You local "Doc in a Box" ... An important question
First, I don't have my MD. I have been a chaplain in a level one trauma center with all the life support training that goes with it.
Not too long ago I took a friend to an urgent care in my local area. The doctor didn't seem to really get what the issue was and I asked what his specialty was. He was a dermatologist that was filling in for regular doctor. For simple things that is fine, but for any heart issues, complicated breaks or issues requiring special tests, not all urgent care facilities are created equal.
After this experience I called my local urgent care providers to find what their staffing policy's were. I already had found out that waiting till I needed medical assistance wasn't the best option. I found a huge variety in services. Most seemed a better option than an ER for everyday medical issues and only one had a strange response to my questions. (They asked why the type of doctor was important to me... Things that make you go hummmmm!)
Most require an ER Doc or urgent care specialist to always be in the building. Some require that all their docs are ER or UC docs. Some have labs that can tell if you are having a heart attack or other issues. Some use nurses or other staff to run xray machines while others have xray techs with radiologists on call (the better option). So before you need urgent care, check out your local options.
Is this really a big deal?... Yes! First, urgent care is cheaper until they have to refer you to the ER. Then you end up with two bills, so the more qualified your urgent care is, the better chance you will not be referred to an ER and end up with two bills.
Again, I am not a medical professional, but have seen people have some really bad experiences in addition to mine and just wanted to share my thoughts. The group I found in the San Antonio area is private, Impact Urgent Care, and the bad news is that they only have two locations, but they are like a restaurant and have call ahead seating, or appointments and seem to really have this medical service figured out. I am not paid by them and they didn't ask for this, but for those that live close, they have everything I would want in an Urgent Care!
Just make sure that the doc you are seeing is really qualified to give you the best possible care.
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