Your 2-year-old has a fever. Your partner has pink eye. You trip and twist your ankle. You’re feeling chest pain. Do you know where to seek care in each of these cases?
It can be hard to know, but it’s important because seeking the right care at the right time can save you time and money.
A trip to the Emergency Department (ED) is usually the most expensive. The average ED visit costs $1,917 or more than a month’s rent.
If you need help right away, but it’s not life- or limb-threatening, you can save time and money with Convenient Care Plus, a new service expanding care for patients who need help now but whose conditions do not rise to the level of emergency.
According to Aja Lystila, MD, at Mattoon on Hurst, the new name, Convenient Care Plus, says it all.
“It’s the services you know and love from Convenient Care plus, meaning you have more options for us to assess your illness. It’s a good alternative to a sometimes costly emergency room visit,” Dr. Lystila said.
Carle Danville on Fairchild and Carle Mattoon on Hurst launched Convenient Care Plus sites this week staffed with full-time physicians and Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) who received additional training to provide more advanced diagnostics and care.
Danville Convenient Care Plus is open Monday – Saturday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Closed major holidays.
- Mattoon Convenient Care Plus is open Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Closed major holidays.
“Carle continually evolves services to meet the needs and expectations of patients. This expansion allows for more services without additional cost to the patient,” said Amy Lee, vice president, Champaign-Urbana Primary Care and Medical and Pediatric Specialties.
Convenient Care Plus provides advanced imaging like CT scans and X-rays, as well as advanced lab testing. It connects with a host of services and specialists and typically costs significantly less than an emergency room visit.
“See us for things that need attention now but it’s not possible to get in to your regular doctor. Things like simple cuts and falls, urinary tract infections, minor burns, fever or injuries requiring X-rays like sprains and strains,” said Sean Taheri, DO, at Danville on Fairchild.
Convenient Care and Convenient Care Plus facilities treat the most serious cases first and most patients are seen within an hour.
“It’s not always easy to know if you should go to the emergency room, especially when you need to act fast. Trust your gut. If you’re asking, ‘Should I be going?’ you should go,” Dr. Lystila said.
Patients can seek the right care at the right time by asking a few simple questions:
- Is it life threatening?
- It is limb threatening?
- Is help needed right now?
Keeping EDs clear for the most severe cases is a priority.
“Patients are still coming to the Emergency Department for needs that can be met elsewhere. Sometimes, there’s a misunderstanding of what services are available and families just don’t know there are other options,” Dr. Lystila said.
Categories: Staying Healthy
Tags: Carle, Convenient Care, Danville, Hoopeston, lystila, Mattoon, pediatrics, Women's Health