Understanding Your Local Urgent Care Center
In the past few decades, more people have begun relying on urgent care centers because they offer more flexible hours and can often provide immediate and affordable care. But before punching in ‘urgent care centers near me’ and rushing out to the closest one, it’s helpful to better understand their services.
As one of the area’s leading urgent care providers, Surfside Urgent Care understands patients have questions the first time they visit, which is why they’ve provided some helpful information below.
A Breakdown of the Basics
Most urgent care centers near you will function on a walk-in basis. This means there’s no need to schedule an appointment beforehand. One of the benefits of urgent care clinics is that although they’re not open 24/7, many offer extended hours of operation and are open every day, so it’s easy to visit the location outside of peak hours.
Local urgent care clinics treat non-threatening illnesses and perform diagnostic services such as:
- X-Ray testing
- Blood work
- Intravenous procedures
- Serial EKGs
Differences Between Urgent Care & the Emergency Room
One of the primary differences between the urgent care clinic near you and your local emergency room (ER) is that they only treat minor injuries and offer minimal diagnostic services. Emergency rooms, on the other hand, are open around the clock and treat everything from cuts and scrapes to heart attacks. Depending on the severity of your injury, you may have to wait several hours before being treated. ERs are also much more expensive than a trip to the local urgent care clinic.
What to Expect from Your Local Urgent Care Center
When you visit an urgent care center near you, expect to be greeted by a friendly office staff in much the same way as at your primary care physician. You’ll be asked to take a seat and wait until your name is called, then be led to an area where you’ll receive a doctor’s consultation. Most doctors in urgent care practices are trained to treat both adults and children for a wide range of illnesses.
Let us serve as your local urgent care center!
Those looking for treatment or services that are non-life-threatening, contact the friendly team at Surfside Urgent Care today to learn more about what we do.