Around 94,000 patients sought emergency care at Vicenza Hospital in 2023, including over 1,400 U.S. military and civilian personnel from the community residing in the city's two barracks, Camp Ederle and Del Din, as well as in the Peace Village, with an average monthly access rate slightly exceeding 116 individuals. The majority of emergency codes prioritizing access were classified as green, accounting for 55% of the total, followed by white codes at 31%.
It's important to remark that American patients intending to use the emergency services of San Bortolo Hospital benefit from a comfort zone, meaning they receive direct and personalized assistance from the Patient Liaison Service, a readily accessible logistical reference point located at the main entrance. As soon as a patient arrives at the triage, nursing staff at the emergency room counter notify interpreters who assist the patient throughout the visit.
All American users are required to complete a form to ensure proper identification and enable administrative staff to contact the patient if necessary. Payment is made upon discharge, except for military patients and their families covered by the Tricare Prime insurance company. For civilians covered by the Afspa insurance company, arrangements can be made with the "USA Help Desk" office (0444.757694-757695 usadesk@aulss8.veneto.it) to send the invoice directly to the insurance company. A copy of the insurance card must be provided. In cases where the patient has been assigned a white code at triage for non-urgent situations, there is the option to schedule a specialist outpatient visit by contacting the USA Help Desk, thus avoiding long waits.
The emergency room is a service guaranteed by the Essential Levels of Care (LEA) of the Italian public healthcare system, falling under the category of "hospital care." Although not all hospitals have this service, it is of paramount importance as it provides an initial diagnostic assessment to identify acute problems and, with appropriate urgent therapies, stabilizes critical patients. Depending on the severity of symptoms, specialists from various hospital disciplines may be involved for further treatment under hospitalization.
The emergency room operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is accessible at any time for any eventuality. However, to ensure appropriate care, passing through triage is mandatory, where a dedicated nurse assesses the patient's risk level based on institutionally recognized criteria.
Each patient requesting assistance is assigned an urgency code entitling them to priority: red (patient with vital function alteration), orange (stable condition with high risk of deterioration), yellow (patient at risk of vital function alterations), green (non-risk patient with high degree of distress), white (non-risk patient with low degree of distress). Waiting times vary depending on the assigned code and the influx of patients. The Vicenza emergency room is divided into three sections: general ER, obstetric ER reserved for pregnant women or those with gynecological conditions, and pediatric ER for children up to 15 years old. The division of pathways promotes reduced waiting times and greater focus on specific issues. The general emergency room, led by Dr. Foscarina Della Rocca, features a red zone in perfect American style, with the control area in the center and patient stations arranged circularly to ensure better control of the most critical situations.