The emergency room at Jefferson Regional Medical Center is a place where victims of domestic abuse sometimes end up in the middle of the night, seeking medical treatment for physical abuse that they sometimes deny is happening.

"Those of us who care for patients daily in the emergency department realize that domestic violence is a serious issue that often has tragic consequences," said Karen Kunak, the hospital's director of emergency services.

Officials from the medical center and Womansplace Inc., in conjunction with District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr., announced recently a new program that will enable abuse victims to get emergency protection-from-abuse orders in a hospital emergency room.

Through video teleconferencing, a domestic abuse victim now can come to the emergency room for treatment and get a protection-from-abuse order from a judge in Pittsburgh's Night Court.

Ellen Witkowski, medical-legal advocate of Womansplace, a crisis intervention center for victims of domestic abuse, said this is the third video teleconferencing center to open through cooperative efforts of Womansplace and Mr. Zappala's office.

She said teleconferencing centers had been operational for about three years at UPMC-McKeesport and UPMC-Braddock hospitals.

The centers provide "greater safety and access to the courts" for victims, she said.

The systems in place at UPMC-Braddock and UPMC-McKeesport, Ms. Witkowski said, had dramatically increased the number of domestic abuse victims aided by Womansplace.

"This protection-from-abuse center will complement our very busy emergency department, where some 50,000 patients are evaluated and treated each year," said Janet Cipullo, Jefferson Regional's vice president, professional services.

The video teleconferencing center in the Jefferson Regional emergency center is a quiet room with a telephone, a fax machine and the video equipment.

During operating hours, a staff member from Womansplace helps victims with the paperwork they need to get an emergency court order.

"When a victim comes into the emergency room, we take her to the private room and turn the television on. She will be able to talk directly to the Night Court judge," Ms. Witkowski said.

The emergency court order is good for only 24 hours, but it often gives a domestic abuse victim the chance to break out of an abusive situation. After getting the emergency PFA, a victim should deliver it to local police, who will try to serve it.

To apply for a more permanent PFA, a domestic abuse victim must go to Family Division Court on Ross Street, Downtown.

The Jefferson Regional Emergency Protection from Abuse Center will maintain the same hours as Night Court in Pittsburgh: 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Thursday; weekends from 6 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Monday; and from 6 p.m. the day before a holiday until 6 a.m. the day after the holiday.