Out-Patient Care

Elk Regional Health Center knows that high-quality healthcare doesn’t always happen on an in-patient basis. Sometimes, it’s as quick as a physical for a new job, other times it requires a brief visit to the emergency department or our same-day surgery suite.

To read more about some of the out-patient care services we offer at Elk Regional, please use the links below.
For more information or a full directory of our out-patient services, please contact our Public Relations department at (814) 788-8532 or (814) 788-8832.

Same-Day Surgery Suite – Operating Room – Emergency Department – Med Express Center - Rehabilitation

Same-Day Surgery Suite:
Elk Regional’s 20-bed Same Day Surgery Suite provides a convenient and comfortable environment for outpatient surgery patients who will be in and out of the hospital in the same day.

Surgical procedures which may qualify for same day surgery include, but are not limited to:

  • tonsillectomy
  • hernia repair
  • tendon repair
  • closed reduction of fractures
  • knee examination and repair
  • circumcision
  • hemorrhoidectomies
  • laparoscopic gall bladder removal
  • ovarian cystectomies
  • breast biopsy
  • carpal tunnel surgery
  • knee arthroscopy
  • colonoscopy
  • gastroscope
  • foot bunion surgery
  • laparoscope
  • ear tube insertion
  • tubal ligations

Our surgery suite is staffed by specialized nursing and clinical professionals. Patients receive the same level of quality care, compassion and individual attention that they would receive if they were admitted to the hospital. Because this unit is located within the hospital, the full complement of acute care medical services is available immediately if needed.

Same-day surgery offers benefits to patients over conventional inpatient surgical stays in the hospital. Patients spend less time in the hospital, usually an average of four hours. Since they do not stay overnight, it means decreased financial burden for them and their healthcare insurers. Same-day surgery is also less invasive and has reduced recovery time, allowing patients to return to work and full activity sooner.
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Operating Room:
 Elk Regional Health Center’s operating room is staffed by a qualified team of professionals, including (but not limited to) surgeons, anesthesiologists, certified registered nurse anesthetists, registered nurses and surgical technologists. This team works together to create a seamlessly coordinated and efficient surgical experience for each patient.

Once a patient’s operation is completed, this team of professionals continues the patient’s care through the recovery process.
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Emergency Department:
 From the moment you arrive at Elk Regional Health Center's Emergency Department, our skilled staff determines your needs and urgency of care through observation and technical expertise. The triage area allows the staff to recognize and assess a patient, determine their urgency of need and follow through with the necessary treatment.

Physicians staff the Emergency Department at Elk Regional 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year and are all Board Certified or Board Eligible in Emergency Medicine or other primary care specialties. All full-time staff members are committed to Emergency Medicine and have had special training in pediatric and adult advanced life support. Our entire staff has had extensive experience in emergency medicine and is well-prepared to handle the 18,000 visits our Emergency Room records each year.

For more information, please call (814) 788-8532.
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Med Express Center:
 Located on the first floor of Elk Regional’s Ridgway Campus, the Med Express Center is an alternative to non-emergency care. Med-Express is a convenient, cost sensitive approach to receiving non-emergency quality healthcare services. The center is staffed with qualified healthcare professionals including physicians, nurses and other specialized healthcare professionals.

No appointments are needed to be seen in the Med Express Center.

Med Express should be used for all non-emergency health care services such as:

  • Flu
  • Fever
  • Vomiting
  • Cold
  • Earache
  • Sprains
  • Back Pain
  • Rashes
  • Minor Eye Problems
  • Minor Cuts/Abrasions
  • Minor Aches/Pains
  • Bladder Infections
  • Blood Pressure/Cholesterol Screens
  • Workers Comp Cases
  • Routine Physicals
  • Driver’s License Physicals
  • Sports Physicals
  • Ticks/Tetanus Shots
  • Insect/Animal Bites
  • Lyme Disease Vaccine
  • Physician-Ordered Rechecks
  • Suture Removal

Hours are from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days per week. The center is closed on holidays. For more information, please call (814) 788-5555.
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Rehabilitation:
 Elk Regional Health Center’s Outpatient Rehabilitation Center offers a number of programs to help our patients return to the highest possible degree of personal independence. We offer programs in industrial rehabilitation, physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy and pediatric therapy.

Industrial Rehabilitation:
This program helps injured workers regain their strength, endurance, and confidence prior to returning to work. In addition, we offer programs that include body mechanics, flexibility, material handling and job site training. Other services include ergonomic analysis, job site analysis, writing functional job descriptions, functional capacity assessment, post-offer screens as well as a variety of injury prevention education.

Physical Therapy:
Physical therapists at Elk Regional Health Center work with the patients with disabilities of the muscular, skeletal, nervous, circulatory, or respiratory system.  Our prevention programs are designed to assist people of all ages in maintaining optimal health and physical fitness. Treatment programs are designed to restore functional movement, relieve pain, promote healing and recovery as well as, when necessary, help individuals adapt to permanent disability. Physical therapy treatments at Elk Regional include various forms of exercise and physical modalities including heat, cold, ultrasound, electricity, water, and hands-on techniques. 

Speech Therapy:
Speech therapists at Elk Regional Health Center help children and adults who are experiencing problems with speech intelligibility, swallowing, memory, hearing loss, stuttering, articulation, language delays and auditory processing. These problems could be a result of any or the following: birth defect, developmental delays, strokes, head injuries, Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s.

Occupational Therapy: The goal of occupational therapy at the Elk Regional Health Center is to develop, improve, or restore the highest possible level of independence of any individual who has an injury, illness, cognitive impairment, psychosocial dysfunction, mental illness, developmental or learning disability, physical disability, or other disorder or condition.

Pediatric Therapy:
The Pediatric Therapy program is designed to work with children who have movement difficulties that limit their ability to perform daily activities.  Early intervention and care can help a child substantially. Childhood conditions that may require pediatric therapy include:

  • cerebral palsy
  • genetic disorders
  • orthopedic disabilities
  • birth defects such as spina bifida
  • cardiopulmonary conditions
  • head injuries
  • limb deficiencies
  • muscle diseases

The Outpatient Rehabilitation Center is located on the campus of Elk Regional Health System behind the hospital. It is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. To learn more about the services we offer there, please call us:

St. Marys: (814) 788-8490
Emporium: (814) 486-7878
Ridgway: (814) 788-5534
Kane: (814) 837-8955
Johnsonburg: (814) 965-5279
Kersey: (814) 788-8071
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