In our opinion, parents should regularly win awards for all the things you have to figure out. For example, one of a parent’s main jobs is to learn to assess if an injury or illness is serious enough for serious care.
The ER physicians at The Urgency Room, who specialize in pediatric emergency medicine, offer these tips to help you decide what kind of care your child needs.
Cough, Colds, and Cuts
Your child’s primary care doctor knows your child’s history and has documented his growth and health over time. If your child has a cold, cough, sore throat or minor injury, this is the person you’ll want to see during open office hours.
After Hours Medical Care
If you’re worried about your child’s health and your primary care doctor’s office is closed, the urgent care is a great place to go. They can help your child with coughs and colds and minor injuries in the same way your usual physician can. Both your primary care physician and urgent care are the least expensive options.
When Life is on the Line
If your child has suffered a life-threatening injury, or is having difficulty breathing or is unconscious, the emergency room (ER) at your local hospital is the best choice. Typically, the hospital ER is where you go when you consider calling 911 because you believe your child needs emergency medical care right away. The care offered in an ER is backed by a hospital of resources in case your child needs to be admitted for observation or surgery. The ER is the most expensive of the options.
Expert Care by ER Physicians
Another location providing serious care for your kids is The Urgency Room (UR). Started by a group of ER physicians, this freestanding clinic is open from 8am to 10pm every day of the year and is staffed with trained emergency medicine professionals. The ER physicians who started the UR wanted to build a state-of-the-art facility with all the equipment they needed to diagnose and treat the injuries and illnesses they typically saw at the hospital.
Since 75% of all the people who go to a hospital ER end up going home that same day, it made sense to provide a place where ER physicians could practice emergency medicine but could do it without the overhead costs of a hospital setting. On average, visits to The Urgency Room cost 30% less than visits to the hospital ER.
The doctors at the UR also staff Twin Cities ERs so they are constantly working on the frontlines of emergency medicine. From animal bites to broken bones, unexplained fevers to persistent vomiting, the staff at The Urgency Room can diagnose and treat your children fast. Each facility is equipped with a CT scanner, high-complexity lab, ultrasound, x-ray, and sedation for adults and children. And if your child needs to be brought to a hospital, they can call ahead and get you admitted directly to the area where your child needs care.
With so many options, we know it can be stressful to choose where to go when your little ones aren’t feeling well. We hope this medical care primer helps you create a list of go-to resources you can quickly call on when minutes matter.
The Urgency Room (UR) is a state-of-the art medical facility specializing in the treatment of acute injuries and illnesses in adults, children, and infants. Staffed with board-certified emergency physicians, the UR is prepared to handle it all. If you need immediate medical attention and don’t need an ambulance come to The Urgency Room.
Links:
The Urgency Room Links: http://urgencyroom.com/locations-momsblog-2017/
75% of all the people: http://kstp.com/medical/inside-your-health-special-getting-care-choosing-wisely-kstp-medical-expert-dr-archelle-georgiou/4378555/
