When it comes to 24-hour medical care there are there are emergency rooms (ERs) and urgent care centers which tend to over assistance to individuals in need. That said, these facilities tend to operate separately. For Legacy, we are both an Urgent Care and an Emergency Room under one roof, in an effort to make healthcare services more accessible to all and to provide er care without the wait! Unfortunately, the healthcare sector has not followed suit with combining facilities, but keep reading below for some facts regarding the benefits of this innovative idea.

ER and Urgent Care Centers: An Efficient Service

1. The urgent care market is broken, but with innovative ideas, it can certainly be fixed!

Typically, people have to choose whether to go to an urgent care center or an emergency room when they are in need of a doctor. This is problematic, because an individual might go to one and actually need the services of another, and are forced to visit two separate centers. Consider the base of the issue, which is that the urgent care center market is highly fragmented. Most of the facility operators of urgent care centers own fewer than three and are unable to obtain a dominant market presence. These issues combined, create difficulties for sick individuals as there is no clear plan for care. Use our facilities as an example – this facility follows this model and has shown that it is possible to access er care without the wait!

2. It can be difficult for people to know where they need to go for the right kind of care, so combining ER and urgent care locations better serve the people!

When a person feels that they are very sick, they may seek out an emergency room to take care of them. That said, given that they only feel sick and are not in imminent danger, they would be better taken care of at an urgent care center. The reverse of this is true as well. For example, consider a recent study which shows that while 44% to 65% of all ER episodes could have been treated at urgent care facilities, there are certain times when it’s much better for an individual to seek out medical treatment at the ER. If we were to combine ER and urgent care centers together, not only would it be more convenient care for individuals but emergency centers would be more efficient.

3. Emergency room visits are a major part of the problem, as people continually use emergency healthcare services for non-emergent issues.

When it comes to ER and urgent care visits like ours, we strive to provide er care without the wait. That said, people often get overwhelmed when choosing a proper care facility. Consider individuals who tend to visit emergency rooms for nonemergent issues. This costs individuals and health centers more money than necessary. More than 70% of ER visits for patients with consumer-sponsored insurance coverage are for non-emergency issues (and/or preventable conditions). To fix this issue, combining ER and urgent care facilities into one location can help people get the exact care they need in one convenient location all while accessing er care without the wait!

If you found these tips helpful, then consider putting your effort into working to create more facilities like ours. Not only do individuals get better care, but so do health care centers. Consider the key facts above the next time you seek out emergency care services, as the opportunity to have better care is available when facilities are in one, easy location! The innovation of combining facilities has proven successful (just look at Legacy) and will ensure that you get the best type of care possible for all your health-related needs. Second, the combination of services gives people access to better care all around. Lastly, combining urgent care centers can help save people money by getting them the help they need for less of a cost! All in all, be sure to consider the information above to protect not only individuals but also health centers!