Urgent care centers are exactly as the name implies: a place to receive urgent care for medical conditions that aren’t life threatening.Many do not require appointments, which allows for quick and convenient access when you need it most.
A lesser-known fact: every year in the United States, approximately 40% of people who visit an ER could have visited an urgent care center. Urgent care centers usually have shorter wait times and less expensive medical bills. In fact, the typical copay at urgent care is anywhere between $25 and $75 depending on your insurance provider.
Almost always, doctors treat patients directly. Some urgent care centers staff physician assistants or Nurse Practitioners to conduct medical exams and consult doctors on staff for treatment options.
At Physicians Medical Urgent Care in San Jose, California, Dr. Sveltlana Burkhead and Dr. Ines Munoz De Laborde provide comprehensive urgent care services. When you need to see a doctor, Physicians Medical Urgent Care is ready to help you.
When deciding whether or not to head to urgent care, consider your current medical state. If it is a life-threatening injury that requires comprehensive medical treatment, the ER should be your first destination. However, there are common symptoms and conditions that do not require a trip to the ER. Physicians Medical Urgent Care offers treatment for a variety of acute and chronic conditions, including:
Urgent care staff members can even assess how severe your condition is upon arriving. You may be asked to head to the emergency room if your condition is outside of the scope of treatment options.
Before you make an appointment with your primary care physician for blood work, you may want to see if your local urgent care offers lab services. Urgent care centers will vary, but many will offer blood tests (basic metabolic panels, glucose), STD testing, pregnancy tests, flu tests, drug screenings, and urinalysis.
Follow-up blood work and more comprehensive medical panels should be completed by your primary care doctor in the event you require follow-up treatment.
Urgent care services are quick and often only require a short visit, even for a blood test.
The emergency room, on the other hand, is used for more serious health conditions. These include seizures, loss of consciousness, newborn fevers, uncontrollable bleeding, chest pain, difficulty breathing, severe pain and severe burns. These conditions require more targeted medical care or extended hospital stays.
Give us a call today at 888-265-2120 or book an appointment online to determine if our urgent care services are right for you.
