Omaha Trauma Centers and Emergency Rooms After an Accident

A Level I trauma center provides the highest level of surgical care for critically injured patients. These facilities have 24/7 staffing by trauma surgeons, neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, and other specialists. They also have dedicated operating rooms, intensive care units, and advanced diagnostic equipment available around the clock. Omaha is one of the few metropolitan areas in the country with two Level I trauma centers.

Nebraska Medicine — Nebraska Medical Center, 4350 Dewey Avenue, Omaha, NE 68105. Phone: (402) 552-2000. Nebraska Medicine is an ACS-verified Level I trauma center and the state's flagship academic medical center, affiliated with the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). It provides 24/7 emergency care with trauma surgeons, neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, and critical care specialists available at all times. Patients with the most severe injuries — traumatic brain injury, multi-system trauma, spinal cord damage, and major burns — are treated here. Nebraska Medicine also serves as a regional referral center, receiving patients from across Nebraska and western Iowa.

CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center — Bergan Mercy, 7500 Mercy Road, Omaha, NE 68124. Phone: (402) 398-6060. CHI Health Bergan Mercy is a Level I trauma center affiliated with Creighton University School of Medicine. It provides comprehensive trauma services including a dedicated Trauma ICU with 24-hour availability of all essential specialties. Bergan Mercy serves the western Omaha metro area and is one of the largest hospitals in the CHI Health system.

Not every accident injury requires a trauma center. Omaha has several hospitals with emergency departments that handle non-life-threatening injuries from car accidents, slip-and-falls, and other incidents.

Nebraska Methodist Hospital, 8303 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE 68114. Phone: (402) 354-4000. Methodist Hospital is a 423-bed acute care hospital founded in 1891 and provides comprehensive emergency services. It serves the central Omaha area along the Dodge Street corridor and offers a full-service emergency department for a wide range of accident injuries.

CHI Health Immanuel, 6901 N 72nd Street, Omaha, NE 68122. Phone: (402) 572-2225. CHI Health Immanuel operates a 24-hour emergency department serving north Omaha and surrounding communities. It is part of the CHI Health system and provides emergency care for a range of accident-related injuries.

Other Omaha-area hospitals with emergency departments include CHI Health Lakeside (16901 Lakeside Hills Court), Methodist Women's Hospital (707 N 190th Plaza), and Bellevue Medical Center (2500 Bellevue Medical Center Drive) for accidents in the southern metro area.

Go to the emergency room immediately if you experience any of the following after an accident: loss of consciousness, even briefly; head impact, headache, confusion, dizziness, or vision changes (signs of concussion or traumatic brain injury); neck or back pain (possible spinal injury); difficulty breathing or chest pain; abdominal pain or tenderness (possible internal bleeding); numbness, tingling, or loss of sensation in arms or legs; severe bleeding that does not stop with pressure; visible deformity of a limb (possible fracture or dislocation); or inability to bear weight on a leg.

Urgent care is appropriate for less severe injuries that still need prompt attention: minor cuts that may need stitches, minor sprains and strains, bruising, mild to moderate pain without the red-flag symptoms listed above. CHI Health urgent care locations, Methodist Physicians Clinic urgent care facilities, and other walk-in clinics operate throughout the Omaha metro area.

When in doubt, go to the emergency room. The most dangerous injuries from car accidents — internal bleeding, traumatic brain injury, spinal fractures — may not produce obvious symptoms immediately. A thorough emergency room evaluation including imaging (CT scan, X-ray, MRI) can detect injuries that are invisible to the naked eye. The cost of an unnecessary ER visit is nothing compared to the risk of missing a life-threatening injury.

If EMS transports you, the paramedics will relay your information to the ER staff during handoff. If you drive yourself or arrive by other means, check in at the front desk. Tell the triage nurse that you were in a car accident (or other type of accident) and describe all of your symptoms, even ones that seem minor. The triage nurse will assess your condition and assign a priority level.

Tell the doctor every symptom you are experiencing — headache, neck stiffness, back pain, tingling, dizziness, nausea, ringing in your ears. Describe the accident: the type of collision, your position in the vehicle, whether your airbag deployed, whether you hit your head. Ask the doctor to document everything in your chart. Be specific about where it hurts and how intense the pain is on a scale of 1 to 10.

Before you leave, ask for copies of all imaging reports, a discharge summary, and written instructions for follow-up care. Ask the ER doctor to document every symptom you reported, every area of pain, and every finding. This documentation is the foundation of your personal injury claim. If the doctor prescribes follow-up care with a specialist, schedule that appointment as soon as possible — do not wait.

Medical records are the single most important evidence in a personal injury claim — more important than the police report, witness statements, or photos. Nebraska uses modified comparative negligence with a 50% bar (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-21,185.09). This means if you are found to be 50% or more at fault for the accident, you recover nothing. If you are less than 50% at fault, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault. Your medical records provide proof that your injuries are real, accident-related, and required treatment.

Insurance adjusters look for three things in your medical records: (1) a clear connection between the accident and your injuries, documented by the treating physician; (2) consistent treatment from the ER through follow-up care, showing that your injuries required ongoing medical attention; and (3) objective findings from imaging, lab work, or physical examinations that corroborate your reported symptoms.

A gap in treatment — even a few weeks between the ER visit and your follow-up appointment — gives the insurance company an argument that your injuries were not serious enough to require ongoing care, or that something other than the accident caused your pain. Follow your doctor's treatment plan exactly. Attend every appointment. Do not skip physical therapy sessions. Every missed appointment is a missed data point in your case.

Under Nebraska law, you have the right to obtain copies of your medical records from any healthcare provider. To request records, contact the hospital's medical records department (also called Health Information Management). Most hospitals require a written authorization form signed by the patient.

Nebraska Medicine records can be requested through the MyChart patient portal at nebraskamed.com or by contacting the medical records department at (402) 552-2000. CHI Health records (Bergan Mercy, Immanuel, and other CHI Health facilities) can be requested through the MyChart portal at chihealth.com or by calling the facility directly. Methodist Hospital records are available through the Methodist Health System patient portal at bestcare.org or by contacting the facility's Health Information Management department.

Nebraska law allows providers to charge a reasonable fee for copying medical records. Most personal injury attorneys will handle medical records requests on your behalf at no upfront cost. If you are working with an attorney, provide them with the names and addresses of every healthcare provider you have seen since the accident.

The emergency room stabilizes your condition and identifies acute injuries, but it is not designed for ongoing treatment. Follow-up care is critical. Within 2 to 3 days of your ER visit, see your primary care physician or the specialist recommended by the ER doctor. Common follow-up referrals after car accidents include orthopedic surgeons (fractures, joint injuries), neurologists (concussion, traumatic brain injury), pain management specialists, and physical therapists (soft tissue injuries, rehabilitation).

If you do not have a primary care physician or health insurance, OneWorld Community Health Centers serve uninsured and underinsured patients at multiple Omaha locations — call (402) 734-4110 for information. Charles Drew Health Center at 2915 Grant Street, Omaha, NE 68111 also provides primary care on a sliding-fee scale — call (402) 457-1200. Nebraska's Medicaid program can be reached at (855) 632-7633 or at dhhs.ne.gov.

Document every medical visit, every prescription, every out-of-pocket expense, and every day of work you miss because of your injuries. Keep a folder with all medical bills, pharmacy receipts, and records of lost wages. This documentation forms the basis of the damages calculation in your personal injury claim.

If you were injured in an accident in Omaha and have received medical treatment, take our free Injury Claim Check. You will answer a few quick questions about your accident and injuries, and we will give you a personalized report that includes Nebraska's 4-year filing deadline for your specific claim, an explanation of how your medical records will be used to calculate damages, and whether connecting with a personal injury attorney makes sense for your situation.

Your health comes first — always. But once you have started treatment, understanding your legal options is the next step. Our Injury Claim Check is free, confidential, and gives you the information you need to make an informed decision about what comes next.