When Kristie Ordner felt out of sorts, she suspected the flu. Her fiancé had it, and she woke up the next day with the same symptoms. Still unsure, she set off to work donning a mask to prevent any potential spreading of germs, but at lunch realized she needed to be checked out.
“I knew this new location was opening, so I walked right in. They calmed my nerves about the exposure and took time to confirm my suspicions. Although I tested negative, they made sure I was on top of it so I wouldn’t be completely miserable,” she said. “There isn’t a pill I could take to fix it, so I was sent home to rest.”
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A Carle employee, the trip to Convenient Care Plus was just an elevator ride away but saved her time and miles. Convenient Care Plus at Carle Foundation Hospital is open 7 a.m. – 10 p.m., seven days a week including holidays. Enter through Patient Registration in the Orchard Street lobby. Additional Convenient Care Plus sites at Danville on Fairchild and Mattoon on Hurst.
“Previously I would have needed to drive to Urbana or southwest Champaign. Sometimes with traffic, it can take 30 minutes or more, so fitting in an appointment on my lunch hour is challenging,” Ordner said.
Knowing where to receive the right care, at the right time can save you time and money. If you need answers right away, but it’s not life- or limb-threatening, consider Convenient Care Plus, an expanded service for patients who need help now but whose conditions do not rise to the level of an emergency.
Convenient Care Plus offers treatment for a host of healthcare needs, including but not limited to:
- Allergies and asthma
- High fevers
- Injuries that require X-rays
- Kidney stones
- Stomach pain
- Urinary tract infections
“Sometimes you need the ease of convenient care, plus more on-site testing capabilities,” said Mindy Spencer, director, Convenient Care. “It also offers expanded hours to take care of you and your family.”
For Ordner, accessibility was key as was knowing more urgent resources were nearby.
“If I’m teetering on the line of should I go to Convenient Care or the Emergency Department (ED), I knew I could get more advanced care here,” she said. “And if it turned out I needed the ED, it’s a short walk down the hall versus a 20-minute drive from another location.”
Helpful for future visits like when she’s experiencing back pain.
“They can check for kidney stones right here and I get answers right now,” Ordner said. “Today they made sure I knew what to do if my symptoms worsened – preventing me from worrying or needing a second appointment.”
The hospital location is more accessible for some patients than the Champaign on Curtis and Urbana on Windsor Convenient Care locations. Patients using Convenient Care Plus will find it is less expensive than an ED visit and wait times should be shorter than in the ED, where patients with more serious conditions are given 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,” said Elizabeth Ackerson, DO, Convenient Care Plus. “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.”
Categories: Staying Healthy, Community
Tags: Ackerson, Carle, Champaign-Urbana, Convenient Care Plus, Flu, pediatrics, Urbana, Women's Health