Tracking down a missing person is a stressful and difficult process. While getting in touch with the police is a critical step in finding a missing loved one, it can also be helpful to call around to various hospitals. If a person has been injured in a car accident or other emergency situation, he or she may be incapacitated and unable to phone home.

Create a list of nearby hospitals. Be sure to include both the hospitals near you and the ones near where the missing person was last seen. For instance, hospitals near his or her workplace and the route he or she takes to get there should all be included.

Call each hospital and ask to speak with a head nurse or admitting personnel. Talk to someone in charge of emergency room admissions, as they will have a good idea of who has come and gone in the last few hours.

Explain that you are looking for a missing friend or family member and are checking hospitals for admissions. Give the missing person’s name so the department can cross-reference it with recent admissions.

Ask if any unidentified people have recently been admitted. Hospitals cannot give you too many details due to legal constraints, but you should be able to get an idea of which hospitals have unidentified patients of a particular gender.

Visit the hospitals with unidentified patients of the same gender as the missing person and show the staff a recent photograph. If someone has been admitted that resembles the photo, the hospital staff should help you from there.