Service
Emergency Medicine

For more information, contact

(508) 693-0410

Service
Emergency Medicine

Care and Treatment at Martha's Vineyard Hospital

Location: 1 Hospital Rd, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557

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Martha’s Vineyard Hospital’s Emergency Department provides medical care to all, without regard to ability to pay. Our full-time Emergency Department staff is board-certified in Emergency Medicine.

We are committed to delivering care in a timely manner. If a patient requires clinical care not available here, our experienced, highly trained staff will initiate care, communicate diagnosis and medical status to the appropriate hospital off-Island and prepare the patient for transfer by ground or air transportation.

Our Emergency Department offers:

  • Dedicated Fast-Track triage from June – September 1 for patients with less critical illness or injuries
  • Private patient triage area
  • State-of-the-art monitoring and imaging equipment
  • Emergency stroke care as a Certified Stroke Center. For more information about our certification as a Stroke Center and how to recognize the signs of stroke click here.
  • Tele-radiology services 24 hours a day/365 days a year with our affiliate Massachusetts General Hospital
  • Prompt and reliable consultation with specialists at our affiliate Massachusetts General Hospital

If you have a minor health condition or minor injury that is not life threatening

  • Please note that virtual urgent care is available year-round for ages 3 and up
  • Virtual urgent care is available through Mass General Brigham from 7 a.m.–11 p.m., 7 days a week, including holidays

Schedule a virtual urgent care visit.

Virtual Urgent Care

Get high-quality virtual urgent care for minor health conditions and minor injuries through Mass General Brigham. Available for ages 3 and up.

virtual urgent care

Learn More and Schedule Virtual Urgent Care

Get the Facts

Did You Know?

14,757

Emergency Department visits occurred at MVH in 2019 alone.

Things To Know About Your Visit

We know a visit to the Emergency Department can be stressful and sometimes even scary. We realize your time is valuable and your concerns about your health or the health of a friend or loved one are very serious. Please do not hesitate to talk with a member of our staff about any concerns at any time. We are here to help.

  • Upon arrival, you will be asked to complete a short form telling us why you are here. A medical specialist will evaluate the nature and severity of your illness and determine the order in which you will be treated.
  • Patients with life-threatening conditions or arriving by ambulance will be treated first. Therefore, patients may not be seen in the order in which they arrive. This “triage” process ensures that patients at the most serious risk receive immediate care.
  • Patients are strongly advised not to eat or drink before receiving care. It may delay or compromise lab tests or imaging evaluations necessary for diagnosis or treatment. Please ask first.
  • Patients do not need medical insurance to receive care. Our Financial Services department will provide counseling and information about options available if you are uninsured or underinsured.
  • We ask that patients do not leave the ER waiting area while they are waiting to be seen.
  • Utilizing a “fast-track” system to accommodate patients with less serious illnesses and injuries in a more timely fashion.
  • Adding extra ER doctors, physician assistants and other support staff whenever demand grows beyond our ability to treat everyone in a timely manner.
  • Utilizing our mobile, wireless computer registration system whenever possible to register patients at any time during their visit, even at bedside after treatment has begun.
  • Utilizing a staff member as an intermediary to monitor the waiting area to assist patients in any way they can, and to keep everyone informed about the wait they can expect.
  • Restrooms, vending machines and water fountains are located next to the double doors that lead to the Hospital Main Lobby.
  • The MVH Cafe is located at the Windemere entrance, off the corridor connecting the Medical Office Building to the Hospital. It is open Monday through Friday from 7 am to 3 pm.
  • A courtesy phone for local calls is located in the corner of the waiting area next to the entryway windows.
  • If it is necessary to use a mobile phone, we ask our visitors to be sensitive to those around them.
  • Wi-Fi is available free of charge.
  • The reception desk staff will be happy to assist you with the MV Transit Bus and Steamship Authority schedules, and provide taxi service information and directions. 

It is always your right to decline services if you so choose, though we strongly discourage leaving prior to receiving medical attention. Leaving without treatment can be a serious, perhaps life-threatening decision. However, if you decide to leave after registering for care, we ask that you notify a member of the Emergency Department staff.

We Value Your Feedback
We are committed to providing the very best emergency care we can to all who call upon us. We can best do that by listening to the experiences of all our patients and discerning ways to serve you better. All patients treated at the ER will receive a survey to evaluate their care. We hope you will fi ll it out and return it to us.
Let us know how we're doing

Meet the Care Team

Karen A. Casper, MD

Emergency Medicine, Substance Use Disorders

MVH Provider since 2002

Accepting New Patients

5086930410
View Full Bio

Adam Karwiel, B.S, PA-C

Emergency Medicine, Plastic Surgery

MVH Provider since 2019

Accepting New Patients

5086844590
View Full Bio

Constantina M. Kostka, MS, CCLS, MPAS, PA-C

Emergency Medicine

MVH Provider since 2017

Accepting New Patients

5086930410
View Full Bio

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