There are new medical facilities opening up everywhere. These facilities call themselves Urgent Care Centers and Immediate Medical Care. There are several reasons for this–many people don’t have health insurance, and the Centers are a better option than the emergency room. Facilities, like STAT Health Immediate Medical Care Deer Park NY, are staffed by doctors and nurses, and handle ailments like fevers, upper respiratory infections, sprains, lacerations, back pain and broken bones. The facilities have x-ray machines and labs on site to perform blood and urine tests.
STAT Health, which is located in a mall, markets itself as a low cost alternative to the emergency room. STAT Health provides immediate medical care and has a minor surgery suite. The facility is equipped with a lab, x-ray machines and equipment to test bone density. They perform a variety of services including cancer screenings, pregnancy tests, immunizations and occupational medicine.
Experts say the era of the primary care physician may be over. Medical facilities may be matched to the patient’s level of care. For example, emergency rooms will treat major traumas and life threatening situations. Facilities like STAT Health Immediate Medical Care Deer Park NY would see patients with sprains, strains, colds and similar ailments. Hospitals and insurers are investing in this new type of health care facility.
Experts say it’s due in part to the Affordable Health Care Act. Next year, some thirty million people will get insurance and come into the health system. Alan Ayers, with the Urgent Care Association of America, says the industry has been adding about 500 centers a year, since 2008. Ayers says “it is one of the fastest-growing segments of medicine.”
Another thing the consumer likes about the new facilities is the hours. They’re open on the weekend and have evening and holiday hours. STAT Health is open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m. Industry experts say there’s another reason this is happening–there are fewer primary care physicians. Working primary care physicians, simply, can’t accommodateeveryone. It’s a smart concept to match the patient with level of care. E.R.’s shouldn’t be backed up with people who don’t have legitimate emergencies. The new medical facilities offer an alternative that’s cheaper and takes less time.
