Fairview extends urgent care hours
It happens frequently: An adult is leaving work on a snowy afternoon. The shift ended at 3 p.m. and the employee slips and twists an ankle in the parking lot.
It happens frequently: An adult is leaving work on a snowy afternoon. The shift ended at 3 p.m. and the employee slips and twists an ankle in the parking lot.
What are that person’s options to get immediate attention?
A new treatment option will be available starting Feb. 2 at Fairview Red Wing Medical Center. Urgent care hours are being extended so people can come for treatment on weekdays from noon to 8 p.m. and on weekends from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
In the past, patients had to call the clinic for an appointment or wait until urgent care opened at 5 p.m.
“By extending hours we can better meet the needs of our patients,” said Dr. Greg Kays, emergency department director at Fairview Red Wing Medical Center.
“We know that sometimes it’s hard to be seen the same day for an injury or illness. By offering urgent care expanded hours more people get the care they need when they need it.”
The first choice for routine care should always be a primary care provider, hospital officials advise. The provider takes the time to uncover the cause of symptoms and recommend treatment options.
Urgent care, they added, is appropriate for walk-in patients with non-emergency concerns such as strains, sprains, breaks, sore throats, ear infections and similar conditions.
For a life-threatening medical emergency, officials said, go to an emergency department. Reasons to head there include chest pains, major bone breaks and allergic reactions.
“If you think you have a medical emergency, don’t delay,” Kays said. “Get to the emergency room or call 911 immediately. If the condition turns out not to be an emergency, that’s OK; it happens frequently.”
The emergency department at Fairview Red Wing is a Level III Trauma Center.
That designation by the state of Minnesota means that the facility is able to treat a far more extensive range of conditions than most rural hospitals.
A specially trained trauma response team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to evaluate and treat injured patients.
For more information on urgent care at Fairview Red Wing Medical Center, call (651) 267-5000.
Tags: fairview red wing medical center, news, urgent, care, hours, extended
More from around the web
RSS Feeds