibited in the ED treatment areas.