Medical emergencies can happen any hour of the day. Sometimes the patient can’t wait for the doctor’s office to open, sometimes urgent care is needed. These are the top 4 ways that urgent care is a vital part of the American Health Care System. Note that if you are within 20 mile urgent care, it is advised that you call ahead of your arrival to ensure immediate care.
1. Always on Call
Urgent care centers can get up to 450 patient visits per week, so they maintain extended hours. Almost 66% of urgent care centers open before 9:00 am during the week with most remaining open on weekends. Chances are a 20 mile urgent care center will be open until 7:00 pm or later, with two out of every five remaining open until 9:00 pm or later on any given night. Urgent care facilities offer experienced care no matter what hour of the day.
2. Dependable Staff
Hospitals are often chaotic centers for treating patients with a myriad of ailments. Half of the people who were denied hospital admittance sought treatment in the emergency room because their doctor’s offices were closed. Urgent care hours cater to the patient’s needs to ensure that everyone can receive treatment.
Specialized Cases
Urgent care providers are uniquely equipped to handle a variety of cases. 80% of urgent care centers provide care for simple and complex breaks and fractures. Consider that 70% have the ability to provide vital fluids if needed.
3. Quick Care
Up to 40% of urgent care centers are optimized with the latest electronic systems. These systems can complete a variety of duties from ordering prescriptions to viewing lab work and health histories. This allows an emergency room to take care of many patients at the same time; a survey found that 57% of emergency room patients end up waiting 15 minutes or less.
4. Physician Owned
Urgent care facilities are specially designed to offer the highest quality care with the smallest of notices. This is likely the case as nearly half of all urgent care centers are owned by a physician or group of medical professionals who place care as their top priority.