Sickbay

Sickbay, also known as the dispensary or as Medbay, is the medical center aboard a Federation starship like the Enterprise. Overseen by the Chief Medical Officer or a designated medical practitioner, Sickbay can analyze new lifeforms, care for wounded people, or develop new treatments for disease or illness.

Traditionally, Sickbay comprises of the following sections aboard a starship:

• Clinic: The largest section of a Sickbay, the Clinic contains biobeds for patients receiving medical care and were equipped with biofunction monitors. If necessary, surgery can be conducted in the Clinic if there was an overflow of patients.
• Laboratory: Small Laboratory facilities allow Medical Officers to monitor experiments or run tests here during their duty shift while larger Medical Labs offered additional support. Often, the Lab would include a computer desk where a doctor could conduct meetings with patients, staff, and others.
• Surgical Bay: A specialized section of Sickbay, the Surgical Bay allows major surgeries to be performed and critical patients to be treated. Outfitted with a surgical biobed and support frame, the Surgical Bay has a sophisticated sensor cluster to give enhanced information about a patient's condition.

Aboard the Enterprise other treatment facilities were available to support the activities of Sickbay, with most of Decks 5 and 15. Aid Stations were located throughout the Enterprise to allow for quick treatment of disease or illness not requiring the intervention of the larger Sickbay. Counseling offices were located adjacent to each Sickbay. A large morgue facility was available to support storage of deceased patients until they could be offloaded for transport back to their homeworld, but autopsies were performed in one of the Sickbay Wards. A Stasis Unit was available to place patients temporarily into suspended animation for later treatment and a Decompression Chamber was available. In the event of a large-scale disaster or humanitarian crisis encountered by the Enterprise, Cargo Bays and Shuttlebays could be used as triage centers and even morgues.

Due to Sickbay's importance to the ship and crew, Sickbay was usually located deep within the structure of a starship for added protection. Sickbays were well-protected with Security personnel stationed nearby and include a Phaser locker for defense in the event the ship was boarded by a hostile force. Sickbay is also well stocked with a variety of medical equipment and supplies with most within easy access, but large quantities of backup medical supplies for disaster relief were stored in the Cargo Bays.

Saucer Section Sickbay

Located on Deck 5 in the Saucer Module, the Saucer Section Sickbay is the primary medical complex aboard the Starship Enterprise. Comprising four nearly identical wards, associated support locations, and equipment, the Saucer Section Sickbay is one of the best defended locations aboard the entire vessel and is manned at all times. The Chief Medical Officer of the Enterprise commonly works from Ward 2 on the starboard side of the ship and has a private office nearby.

Primary entry into Sickbay brings the patient directly into the clinic area. Comprising six biobeds lining the bulkhead, the clinic serves as a combination examination area and intensive care unit for patients visiting Sickbay for medical treatment. Biobeds installed in this area are primarily designed for recovery purposes, maximizing healing and sanitation of patients while convalescing. Biofunction sensors tied in with the nurse's station and laboratory offer constant monitoring of patients, helping to ensure efficiency of treatment for any patient within the sickbay. While normally setup for routine surgical actions, emergency procedures can be conducted in the clinic if there was an overflow of patients.

A single surgical bay has been equipped in each ward to allow for complex surgical procedures to be completed away from a Starbase or planetside hospital center. Fitted with a single surgical biobed equipped with a surgical support frame, the surgical bay is supported by a large, sophisticated sensor cluster that could give detailed information about a patient's condition. If a patient needed to be quarantined or was a risk to the safety of the ship, the surgical bay could be isolated by a force field.

Located adjacent to the surgical bay, a combination laboratory and office that the assigned doctor could use to conduct meetings, monitor experiments, run tests, or work in privacy while on duty. As doctors are often assigned to the same ward, the space could be personalized with mementos, plants, or other decorations such as paintings. Large, separate medical laboratories were located nearby for more complex or long-term investigation.

Stardrive Section Sickbay

Located on Deck 15 in the Stardrive Section, the Stardrive Section Sickbay is a secondary medical complex aboard the Starship Enterprise. Consisting of two nearly identical wards, associated support locations, and equipment, the Stardrive Section Sickbay is primarily used when the Enterprise is operating in separated flight mode.

Entry into Sickbay brings the patient directly into the clinic area that serves as a combination examination area and intensive care unit. The four biobeds installed in this area are designed to aid in recovery, maximizing healing while biofunction monitors offer constant monitoring of patients. A nurse's station allows for easy monitoring of all patients within Sickbay and is located adjacent to the twin entrances to the clinic.

A single surgical bay allows for complex surgical procedures to be completed. Fitted with a single surgical biobed equipped with a surgical support frame, the surgical bay is supported by a large, sophisticated sensor cluster that gives detailed information about a patient's condition. If a patient needed to be quarantined or was a risk to the safety of the ship, the surgical bay could be isolated by a force field.

Located adjacent to the surgical bay, a combination laboratory and office that the assigned doctor could use to conduct meetings, monitor experiments, run tests, or work in privacy is available. As doctors are often assigned to the same ward on each shift, the space could be personalized with mementos, plants, or other decorations such as paintings. Large, separate medical laboratories were located nearby for more complex or long-term investigation.

Aid Station

Located throughout the Starship Enterprise, Aid Stations are supplemental locations that offer medical assistance to personnel who's medical needs do not require visiting one of the vessel's larger Sickbay compounds. Aid Stations are spartan healthcare centers that are usually staffed by a single nurse or medic, but sometimes can be manned by the Enterprise's Emergency Medical Hologram if staff are unavailable to provide support due to operational need. Each Aid Station has its own dedicated life-support system and the location can be quarantined from the rest of the ship in an emergency situation to protect the crew from danger.

Aid Stations are designed to offer treatment for minor diseases or to perform simple surgeries that would not require more complex intervention or equipment. Often, Aid Stations would be setup to meet a specialized medical need, such as obstetrics, physical therapy, or other specialty. Each Aid Station aboard the Enterprise is outfitted with twin recovery biobeds and associated biofunction monitors that provide real-time information on a patient's vital signs to the medical staff. While Aid Stations do not equip surigical biobeds, medical sensor clusters have been installed into the bulkheads. Adjacent to the treatment area, each Aid Station includes a spartan research area that consists of an integrated computer terminal capable of completing limited medical investigation and includes priority uplinks to Starfleet Medical's databases.

Aid Station (Deck 1)

Located on Deck 1, a specialized Aid Station has been established to provide emergency medical care to the Enterprise's Bridge crew should they be injured and unable to access Sickbay or travel far from the Bridge. Like its counterparts, the Deck 1 Aid Station is a spartan healthcare center that is usually staffed by a nurse or medic, yet maintains three biobeds for patients, incorporating the latest in biomedical sensor technology. In the event of an emergency, despite its proximity to the Bridge, this Aid Station could be quarantined and isolated from the rest of the starship with limited impact to the vessel's operations.

While the traditional Aid Station offers treatment options for minor diseases or simple surgeries, the Deck 1 Aid Station incorporates a more robust treatment acumen than its counterparts. Like its counterparts, the Deck 1 Aid Station includes a small research that allows for medical investigation and laboratory work to be completed without travel to the other Sickbay compounds aboard the vessel.

Disclaimer

The Enterprise's Saucer Section Sickbay began life as the USS Thunderchild Sickbay - 2386 designed by Tadeo D'Oria. No infringement intended.

The Enterprise's Stardrive Section Sickbay began life as the USS Cerberus - Deck 07: Main Sickbay designed by Tadeo D'Oria. No infringement intended.

The Enterprise's Aid Stations began life as the USS Lalo - Deck 03: Main Sickbay designed by Tadeo D'Oria. No infringement intended.

The Enterprise's Deck 1 Aid Station is based upon the Defiant Class Sickbay designed by Paramount Pictures. No infringement intended.