New England Urgent Care opens new facilityDate: 9/17/2012 ENFIELD, Conn. – Many of us have been there at one point or another – the wait to be seen at an emergency room can seem like an eternity. However, the introduction of urgent care facilities now provides patients an alternative that offers the expertise, but not the long wait. Citizens of Enfield and the surrounding communities now do not have to drive more than 30 minutes to get Emergency Medicine expertise from the nearest hospital.
"I have spent years working as a physician in an Emergency Department (ED). My wife and I decided to open an urgent care facility because we saw the opportunity to improve patient care and give service to the community," Michael Gutman, MD, the medical director of New England Urgent Care, said.
Gutman and his wife Yahel Gutman, an ED nurse, opened New England Urgent Care in West Hartford last spring. The practice has been so successful that they expanded with a second location in Enfield on Sept. 9. The grand opening celebration with free food and activities is planned for Sept. 30.
New England Urgent Care is the only center in Hartford County with the Urgent Care Association of America certification for Urgent Care. It's notable, as very few centers are even capable of achieving this certification as they do not meet the criteria. This same level of expertise will now be available to the citizens of Enfield and surrounding communities.
At New England Urgent Care, patients receive care from licensed and board certified medical experts in Emergency Medicine. The office is equipped and personnel capable of treating almost any acute condition utilizing on-site X-rays, IV fluids, respiratory treatments, medications, suturing and casting. Routine physical exams for school and sports are available as well.
They are also extremely efficient in processing all aspects of a worker's compensation claim at a lower cost coordinating care and returning workers back to their workplace as soon as possible. There are other large differences from an emergency room.
"We are much more service oriented than an ED," Gutman said. "Thus we strive to make the patient feel welcome and cared for."
Such care and service routinely earn New England Urgent Care high marks among its patients.
"I thank New England Urgent Care for the very kind, professional and immediate treatment that we received when I came to the office with my 77-year old father, who had been experiencing severe dizzy spells," Pam Hoffman of Burlington, Conn. said. "They took the time and patience to explain everything to our entire family, which is really important when someone is sick. I will tell all my friends about their professionalism and fine treatment."
Additionally, instead of waiting hours in an ED, the typical patient at New England Urgent Care waits only minutes. The office is open 365 days a year including weekends, holidays and until 8 p.m., Monday through Friday. In addition, unlike the ED, if there is a problem that might take several days to be solved, New England Urgent Care will arrange the outpatient diagnostic tests and ultimately refer to the appropriate specialist, if necessary. They will coordinate with the patients' primary care physician if they have one so that the care will be ongoing.
Another benefit of opting for urgent care versus an emergency department is the cost. New England Urgent Care accepts almost all insurances except Medicaid or SAGA. For those who do not have insurance or who cannot get the care and service they need from Medicaid providers, New England Urgent Care has extremely low self-pay rates and will work with the patients if they have financial hardship.
It must be noted, an urgent care facility is not the appropriate place for someone suffering from a life-threatening illness such as acute stroke or heart attack.
New England Urgent Care is located at 55 Hazard Ave., Enfield and 21 North Main St., Suite B, West Hartford. Hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; weekends and holidays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
To learn more visit, www.UrgentCareNewEngland.com.
|
