Health Signs - Fall 2011 - (Page 7)

Urgent Care When You Need It Most Washington Urgent Care offers a variety of services at convenient hours T Sarkis Banipalsin, M.D., center, is the medical director of Washington Urgent Care, which is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day of the year. They are the twilight hours of health care—the weekends and evenings when your regular doctor’s office is closed and a trip to the emergency room isn’t necessary, but you’re just too sick to try to wait all night or all weekend without medical attention. The question is: Do you wait until your symptoms could potentially get worse? No, says Sarkis Banipalsin, M.D., medical director of Washington Urgent Care, Washington Hospital’s on-site urgent care clinic, which is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day of the year. “For most non-emergency medical ailments, Washington Urgent Care is a convenient and cost-effective alternative to emergency room care,” Banipalsin explains. “If you haven’t been vaccinated at your doctor’s office already, you can get your flu shot at the clinic,” Banipalsin points out. “However, if you do get sick this year, we can address the symptoms as well.” A good indication you have the flu and not a cold is that the symptoms—including fever, muscle aches, nonproductive cough, runny nose, and a burning sensation in the eyes and chest—are severe and come on suddenly, he adds. • Washington Urgent Care Receives Prestigious Accreditation Washington Urgent Care recently was awarded accreditation by the American Academy of Urgent Care Medicine (AAUCM). A voluntary process, accreditation enables the clinic to measure the quality of its services and performance against nationally recognized standards. Washington Urgent Care is the only urgent care facility in the Tri-City area to achieve this accreditation. Accreditation by the AAUCM emphasizes crucial facility and provider characteristics of quality, providing patients with the assurance that the urgent care center they use has been independently surveyed and approved. Standards for the AAUCM accreditation can be divided into two main categories: medical practice and facility quality. Medical practice assessment involves examination of the qualifications of all of the facility’s practitioners and the quality of the medical care they provide. Facility assessment involves evaluating the urgent care center itself. Ultimately, the certificate of accreditation awarded to Washington Urgent Care reflects a benchmark of quality that provides community members with peace of mind. FALL 2011 Services to Fit Your Needs Other year-round services offered at the clinic include: • A Variety of Benefits Washington Urgent Care offers a number of benefits, according to Patti Coffey, R.N., the clinical nurse manager of the Washington Urgent Care clinic. First, friendly staff members are there to greet you and answer your insurance questions. And even better, says Coffey, is the fact that average wait times are in the minutes, not hours. “Washington Urgent Care offers the best of both worlds—a friendly, helpful environment and extended hours when your regular doctor isn’t available,” she says. Plus, for those worried about coinsurance and copayment costs, take heart. Insurance copays at the clinic are typically less than in the emergency room. And as an added benefit, the clinic accepts most insurance plans and bills patients’ insurance as a courtesy. • Treatment for colds and coughs Treatment for injuries, such as cuts and bruises On-the-job illness and injury, or other work-related needs Physical exams • On-site X-ray and laboratory services Bilingual physicians available Work injury management Drug and alcohol testing Pre-employment physical exams • • • • • • GET THE (URGENT) CARE YOU NEED Open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day, Washington Urgent Care is at 2500 Mowry Ave., Suite 212, in Fremont. To schedule an appointment, call 510791-CARE (2273). Walk-in care is always available. For updated wait times and more information about the services at Washington Urgent Care, visit whhs.com/urgentcare. Fending Off the Flu Flu season, which typically runs from fall through winter, is here. To protect yourself and your family, getting vaccinated annually is a must. In fact, last year the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began recommending that everyone over 6 months of age get a flu vaccine as soon as it’s available. 7 http://www.whhs.com/urgentcare

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Health Signs - Fall 2011

Health Signs - Fall 2011
Constructing Care: Washington Hospital is expanding its facilities to ensure quality care for years to come.
Washington Hospital is helping people learn how to live well with diabetes.
Urgent care facilities offer expert care when you need it most.

Health Signs - Fall 2011