An urgent care center should be your first destination when you find yourself dealing with a medical emergency. Many people instinctively head to the emergency room (ER) when they suddenly become ill, but few realize just how busy these places are. In addition, the things you consider an emergency are not always the same things your insurance company or the ER views as emergencies.
An emergency room focuses mainly on patients who are dealing with life-threatening medical issues.
An urgent care center handles all sorts of medical emergencies that are not considered to be life-threatening. They provide emergency medical care without the hassle and long wait times associated with ERs.
The waiting room of an emergency care center is vastly different from what one would find in an ER. Emergency rooms are often crowded with all sorts of people who could have received the care they needed from their primary physician or an urgent care center. If the person is not dealing with a life-threatening situation, they would have to go to the back of the line.
With an urgent care center, there is no need to deal with crowded waiting rooms and long wait times.
Urgent care facilities aim to provide patients with the same level of care they receive from their primary care physician. Patients receive personalized treatment and a comfortable environment where all their needs are met. An emergency care center has staff members with the training and expertise to deal with a wide range of issues from minor injuries to last-minute travel vaccinations.
There is no comparison when it comes to the wait times at urgent care clinics and emergency rooms. It is not uncommon for patients to wait a few hours before being attended to at the emergency room. With urgent care centers, wait times are rarely longer than an hour.
There is no need to set an appointment with an urgent care center. You can simply head down to one when some health issues suddenly come up and they'll attend to you promptly. Emergency care centers are walk-in clinics by design.
While going to an urgent care center is certainly a more pleasant experience than going to the emergency room, it should be noted that there are certain health issues that require a visit to the emergency room. For example, if you have any serious injuries that are accompanied by severe bleeding, intense chest pains or difficulty breathing, then a trip to the emergency room is in order.
However, for any minor, unexpected medical issues, you can head to an urgent care center near you.
Not sure if the medical issue you are dealing with can be treated at an emergency care facility? Talk to one of our healthcare professionals and find out the best way to proceed.
Request an appointment here: https://hillendale.millenniummedicalcare.com or call Millennium Medical Care Woodbridge at (703) 945-1942 for an appointment in our Woodbridge office.
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