Emergency Care

Avel eCare is a telemedicine service designed to support rural and critical access hospitals by providing 24/7 access to board-certified emergency medicine physicians and experienced emergency nurses. It helps rural Emergency Departments (EDs) manage complex, high-acuity patients by offering immediate virtual consultation and clinical decision support.

Key features of Avel eCare for rural EDs:

• 24/7 Virtual Emergency Physician Access:
  ED staff can instantly connect with emergency medicine physicians via telehealth, improving timely diagnosis and treatment.
• Clinical Decision Support:
  The remote team assists with complex cases, advanced trauma, sepsis, stroke, and other critical situations—guiding the on-site team through best-practice protocols.
• Support for Nurse-Only Coverage or Limited Staffing:
  Especially valuable in facilities with limited overnight coverage or when a provider isn’t immediately available.
• Improved Patient Outcomes:
  Helps reduce unnecessary transfers, ensures patients receive appropriate care locally, and enhances overall ED performance.
• Operational & Compliance Benefits:
  Avel supports documentation, quality reporting, and may contribute to improved metrics in value-based care programs.
  
  

Why it matters for rural hospitals:

Avel eCare strengthens the safety net for rural communities by enhancing emergency care capabilities without requiring additional on-site staffing. It empowers local teams while ensuring patients have access to high-quality emergency expertise, regardless of location. 

Cozad Community Hospital wants to help you save lives.

Uncontrolled bleeding can cause death within minutes, and blood loss is responsible for 35% of pre-hospital deaths. In situations when emergency response is delayed — such as natural disasters, active shooter situations or explosive events — it becomes particularly important for everyday citizens to know how to stop bleeding.

Though manmade or natural mass casualty events get a lot of attention, serious bleeding is more likely to result from everyday injuries that happen at home, at work or while on the road.

The Stop the Bleed program teaches you how to properly use dressings, tourniquets and your own hands to control bleeding, regardless of the cause.

About Stop the Bleed: 

The American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma and a group called the Hartford Consensus created the Stop the Bleed program after the Sandy Hook tragedy in 2012.

The Hartford Consensus was formed by representatives from the federal government, law enforcement and the medical field who wanted to save more lives after manmade or natural mass casualty events. They concluded that the resulting injuries from these events usually cause severe bleeding, so if members of the public were trained to stop uncontrolled bleeding, it could save lives.

By educating and empowering citizens, the Stop the Bleed program hopes to prevent all deaths from uncontrolled bleeding.

Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke. Every four minutes, someone dies of a stroke.

At Cozad Community Hospital, we are committed to helping people who suffer a stroke achieve the best possible long-term outcomes. From emergency medical treatment to rehabilitation, we are the “where” for stroke care.

Cozad Community Hospital's Emergency Department offers comprehensive stroke care close to home, including:

• 24-hour Computed Tomography (CT) Scan capabilities
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) capabilities
• 24-hour Lab Services
• Respiratory Therapists
• Physical, Occupational, & Speech Therapists

The chances of surviving a stroke are much greater when treatment begins quickly, so it's important to learn the signs of stroke and act fast, calling 911 right away.

Could you be a stroke victim?

Anyone can have a stroke. While you can't control some risk factors, such as age, a history of transient ischemic attack (TIA, also called a mini-stroke) or heart attack, or a family history of stroke, you can work with your physician to control or treat other risk factors. These include:

• High blood pressure
• High blood cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Physical Inactivity
• Extra weight and Obesity
• Tobacco use
• Carotid or other artery disease
• Atrial Fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat) or other heart disease
• Sickle Cell Disease
  
  

Watch for warning signs.

Blood deprivation to the brain can affect a stroke victim's senses, motor activity, speech and ability to understand speech, behavior and thought patterns, memory and emotions. Paralysis or weakness on one side of the body is common. Even if symptoms are temporary and last only a few minutes, you should not ignore them. Call 911 if the following symptoms appear:

• Numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Trouble seeing out of one or both eyes; blurred or double vision
• Confusion; trouble speaking or understanding
• Loss of balance or coordination, and trouble walking or dizziness
• A severe headache of unknown cause.
  
  

Get expert emergency care for your littlest patients — close to home.

At Cozad Community Hospital, we understand how stressful it can be when a child experiences a medical emergency. That’s why our Emergency Department is equipped to care for pediatric patients of all ages — from infants to adolescents — with compassion, skill, and speed.

As a Critical Access Hospital, we’re proud to offer emergency services that meet the unique needs of children and their families in our rural community. Our providers and nursing staff are trained in pediatric assessment and stabilization, ensuring your child receives the right care when it matters most.

What you can expect:

• 24/7 Emergency Care:
  Our emergency team is available around the clock for sudden illnesses, injuries, and urgent medical needs.
• Pediatric-Ready Team:
  Our staff is trained in pediatric emergency protocols, including trauma, respiratory illness, fever, dehydration, and more.
• Child-Friendly Approach:
  We focus on calming, age-appropriate communication and minimizing fear for both children and their caregivers.
• Telehealth Support When Needed:
  Through partnerships with pediatric specialists and telemedicine programs, we can consult with regional experts for advanced guidance without requiring immediate transfer.
• Coordinated Transfers for Higher-Level Care:
  When a child needs specialized treatment, we work quickly to stabilize and coordinate safe, timely transfers to pediatric specialty centers.
  
  

Your child’s health and safety are our top priorities. At Cozad Community Hospital, we combine rural access with trusted emergency care — so your family has peace of mind, close to home.