TIP OF THE WEEK
November 30, 2010
Did you know...?
Urgent Care Centers meet the need for convenient access to treatment for minor injuries and illnesses
Urgent Care is the delivery of ambulatory care in a facility dedicated to the delivery of care outside of a hospital emergency department, usually on an unscheduled, walk-in basis. Urgent Care Centers are primarily used to treat patients who have an injury or illness that requires immediate care but is not serious enough to warrant a visit to an emergency room. Urgent Care Centers are often open extended hours but unlike emergency rooms not open 24/7.
The initial urgent care centers opened in the 1970s. Since then this sector of the healthcare industry has rapidly expanded to 10,000+ centers (compared to approximately 4000 Emergency Rooms). Many of these centers have been started by entrepreneurial physicians who have responded to the public need for convenient access to unscheduled medical care. Other centers have been opened by hospital systems, seeking to attract patients. Much of the growth of these centers has been fueled by the significant savings that urgent care centers provide over the care in a hospital emergency department. Many managed care organizations now encourage their customers to utilize the urgent care option.
Life or limb threatening illnesses and injuries are best treated at an Emergency department. Emergency departments are prepared to care for patients suffering true emergencies, such as heart attacks, stroke, shock, serious motor vehicle accidents, suicide attempts, and other such life-threatening conditions. Being located within a hospital, these centers are positioned to provide ready access to major surgeries and critical care units. Emergency departments are usually staffed by physicians with specialized training or board certification in emergency medicine.
Many primary care offices are open for some extended hours in the evenings and weekends. However, unless these centers are open for walk-in patients at all times when open for patients, offer on-site x-ray facilities, and care for most simple fractures and lacerations--these primary care physician offices are not considered to be true urgent care centers.
In 2000, medical treatment began to be offered at small offices in retail stores with onsite pharmacies. These centers are generally staffed with nurse practitioners or physician assistants. Prices are generally posted in public view and patients can do shopping while waiting. These retail clinics are not considered true urgent care centers, because of the limited level of care that can be provided without a physician nor do they usually have x-ray facilities on site. Concerns about conflict of interest and incentives to over-prescribe medications in a facility rented from a pharmacy have yet to be fully addressed by organized medicine or governmental agencies.
Urgent Care is an alternative to the emergency room when your primary care physician is not available and your injury or illness needs immediate care but is not life or limb threatening. Urgent Care Centers provide significant savings to patients and insurers over the alternative of hospital emergency departments for episodic care that cannot be delayed until an appointment at a physician office is available. In addition, their scope of treatment is more extensive than retail clinics (in-store clinics located in retail centers such as a drugstore) making the need for transfer (and additional charges and patient inconvenience) to a higher-level facility more unlikely.
A RAND Corporation study released in September 2010 in the journal Health Affairs said about 17% of all visits to hospital emergency departments across the United States could be treated at urgent care centers, potentially saving $4.4 billion annually in health care costs.
OHS-COMPCARE now featuring Adult Quick Care (Urgent Care Services) has seven area clinical facilities to serve your employees and families. See below for locations.
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On-line appointments did you know you can make an appointment on-line to have an employee seen at OHS-COMPCARE? To learn more please contact client services at 816-561-2105 (option 1) or by email at customerservice@ohscompcare.com or simply follow this link to make an appointment: http://www.ohscompcare.com/findAClinic/makeAnApt.asp.
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Flu shots are still available. The influenza season has just begun. Its not too late to get your shot. The best protection against influenza is vaccination. To learn more please contact client services at 816-561-2105 (option 1) or by email at customerservice@ohscompcare.com.
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***We are now open Saturdays at our Independence location from 9am 1pm to serve your occupational medicine and urgent care needs. Our Independence location is open 5pm 9pm Monday Friday to serve your after hour needs as well***
*Please feel free to forward this information to any member of management in your company who would benefit from it.*
To view the Tip of the Week in Spanish please visit our Tip of the Week library at http://www.ohscompcare.com/totw/.
To learn more about services OHS-COMPCARE has to offer, contact our Client Services
Team at (816) 561-2105 option 1 or by e-mail at customerservice@ohscompcare.com.
You can also visit us at www.ohscompcare.com.
Why choose us? Because OHS-COMPCARE has a physician on call 24/7/365 days a year to respond to our client's needs.
Adult Quick Care
is now on Facebook!
OHS-COMPCARE now featuring Adult Quick Care (Urgent Care Services) has seven (7) area clinical facilities:
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Independence Clinical Facility |
Johnson County Clinical Facility |
St. Joseph Clinical Facility |
Grandview Clinical Facility |
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19000 E. Eastland Center Crt, St. 200 |
10415 Lackman Road |
904 Edmond Street |
13830 S Us Highway 71 |
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Independence, MO 64055 |
Lenexa, KS 66219 |
St. Joseph, MO 64501 |
Grandview, MO 64030 |
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816-478-9299 |
913-495-9905 |
816-233-7702 |
816-761-4664 |
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After Hours Available *Now open Saturday 9am 1pm |
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KCMO/Broadway Clinical Facility |
KCMO/Front Street Clinical Facility |
Wyandotte County Clinical Facility |
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1650 Broadway |
6501 East Commerce, Suite 110 |
1333 Meadowlark Lane, Suite 200 |
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Kansas City, MO 64108 |
Kansas City, MO 64120 |
Kansas City, KS 66102 |
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816-842-2020 |
816-483-5550 |
913-596-2774 |
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Adult Quick Care provides Urgent Care to Adults and Adolescents Age 14 and Older.
No appointment is necessary at Adult Quick Care.
When you are sick or have a new injury, Adult Quick Care is your affordable, time saving choice for quality care.
To learn more about Adult Quick Care please call 816-559-6320 or visit www.adultquickcare.com.