Earlier this week, ExperCARE Founder and CEO, Catherine Grant sat down with WSAV to discuss how urgent cares can assist members of the community with their healthcare needs.
Article: Urgent care centers serve as alternative to emergency rooms
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — WSAV News 3 previously reported that emergency wait times have gone up in Chatham County.
We learned how urgent care centers can be used as a possible alternative to emergency rooms in some cases.
The CEO of a local urgent care company shared some reasons why these emergency rooms are filling up so much.
I learned that these long wait times can be decreased by people simply going to the urgent care or their primary care physician.
“People often feel like their only option is to seek care in an emergency room- even when its not an emergency,” said Grant.
Grant insists that people should still follow protocol, and head to the emergency room for any severe or extreme symptoms and trauma.
But she says that many people are calling 911 for the wrong reasons, and that is contributing to these long wait times.
“It often comes down to education of where is the best place to seek help.”
She says urgent care can be used to treat bone breaks-sprains-infections and for many more types of routine assessments.
Although many urgent cares don’t offer emergency transportation, they are capable of handling many of the issues that people call 911 for.
“As medical services continue to evolve- talking to everybody about where these services can be sought is a huge part in getting people to the right place and seeking the right access of care.”
While urgent cares have expanded their capabilities over the years – Grant acknowledges that trust has to be built for people to turn to them instead of emergency rooms
Grant also points out that in some instances urgent care can be much more affordable than heading to the emergency room.
“There are many urgent cares that are in network with insurance. There are situations where urgent cares can cost 10 to 15 times less than an emergency room setting.”
Although urgent care can be a viable alternative in some cases–Grant says you can always call and make sure they have the capabilities to handle your problem before heading over.
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