Undeniably, the country is undergoing changes in the health care system. While Emergency Departments (ED) are still an important resource, the urgent care center is growing in popularity and demand. Either private or public, these facilities are finding homes in places such as Salt Lake City. While some may question their existence, others promote their positive and contributory role in the American health system.
What Are Urgent Care Centers?
Urgent care centers are popping up across the United States, including Salt Lake City. They offer accessible care to everyone. They focus on treating minor and common ailments and injuries – not serious medical problems. They are for those who find themselves in a situation where they suffer from a health problem, e.g. cuts, bruises, sprains, stomach flu, colds, are ambulatory but:
- Cannot visit their primary physician
- Do not have insurance
- Are without a primary care provider
- Cannot afford a doctor
- Need help during non-regular medical treatment hours
What these centers offer comprises its strength and defines its role in the overall medical system.
Advantages of Urgent Care Centers
An urgent care center plays a significant role within the health care system. They provide health care that is:
1. Convenient
2. High-quality
3. Affordable
4. Accessible
5. Reliable
6. Able to address quickly common injuries and illnesses
Urgent care centers are not replacements for EDs. Instead, they are complementary. They help decrease the stress on overcrowded EDs by removing patients with non-life threatening problems, therefore allowing EDs to concentrate on those that truly require emergency treatment immediately.
Urgent Care Center: Part of a Functional System
While some may question the viability of urgent care centers, it is difficult to question their rising popularity. They do and can continue to play a role in the overall medical system. In Salt Lake City, patients and medical professionals recognize the role of an urgent care center as being complementary to and not replacing the existing EDs.
