Celebrating​ ​Health​ ​Education​ ​Week:​ ​Urgent​ ​Care​ ​101

Did​ ​you​ ​know​ ​the​ ​third​ ​week​ ​of​ ​October​ ​has​ ​been​ ​annually​ ​regarded​ ​as​ ​​National​ ​Health  Education​ ​Week​​ ​since​ ​the​ ​mid-90s?​ ​This​ ​week​ ​is​ ​dedicated​ ​to​ ​celebrating​ ​the​ ​role​ ​of​ ​health education​ ​in​ ​the​ ​public​ ​sphere​ ​and​ ​bringing​ ​awareness​ ​to​ ​major​ ​public​ ​healthcare​ ​issues​ ​that​ ​still need​ ​to​ ​be​ ​addressed.

To​ ​join​ ​in​ ​on​ ​the​ ​fun​ ​and​ ​do​ ​our​ ​part​ ​in​ ​celebration​ ​and​ ​education,​ ​we​ ​thought​ ​it’d​ ​be​ ​appropriate​ ​to engage​ ​our​ ​friends​ ​and​ ​followers​ ​in​ ​a​ ​little​ ​​Urgent​ ​Care​ ​101​.​ ​This​ ​short​ ​lesson’s​ ​central​ ​purpose​ ​is to​ ​establish​ ​the​ ​value​ ​of​ ​urgent​ ​care​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​distinguish​ ​urgent​ ​care​ ​and​ ​its​ ​practices​ ​from​ ​those of​ ​an​ ​emergency​ ​room.

Most​ ​of​ ​the​ ​time​ ​when​ ​you​ ​experience​ ​some​ ​form​ ​of​ ​illness,​ ​injury,​ ​or​ ​medical​ ​anomaly​ ​your primary​ ​instinct​ ​is​ ​to​ ​Google​ ​symptoms,​ ​read​ ​WebMD,​ ​then​ ​perhaps​ ​panic​ ​and​ ​rush​ ​straight​ ​to​ ​the emergency​ ​room.​ ​However,​ ​​9​ ​times​ ​out​ ​of​ ​10​​ ​you​ ​could​ ​have​ ​saved​ ​time​ ​​and
​money​ ​by​ ​heading to​​ ​vybe​ ​urgent​ ​care​​ ​instead.

Services Offered by Urgent Care 

Urgent care centers provide treatment for non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries – this includes wound care and closures (stitches, sutures, staples, etc.), X-rays, on-site lab tests (bloodwork, testing for UTI, STDs, pregnancy, mononucleosis, strep throat, influenza and more), vaccinations and physical exams.

Feeling under the weather? High fever and chills? Go to urgent care.

Have a weird bug or bump that’s making your foot swell up? Urgent care.

Cut your hand open while cooking dinner? Urgent care.

Took an antibiotic and broke out in hives? Urgent care.

Step on a rusty nail? Urgent care.

The​ ​emergency​ ​room​ ​is​ ​for​ ​just​ ​that:​ ​​emergencies
If​ ​a​ ​situation​ ​is​ ​not​ ​deadly​ ​serious,​ ​urgent​ ​care is​ ​often​ ​the​ ​best​ ​bet.

When​ ​to​ ​go​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Emergency​ ​Room   

Deciding​ ​whether​ ​something​ ​is​ ​serious​ ​enough​ ​to​ ​require​ ​taking​ ​a​ ​trip​ ​to​ ​the​ ​emergency​ ​room​ ​can be​ ​tricky.​ ​Keeping​ ​everything​ ​we’ve​ ​taught​ ​you​ ​already​ ​in​ ​mind,​ ​ask​ ​yourself​ ​these​ ​questions​ ​when considering​ ​a​ ​trip​ ​to​ ​the​ ​emergency​ ​room:

Am I experiencing chest tightness or difficulty breathing? 

Am I bleeding heavily and/or losing consciousness? 

Could this injury become life-threatening if I do not receive immediate care?

If​ ​the​ ​answer​ ​to​ ​any​ ​of​ ​the​ ​above​ ​is​ ​​‘Yes’​​ ​the​ ​situation​ ​warrants​ ​a​ ​trip​ ​to​ ​the​ ​emergency​ ​room​ ​and perhaps​ ​even​ ​a​ ​call​ ​to​ ​911.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​can​ ​confidently​ ​say​ ​​‘No’​​ ​to​ ​all​ ​of​ ​the​ ​above​ ​but​ ​are​ ​experiencing a​ ​medical​ ​dilemma,​ ​head​ ​to​ ​your​ ​nearest​ ​urgent​ ​care​ ​center​ ​immediately​ ​for​ ​assistance.

Costs​ ​and​ ​Wait​ ​Time 

Comparing​ ​the​ ​expenses​ ​and​ ​wait​ ​times​ ​of​ ​urgent​ ​care​ ​centers​ ​and​ ​hospital​ ​emergency​ ​rooms​ ​is difficult,​ ​as​ ​each​ ​location​ ​will​ ​be​ ​a​ ​little​ ​different.​ ​However,​ ​going​ ​to​ ​urgent​ ​care​ ​will​ ​always​ ​be​ ​a cheaper​ ​option​ ​than​ ​visiting​ ​the​ ​hospital​ ​or​ ​taking​ ​an​ ​ambulance​ ​ride​ ​—​ ​which​ ​is​ ​why​ ​it​ ​is​ ​important to​ ​be​ ​knowledgeable​ ​about​ ​when​ ​it​ ​is​ ​and​ ​isn’t​ ​necessary​ ​to​ ​make​ ​a​ ​trip​ ​to​ ​the​ ​emergency​ ​room. Bonus​ ​Fact:​​ ​Many​ ​urgent​ ​care​ ​centers​ ​–​ ​including​ ​vybe​ ​–​ ​also​ ​accept​ ​payment​ ​in​ ​the​ ​form​ ​of​ ​cash or​ ​credit​ ​card​ ​if​ ​you​ ​do​ ​not​ ​have​ ​health​ ​insurance​ ​coverage.

Urgent care has urgent in its name for a reason, you will receive care and attention promptly when arriving at an urgent care facility. Emergency waiting rooms can have wait times exceeding 3 HOURS on an exceptionally busy evening. Save yourself the time, money and stress: If you don’t need to make a visit to the ER, don’t. Head to urgent care instead.

If you find yourself experiencing a non-life-threatening medical emergency and reside in the Philadelphia region, make a trip to one of our four vybe urgent care locations (Center City, Roxborough, Port Richmond or South Philly) locations for immediate medical assistance. Our urgent care centers are open seven days a week 8:00am to 8:00pm Monday to Friday and 8:00am to 5:00pm Saturday and Sunday.

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