The mission of the Women's and Children's Hospital Emergency Center is to provide appropriate, rapid emergency care and/or transport for all patients seeking such care regardless of their socio-economic status, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or ability to pay.

Emergency care hinges on rapid assessment, formation of plans of action, and follow-through with those plans. It involves all levels of caregivers:  physicians, pre-hospital care providers, nurses, and ancillary staff such as Respiratory Therapy, Radiology, etc.  The Emergency Center is a key component in the delivery of this emergency care, and is a leader in the providing critical and emergency care services to all patients.

The Emergency Center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is staffed at all times with at least one attending level physician, at least four registered professional nurses, and with support staff which includes clerical staff. As an integral part of Women's and Children's Hospital, it has access to the resources of the hospital to meet its mission. The Emergency Center provides medical screening exams and stabilization for all varieties of patient populations, including but not limited to those with medical, surgical, obstetric, trauma, pediatric, and psychiatric problems.