Emergency Care

Available at:

- WhidbeyHealth Medical Center

(360) 678-7624

Department number for non-emergencies

Open 24 Hours

Service Overview

When life’s emergencies happen, the team at WhidbeyHealth is standing by 24/7. Paramedics, EMTs, emergency room physicians, nurses, technicians, and a team of specialists from across the healthcare continuum are ready to respond when and where you need us.

From childbirth to trauma, heart attacks, accidents or major disasters, WhidbeyHealth Emergency Department and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are here for you. Our teams have been responding to the needs of our diverse community for more than 40 years.

While WhidbeyHealth Medical Center may be a Critical Access Hospital, the outstanding training, experience and expertise of our team, and our state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, enables us to care for 97% of Emergency Department (ED) patients, with only 3% requiring transfers off-island for specialized treatment.

Emergencies that can be treated at WhidbeyHealth 97%

Emergencies requiring transfers off-island 3%

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 9-1-1.

Emergency Department

WhidbeyHealth Emergency Department (ED) is certified by the Washington State Department of Health as a:

Level 4 Trauma Center
Level 2 Cardiac Center
Level 3 Stroke Center

When faced with a potentially life-threatening emergency, calling 9-1-1 can sometimes make the difference between life and death, allowing our paramedics to start treatment earlier. Driving yourself to the ED may not only be unsafe, but it may also delay you from the most rapid treatment possible.

Our ED is staffed 24 hours a day, every day. Patients are treated in the order of severity. Like all Emergency Departments, each patient is individually assessed to determine the seriousness of their illness or injury and prioritized (triaged) accordingly.

To meet the needs of our emergency room patients we use a multidisciplinary team of specialists from departments across the hospital. By integrating with respiratory care, imaging, laboratory, surgery, anesthesia, and more, we are able to deliver comprehensive services in one facility.

Ian Doten, MD, FACEP
Ian Doten, MD, FACEP

Specialty Emergency Medicine

Board Certification American Board of Emergency Medicine

PROFILE
Sandra Gailey, MD
Sandra Gailey, MD

Specialty Emergency Medicine

Board Certification American Board of Emergency Medicine

PROFILE

Brenden Hansen, MD, FACEP

Specialty	Emergency Medicine
Board Certification	American Board of Emergency Medicine
Areas of Expertise	Initial evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of patients of any age who require expeditious medical, surgical or psychiatric care for unforeseen illness or injury Assessment, stabilization and coordination of care for patients who require transport to another hospital for more specialized care Collaboration with primary care physicians, hospitalists and specialists to manage the patients who come to the Emergency Department to assure continuity of care
Patient Care Philosophy	Provide up-to-date, evidence-based emergency care. Provide a comforting, caring experience during stressful emergencies. Invite patients to be active participants in their care by discussing the benefits and risks of treatments and tests with the goal of empowering the patient and providing better care.

PROFILE

Rachel Oliver, MD
Rachel Oliver, MD
Specialty Emergency Medicine

Languages Spoken
English
Spanish
PROFILE

Nicholas Perera, MD, FACEP

Specialty	Emergency Medicine
Board Certification	American Board of Emergency Medicine
Areas of Expertise	Initial evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of patients of any age who require expeditious medical, surgical or psychiatric care for unforeseen illness or injury Assessment, stabilization and coordination of care for patients who require transport to another hospital for more specialized care Collaboration with primary care physicians, hospitalists and specialists to manage the patients who come to the Emergency Department to assure continuity of care
Patient Care Philosophy	Provide personal and prompt care in emergencies. Ensure a healthy patient experience through teamwork with patient, family and nursing staff. Whenever possible, explain step by step to patients and family what is happening and why.

PROFILE

Zachary Phelps, MD

Specialty	Emergency Medicine
Board Certification	American Board of Emergency Medicine
Areas of Expertise	Initial evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of patients of any age who require expeditious medical, surgical or psychiatric care for unforeseen illness or injury Assessment, stabilization and coordination of care for patients who require transport to another hospital for more specialized care Collaboration with primary care physicians, hospitalists and specialists to manage the patients who come to the Emergency Department to assure continuity of care
Patient Care Philosophy	Discuss my thought process with patients to enhance their understanding of the reasoning behind tests and treatments I recommend. Involve patients in weighing a treatment’s potential benefits versus potential side effects. Diagnose whenever possible within the constraints of the Emergency Department while also treating symptoms even if a diagnosis is not achieved.

PROFILE

John Plastino, MD

Specialty	Emergency Medicine
Board Certification	American Board of Family Medicine
Areas of Expertise	Initial evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of patients of any age who require expeditious medical, surgical or psychiatric care for unforeseen illness or injury Assessment, stabilization and coordination of care for patients who require transport to another hospital for more specialized care Collaboration with primary care physicians, hospitalists and specialists to manage the patients who come to the Emergency Department to assure continuity of care
Patient Care Philosophy	Approach every patient encounter with tact, sympathy and understanding. Combine medical knowledge, intuition and judgment to alleviate suffering and conquer disease.

PROFILE

John Sherman, MD

Specialty	Emergency Medicine
Board Certification	American Board of Emergency Medicine
Areas of Expertise	Initial evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of patients of any age who require expeditious medical, surgical or psychiatric care for unforeseen illness or injury Assessment, stabilization and coordination of care for patients who require transport to another hospital for more specialized care Collaboration with primary care physicians, hospitalists and specialists to manage the patients who come to the Emergency Department to assure continuity of care
Patient Care Philosophy	Embrace patient welfare as my primary professional responsibility. Work cooperatively with others who care for, and about, emergency patients. Respect the rights and protect the interests of my patients; treat everyone fairly. Act as a responsible steward of health care resources entrusted to me. Study continually to maintain the knowledge and skills to provide high quality care.

PROFILE

Hima Thompson, MD
Hima Thompson, MD
Specialty Emergency Medicine

Board Certification American Board of Emergency Medicine

Areas of Expertise
Advanced Trauma Life Support
OB/GYN Emergencies
PROFILE
Elizabeth Waring, MD
Elizabeth Waring, MD
Specialty Emergency Medicine

Board Certification American Board of Emergency Medicine

Areas of Expertise
Stroke
Acute Cholecystitis
PROFILE

Our Providers

Ian Doten, MD, FACEP
Sandra Gailey, MD
Brenden Hansen, MD, FACEP
Rachel Oliver, MD
Nicholas Perera, MD, FACEP
Zachary Phelps, MD
John Plastino, MD
John Sherman, MD
Hima Thompson, MD
Elizabeth Waring, MD

EMS Community Programs

WhidbeyHealth Emergency Medical Services provides many non-emergency, preventive services to Whidbey Island residents in order to improve Community Resilience.

LEARN MORE

Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

From childbirth to trauma, heart attacks, accidents or major disasters, WhidbeyHealth Emergency Medical Services (EMS) have been responding to the needs of our diverse community 24/7, 365 days a year for more than 40 years.

Whether you live north, south or any area in between, WhidbeyHealth EMS are never further than a phone call away. With stations across the island, we are ready to serve our community, when and where they need care.

WhidbeyHealth Emergency Medical Services provides many non-emergency, preventive services to Whidbey Island residents in order to improve community resilience. Learn more about our community programs and free education classes.

When should I call 9-1-1?
You should call 9-1-1 for any critical, life-threatening conditions. Some examples include:
- Chest pain
- Difficulty breathing
- Stroke
- Head trauma
- Severe bleeding
- Serious trauma, fractures
- Loss of vision
- Loss of consciousness, unresponsive
- Diabetic coma
Will my insurance cover your services?

Most insurances cover medically necessary ambulance transports. Check with your insurance provider to confirm.
What services does WhidbeyHealth EMS provide?
WhidbeyHealth EMS provides:
- 9-1-1 response
- interfacility ambulance transports
- community risk reduction through injury/illness prevention
- community event coordination
- public access defibrillation grants and program implementation
How does WhidbeyHealth EMS paramedic services fit in with other emergency services agencies?

WhidbeyHealth EMS works in coordination with a variety of other emergency services agencies, such as: ICOM 911 Dispatch, local Fire Departments, Law Enforcement, Public Health, Island Senior Resources, and WhidbeyHealth Medical Center and Clinics.

By utilizing the “tiered response system” to ensure that the closest and best trained emergency services providers are responding to the request for 9-1-1.
Will you take me to another hospital besides WhidbeyHealth?

In accordance with national, state, and local best-practices, we transport every patient to the closest and best facility for their condition. Trauma centers that are located in Everett and Seattle and cardiac catheterization centers off island would be facilities that we would transport to if a patient needed these life-saving services.

Of course, WhidbeyHealth Medical Center can provide many of the initial life-saving procedures that our patients require. If WhidbeyHealth Medical Center physicians determine that you will need specialty care at a specialty resource center, then we will transport you to that facility once you are stabilized.
What level of service do you provide?

WhidbeyHealth EMS provides paramedic-level (Advanced Life Support), 9-1-1 emergency medical services on Whidbey Island. Each Paramedic ambulance is staffed by at least two Washington State Department of Health Paramedic and/or EMT teams that respond with other allied emergency services agencies in a tiered-response manner to ensure the fastest, safest, most effective service.
Where are your ambulances located?
- EMS NORTH Station – 760 NE 7th Ave., Oak Harbor
- EMS CENTRAL Station – WhidbeyHealth Medical Center, Coupeville
- EMS SOUTH Station – 5737 Bayview Road, Bayview
- NORTH WHIDBEY FIRE & RESCUE Station 22 – 3440 Taylor Rd., Oak Harbor
- NORTH WHIDBEY FIRE & RESCUE Station 27 – 1160 Monroe Landing Rd., Oak Harbor

Community Connection

As a Public Hospital District, WhidbeyHealth is owned by the taxpayers of Whidbey Island, and we are committed to providing local access to quality health care.

Comprehensive Care

WhidbeyHealth offers a broad range of flexible, patient-centric care in more than 25 service areas with convenient locations across the entire island from Oak Harbor to Clinton.

Close to Home

An exceptional team supports a broad range of inpatient and outpatient services so our community doesn’t have to travel off-island for many of their healthcare needs.

Specialty	Emergency Medicine
Languages Spoken	English Spanish

Available at:

WhidbeyHealth Medical Center

(360) 678-7624

Department number for non-emergencies

Open 24 Hours

Service Overview

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 9-1-1.

Emergency Department

Ian Doten, MD, FACEP

Ian Doten, MD, FACEP

Sandra Gailey, MD