Sharp Grossmont Hospital is located in La Mesa, California. Our emergency room is a convenient option for those living and working in La Mesa, El Cajon, Santee and surrounding East County communities of San Diego.

As the largest emergency room in East County, we’ll safely get you the 24-hour emergency care you need.

And we're uniquely certified to provide care for older adults, as accredited by the American College of Emergency Physicians, so you can rest easy knowing you and your loved ones are in good hands

Call 911 or visit the nearest emergency room if you are experiencing a medical emergency, including:

• Chest pain or pressure

• Confusion or difficulty speaking

• Fever with stiff neck

• Fracture (with bone protruding)

• Head injury

• Moderate to severe shortness of breath

• Severe abdominal pain

• Sudden dizziness or change in vision

• Uncontrolled bleeding

If you need quick care for everyday illness and minor injuries, consider a visit to our Express Care at Sharp Grossmont Care Clinic as an alternative to an emergency room visit.

If you still have questions, call us at 1-800-82-SHARP (1-800-827-4277), Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm.

At the Sharp Grossmont Hospital Emergency Room, we’re here for you. Our goal is to provide the best possible care and ensure you feel informed and included in decisions about your treatment. Please let us know if:

• You have questions or concerns about your care plan

• We can do anything to help you feel more comfortable

Depending on your care plan, you may need lab work or imaging. Average times to receive these tests are:

• EKG - 30 minutes

• X-ray - 1 hour

• Ultrasound - 1.5 hours

• Lab - 2 hours

• CT scan - 2.5 hours

These times may vary based on the number of patients in our care and do not include time for results. You may receive a survey after your visit. We want to hear from you and appreciate you sharing your experience with us.

At Sharp Grossmont, our emergency department is nationally recognized as an Accredited Senior-Friendly Emergency Department by the American College of Emergency Physicians. We are a Gold Level 1 accredited emergency department — meaning we provide the highest standard of emergency care for older adults.

Our emergency department has incorporated many best practices, such as having:

• Geriatric-appropriate equipment

• More routine screening for vulnerabilities such as delirium, dementia and fall risk

• A designated area dedicated for treating older adults

• Specialized resources and staff, such as nurses trained in geriatric care to address the unique physical and cognitive changes as people age

Some specific features an older adult may find when visiting our emergency room include:

• Seeing a clinician faster

• Private rooms with pleasant lighting and noise-reducing privacy curtains

• Gurneys with extra thick mattresses for comfort

• Sound amplifiers

• Warmed blankets

• Easy access to food and drinks 24/7

• Magnifying glasses for those who may not have their eyeglasses with them

We do not offer emergency room reservations. However, using our "On my way" feature, you can provide preliminary check-in details and alert us you're coming. This helps minimize your check-in time and prepares our team for your arrival.

Click the "I'm on my way" button near the top of this page before you visit the emergency room. After choosing an estimated arrival time, you'll submit a form detailing your information and symptoms.

We do our best to expedite check-in, but wait times may increase when patients with more life-threatening conditions must be treated first.

To create a Sharp account, go to sharp.com/app. You can also download the Sharp app to a mobile device from the Apple Store or Google Play Store and create an account.

A Sharp account gives you secure, personalized access to manage your health and the care of loved ones from a computer or mobile device.

With a Sharp account, you can:

• Schedule medical appointments

• Book same-day virtual visits

• Message your care team

• Check in for appointments

• View lab results

• Manage and refill prescriptions

• Join waitlists for earlier or same-day appointments

• Fill out forms before appointments

• Pay bills and set up payment plans

• Access resources for trusted health information

• And more

Sign in or sign up for a Sharp account or learn more. If you need assistance or have questions, we're here to help.