[Integration of the community emergency center into medical services]

The first community emergency center (CEC) in Israel was established in 1988 in Jerusalem. It provided medical services after health fund clinic working hours, in a primary care facility, by primary care physicians. In the past 5 years Israel has witnessed growth in this method of health care delivery and more than 20 such centers have been established throughout the country. We describe a CEC in a small town, and its function and its integration within the regional medical services. 2 retrospective studies examined 3 aspects of the CEC: patient profiles including age, sex, and major diagnoses, use of specific services; and referrals to the emergency room.