The plan was aggressive, but simple. Even though it was the Saturday before Thanksgiving, your family of three decided to get all of the Christmas decorations out and set up. The fourth member of your family would fly into town on Tuesday and the Thanksgiving plans were detailed. Returning from her sophomore year in college for the first time since the end of July, your oldest daughter was anxious to get home. The Thanksgiving plans included an early thursday morning drive to spend lunch with one side of the family. By evening you would be back at your house and the other side of the family will have arrived. The four day weekend will be full of card games, watching football, and shopping. You would not, however, have time to complete the day-after-Thanksgiving Christmas decorating tradition.
Because of the hectic schedule next weekend, your youngest daughter woke up early and began implementing her plan to get the holiday decorating started. Even before lunch, however, on this Saturday before Thanksgiving you found yourself not decorating the tree, but instead taking your husband into a walk in health clinic. In his efforts to get the top of the living room Christmas tree straight, your husband slipped off the ladder. Luckily, he was not hurt worse, but at the very least it appears that he has wrenched his back and maybe sprained his ankle. You are hopeful that your trip to the walk in clinic will allow him to get the pain relief he needs and even an x-ray, if necessary.
Where Do You Go for Your Saturday Morning Health Emergencies?
Walk in urgent care centers around the country offer a wide range of convenient hours to meet the needs of any weekend warrior or holiday decorating casualty. Given that as many as 6,800 urgent care centers in America are available, these health care settings are a popular option. The fact that most of these walk in clinics are located in freestanding buildings with easy and accessible parking, it is no wonder that there are a popular choice, especially on weekends and late evenings.
Did you know that every year, Americans get approximately 1 billion colds, and that, on average, 5% to 20% come down with the flu? And while the health care clinics around the country can help provide relief for some of these conditions, they are also equipped with trained staff and advanced equipment that enable to ability to x-ray bones and diagnose concussions. As an alternative to family physicians and pediatricians or hospital emergency rooms, the walk in health care clinic platform continues to grow in popularity for the following reasons:
Affordability
Research indicates that the typical hospital emergency department visit costs an average of $1,500. Treatment at an urgent care center, however, averages under $150. And while hospital emergency room care is needed in some situations, it does not make sense you seek this more expensive care when it is not needed. Opting for the less expensive care options simply makes better sense in a time of sky rocketing health care costs. A 2010 study by the Rand Corporation, in fact, found a year in healthcare costs.
Convenience
Perhaps you have a very close relationship with your family pediatrician or physician. No matter how close that relationship is, however, chances are that you will only have moderate success if you call in for a last minute appointment on a late Wednesday afternoon. And while you may always go your family doctor for scheduled yearly check ups, school physicals, and fly shots, the way most primary care physicians and pediatricians operate their offices, it is not so easy to get the last minute appointments or after hour and weekend appointments that are a part of everyday life.
Progress
The health care platform in America continues to change. The implementation of a healthcare system that is more easily available to the masses appears to be leading to a change in the platform of how many health services are administered. Stand alone clinics that are affiliated with local hospitals and large doctor groups can provide additional care that will be needed for the growing number of Americans with important healthcare insurance.