Freestanding Emergency Rooms Offer Key Differences From Urgent Care
HOUSTON (PRWEB) June 29, 2018 -- With many healthcare treatment options available today, it’s no wonder patients can be easily confused about what facility they should visit and when. SignatureCare Emergency Center, a group of freestanding emergency rooms across Texas, answers this important question.
"First and foremost," says Dr Aaron Braun, Chief Medical Officer of SignatureCare Emergency Center, "Calling 911 should be the immediate course of action for a patient with a life-threatening emergency, such as someone who is not breathing or experiencing unstoppable bleeding."
Beyond that, patients have several options for care. They can visit their primary care doctor, an urgent care facility, a hospital emergency room or a freestanding emergency room, like SignatureCare. All of these options offer talented healthcare providers. There are, however a few key differences.
Freestanding Emergency Rooms
Freestanding emergency rooms, like SignatureCare, are staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year by Board Certified doctors, nurses, technicians and other trained ER staff. These facilities can treat a wide variety of illnesses and injuries on-site.
Freestanding emergency rooms are not attached to a hospital and are often privately owned by physicians or healthcare companies.
Typically, freestanding emergency rooms have transfer agreements with nearby hospitals and can transfer patients via ambulance to a hospital for additional care or admission, if needed.
Because freestanding emergency rooms do not perform surgeries or admit patients, service is faster. This includes both wait time and time to treat. SignatureCare has a 10 minute of less wait time. SignatureCare also has the capabilities to keep patients overnight for observations when necessary.
Urgent Care Clinics
Urgent care clinics, which can be a good substitute for a patient’s primary care physician, are open during regular business hours but also extended hours, such as on evenings and weekends when doctors’ offices may not be. They are not typically open 24/7. These clinics are limited on what they can perform and only usually offers the same type of evaluation and treatment that is offered by a primary care physician. While some may offer X-Rays and lab tests, their services are limited. Urgent care facilities are often attached to a hospital system.
Hospital Emergency Rooms
Hospital emergency rooms are part of a hospital. Patients can visit the ER 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and, if needed, be admitted as a patient to the hospital. Hospital ERs typically see a wide range of injuries and illnesses. Because of this, staff members must triage their care, meaning they take the most critically ill or injured patients first. This often means a long wait time for those with less urgent needs. This is a key area where a freestanding emergency room can be a benefit. Typically freestanding emergency rooms and hospitals offer the same services, with hospitals having a much longer wait time.
“Freestanding emergency rooms truly serve an unmet need in the marketplace,” says Dr Aaron Braun, Chief Medical Officer of SignatureCare. “We provide a faster and more personalized level of service in a modern facilities with the convenience of a 24/7. This gives patients more options for their healthcare needs.”
About SignatureCare Emergency Center
Licensed by the Texas Department of Health Services, SignatureCare Emergency Centers are freestanding emergency rooms that are always open. SignatureCare has multiple locations in the Houston, Austin, College Station areas with each offering state-of-the art medical imaging, and X-rays. All our emergency rooms are fully staffed with medical professionals, including board-certified physicians, licensed nurses, radiology technicians, and emergency-trained ancillary staff. All SignatureCare Emergency Centers are open 24/7- 365 days a year.
For more information on SignatureCare Emergency Center, please visit https://.ercare24.com.
Jennifer Martin, SignatureCare Emergency Center, https://ercare24.com, 8326993777, [email protected]
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