Urgent Care is a important distinction from the Emergency Room (ER). According to BlueCross BlueShield, up to 82% of ER visits could have been handled at a Urgent Care. Both serve different purposes and it can be confusing to know when to go to the ER or to a nearby Urgent Care. The emergency room can be a chaotic and last-resort place for many people. The average co-pay of an ER visit is upwards of 500% more expensive than a co-pay for a Urgent Care visit. Furthermore, travel distance along with the hours spent in the waiting room can be avoided by recognizing the difference in services in an ER and an Urgent Care.
Urgent Care Clinics today, such as Casa San Pio, are equipped with several tools and diagnostic machines, including rapid infectious disease testing kits, X-rays and ultrasound machines to quickly treat and assess patients for non-life threatening or less serious emergencies.
Recognizing the signs and symptoms of a neccessary ER visit can also help you to quickly distinguish where you should plan to go. For example, patients with any of the following symptoms are best cared for if they travel directly to the ER:
● Chest pain with or without radiating pain to one arm
● Difficulty breathing
● Slurred Speech
● Seizure
● Change in mental status
● Broken bones (open fractures or crush injury)
● Motor vehicle accident
● Concussion
● Large cuts
Montgomery Family Care can help alleviate the long wait times of an ER and save you hundreds of dollars in medical bills by treating your less serious emergencies. These include:
● Fever
● Runny Nose, Sore Throat, Cough
● Abdominal Pain
● Vomiting, Nausea, Diarrhea
● Closed fractures
● Small cuts that may require stitches
● Strains and sprains
● Urinary Tract Infections
Unexpected hospital bills can take a toll on a paycheck that other family members, rent, car payments and children are dependent on. Understanding the circumstances that you can save and be seen by a medical faster at an Urgent Care center can help you and your family in the long run. The medical professionals at Montgomery Family Care are more than happy to see you and your loved ones for non-life threatening emergencies at our Urgent Care centers. We can provide physicals and treat many different medical conditions. If you are still unsure about whether to go to the ER, you can always call the staff at Montgomery Family Care before
wasting your time at the ER. You can be confident that the medical professionals at Stanton Family Clinic have your best interests at heart and will treat your problems in a efficient and caring manner.
Author: Patrick Bidros