By Dr. Noemi Rivera, Medical Director/Broward Health Urgent Care
When a sudden illness or injury arises, you contact attorneys from The Bollinger Law Firm, P.C. to get legal help but you’re faced with making a choice about where to get medical attention- and you need to make it quickly. Sources suggest that understanding the differences between emergency rooms and urgent care centers will help you feel confident when selecting a healthcare setting that’s most appropriate for your needs.
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT
The first few minutes after an injury or onset of a medical condition are the most critical. Emergency room physicians and staff are trained to diagnose and treat a wide array of problems. Emergency rooms are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Any condition that is life-threatening should be treated in an emergency department.
TIP: Emergency rooms may have long waiting times, but patients with the most life-threatening symptoms will receive priority treatment. If you need prompt medical attention for a health issue that’s not life-threatening, you may receive faster care at an urgent care center.
URGENT CARE CENTERS
Urgent care centers such as Medical Center of Marin offer medical attention to patients with non-emergency health concerns outside of normal physicians’ office hours. A medical assistant will record the patient’s vital signs and take their medical history. Then, the physicians and staff will diagnose and treat their conditions which are usually not life-threatening but still require prompt attention.
TIP: Urgent care centers accept walk-in patients, and they offer the convenience of extended and weekend hours. They are significantly less expensive than going to an ER. Like an ER, Urgent care centers offer services such as X-rays that may not be available at a primary care physician’s office.
In essense an urgent care is considered the middle ground between a traditional hospital emergency room and a doctor’s office. With Broward Health Urgent Care(BHUC) minutes away from its sister facility hospital, Broward Health Coral Springs(BHCS), both work hand in hand should there be a need to refer a patient to the hospital. This added bonus not only brings peace of mind, but also an added convenience for patients when they arrive at the hospital. These are just some of the features that make BHUC unique from the rest.
And with an urgent care, patients have the added bonus to utilize routine services just like they would at their doctor’s office. This includes vision testing, immunizations and even physicals. Throughout July and August, BHUC is offering FREE sports physicals to middle and high school athletes. Walk-ins are welcomed at the Coral Springs location and appointments are requested at the Weston location.