If you drive past an
urgent care every day and still don’t know what they are, you’re not alone.
A decade ago, the emergency room was the catch- all place where people
would go when something – anything – was wrong after hours.
Headaches. Flu symptoms. Sprained ankles. It was all taken care of in
the emergency room.
Today, urgent cares are growing in popularity to alleviate the wait times
and high costs of emergency rooms and to leave ERs available for truly
life- threatening emergencies.
Still, not everyone knows when to use the urgent care and just how important
they are, said Seric Cusick, M.D., Medical Director of the Hoag Hospital
Irvine Emergency Department.
“Instead of rushing to the emergency room for a fever after hours,
patients now have the ability to see trusted, skilled physicians in urgent
care centers close to home,” Dr. Cusick said. “This allows
the patient to receive quick, convenient care and frees up the emergency
rooms for life-threatening conditions.”
Dr. Cusick encourages patients to consider the severity of their conditions
when deciding what type of care is right for them. Life-threatening conditions
require emergency department care. Urgent cares, by contrast, provide
convenient services for conditions such as colds, sore throats, ear infections,
sprains, strains and more, often with less wait time.
“Having urgent cares embedded in the community is an important piece
of the health care puzzle,” said Gregory Christie, PA-C, executive
director of operations for Hoag Urgent Care. “Not all medical situations
require an Emergency Room visit, but some issues simply can’t wait
until your primary care doctor can see you. Urgent cares offer you a place
to go to in your own community to serve your needs.”
By the end of this year, Hoag will operate
urgent care facilities conveniently located throughout Orange County, including in Aliso Viejo, Anaheim Hills, Huntington Beach, Huntington
Harbour, Irvine, Tustin, and Newport Beach. Many are located in shopping
centers and other non- traditional locations to bring health and wellness
options to people where they live and work.
The newest location to open is
Hoag Urgent Care Irvine - Sand Canyon, across the street from Hoag Hospital Irvine, which opened this September.
Hoag Urgent Care Irvine - Los Olivos also opened recently at Los Olivos Marketplace in Irvine, and offers urgent
and primary care services.
“Our urgent care facilities are a great way for patients to find
some peace of mind knowing that they are in the capable hands of Hoag
Medical Group and Hoag affiliated doctors,” Dr. Cusick said. “This
keeps emergency rooms open for what the community needs them for –
emergencies.”