Special to IFN
When you’re sick or injured, the last thing you want to do is waste precious time deciding where to go for care, especially when your primary care office is closed.
Acute medical concerns like minor lacerations, sprains, rashes, and common viruses can typically be treated at an urgent care facility.
Stroke symptoms, chest pain, difficulty breathing, major lacerations and wounds are just a few conditions that should most likely be treated at the ER.
Both are typically available during hours that extend beyond that of your primary care provider.
“If it’s not a life-threatening emergency, I always encourage everybody to call their primary care provider first if they are open,” said Rhonda Ruppe, Iredell Health System Emergency Department Director. “Sometimes, they’re not able to get you in, so you may have to go to an urgent care center or the emergency department. If you’re deciding between the two, it’s all about your past history and what your current symptoms are.”
If someone has a persistent cough, but is otherwise generally healthy, they may choose to go to an urgent care facility. But if the same person has an underlying condition such as COPD, a persistent cough is a much higher cause for concern and should most likely be treated at the emergency room.
While urgent care staff may recognize a medical emergency and call 911 or send the individual to the closest ER, those facilities are not always equipped to handle all life-threatening emergencies in-house.
In the emergency department, patients are seen and treated through what’s known as triage, which evaluates the level of severity and chief medical complaint. For example, a person experiencing heart attack symptoms would likely be treated before someone with a cough, even if they came in after the person with the cough.
Many patients become frustrated when waiting in the emergency department when they see others being treated before them who do not seem to be presenting symptoms. What they may not see is that the other patient’s blood pressure is extremely elevated and they are on the verge of a heart attack.
This is why it is important to practice patience when visiting the ER.
It’s important to remember that you should always call 911 in the event of a medical emergency.
“Stroke-like symptoms, chest pain, shortness of breath — these are all great reasons to call 911. Life-saving emergencies is what EMS does and, the sooner they get there, the better off you will
be,” Ruppe explained.
EMS can send critical information in route to the ER such as EKGs and vital signs, so the staff is prepared and ready to expedite care upon the patient’s arrival.
Iredell Health System offers two convenient urgent care facilities in Statesville and Mooresville. Both locations are open 365 days a year.
♦ Iredell Urgent Care — Statesville is located at 1540 E. Broad Street in Statesville. Call 704-380-6900.
♦ Iredell Urgent Care — Mooresville is located at 653 Bluefield Road in Mooresville. Call 704-360-6500.
The Mooresville facility is open 24 hours, and Iredell Urgent Care – Statesville is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Visit iredellurgentcare.com for more information.
About Iredell Health System
Iredell Health System includes Iredell Memorial Hospital; Iredell Davis Medical Center; Iredell Davis Behavioral Health Hospital; Iredell Mooresville; Iredell Home Health; Iredell Wound Care & Hyperbaric Center; Community and Corporate Wellness; Occupational Medicine; the Iredell Physician Network and more. Iredell Memorial Hospital is the largest and only nonprofit hospital in Iredell County. The comprehensive healthcare organization has 391 licensed beds; close to 2,000 employees; and has approximately 365 healthcare providers representing various specialties. Centers of excellence include Women’s and Children’s; Cardiovascular; Cancer; Surgical Services and Wellness & Prevention. The health system’s Iredell Mooresville campus is home to the area’s only 24-hour urgent care facility, as well as an ambulatory surgery center, imaging center, rehabilitation services, and physician practices. The mission of Iredell Health System is to inspire wellbeing. For a comprehensive list of services and programs, visit www.iredellhealth.org.