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It’s Friday evening, and you’re heading home from a long day of work. You stop to get some groceries, then quickly swing over to pick up your youngest child from daycare. As you enter the daycare, you notice your son is a bit sluggish, is not as talkative, and is a bit irritable. The daycare attendant mentions that he may be coming down with a fever. You monitor his temperature throughout the night. Early the next morning, you realize that it is now 101˚F and he has a slight cough. You immediately begin to panic and think, “I need to go to the E.R.” As you are about to head through the door, your mother-in-law quickly mentions. ” What about that Pediatrix Urgent Care place for kids we saw the other day while shopping at Publix.” You reply, “Yeah, but that’s an urgent care, and Josh might have the flu. Plus, it’s Saturday, and I doubt they’re open.” You head over to your nearest Emergency Department (E.R.), and there’s an incredibly long wait. With so many medical options now available for patients, it can be hard to distinguish which one to visit based on your medical needs. So, we wanted to share with you six differences between an Urgent Care Clinic vs. the Emergency Room that will help you to make a more informed decision the next time you or your little one becomes ill.
An urgent care visit can be beneficial when it comes to illnesses and injuries that should be treated immediately, but are not life threatening. Our pediatricians can offer treatment solutions for illnesses including sore throats, fever, flu and cold symptoms, stomach viruses, allergic reactions and skin rashes, pink eye, ear infections, and other conditions. Reserve a Spot today or simply walk in to have your child seen by a trained pediatrician now.
First things first, you should know the difference between the two by their definitions. Urgent Care or Acute Care Clinics are walk-in clinics that are designed for after-hours ambulatory care. Patients are served on a first-come, first-served basis, and scheduled same-day visits may be offered. Urgent Cares have multiple exam rooms that are staffed by nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and medical assistants. Most Urgent Cares have a full-time, on-site licensed physician. Urgent care clinics such as Pediatrix Urgent Care fill patients’ needs when your child’s Pediatric doctors office is closed or booked out, especially for urgent health needs that do not require an emergency room visit. Emergency Rooms on the other hand, is a hospital area or free-standing building equipped and staffed for the prompt treatment of acute illness, trauma, or other medical emergencies. Emergency rooms have several exam rooms and have access to extensive diagnostic testing (CT Scan, Ultrasound, Fluoroscopy, etc.) and sub-specialist support.
Urgent Care wait times for walk-in patients average 15-45 minutes. At an Emergency Room, the wait time to see a provider can be up to two hours or more. Note, the E.R. is for severe emergencies, so patients that come in that are in dire need of medical care are usually seen first, therefore, those with minor or even moderate illnesses may have a wait time that is much longer than average.
Typically, if you have insurance, you’ll notice that your co-pay for an Emergency Room visit is more than an Urgent Care. Not only do Urgent Cares have a smaller co-pay, but you can also save money if you do not have insurance. At Pediatrix Urgent Care the starting self-pay rate for medical care is $160, and the maximum we charge for our medical services is $400 regardless of the amount of testing or treatment the patient needs. Note: Some urgent care centers are affiliates of major hospitals. Be sure to ask if they are billing you as an Urgent Care or as an Emergency Room. The cost of medical care at the Emergency Room can be substantially more for the same treatment. Emergency Room visits also may include multiple medical charges, which may not be covered by your insurance. The bottom line: An urgent care visit is substantially cheaper than an emergency room visit.
If you are looking for virtual urgent care for kids, you are in luck. Pediatrix Urgent Care now provides the convenience of online pediatrician appointments so you can easily call or video chat with our loving pediatricians right from your home
Services can vary depending on the type of urgent care you visit but, in a nutshell. Urgent Care clinics serve more pressing injuries or illnesses that are not life-threatening. Urgent cares also offer higher-level diagnostic equipment such as x-ray, laboratory testing and phlebotomy. At Pediatrix Urgent Care we provide services for higher acuity cases than most Urgent Care Centers. Some of these cases include:
Additional services at Pediatrix Urgent Care for newborn to 21 years of age patients include:
Emergency Room visits are necessary when a patient is suffering from a life- or limb-threatening medical condition or severe wounds. If symptoms arise suddenly and you believe that a life is in jeopardy, call 9-1-1. ERs specialize in managing catastrophic illnesses and injuries such as:
There are Urgent Care Clinics that cater to all age groups, and there are specialty urgent care clinics such as Pediatrix Urgent Care that specialize in medical care just for children and adolescents. Pediatrix Urgent Care goes one step further in that it is supervised by fellowship trained Pediatric Critical Care Specialists with 100 years of combined medical experience. Specialty facilities like ours are designed to be child-friendly and serve as an alternative to the emergency room for minor to moderately severe health issues. All our offices come equipped with medical devices that are suitable for newborns that are often not found in your family/all-purpose urgent care. You are more than welcome to contact us for any reason, and we encourage you to ask about our telemedicine services.
Note: We do not perform school physicals, workman’s compensation evaluations or give routine immunizations at Pediatrix Urgent Care.
Emergency rooms have the capability of calling different specialists needed to care for the severely ill. At Pediatrix Urgent Care, we have a good relationship with and access to many specialists including Orthopedic, Ear, Nose and Throat, Pediatric Surgery, etc. We can also facilitate early follow-up appointments with specialists. Pediatrix Urgent Care has excellent relationships with hospitalist groups at the premier children’s hospitals in our coverage area. We can facilitate admissions for observation or full admission when needed without having the patient go through the time consuming and expensive experience in the Emergency Room. Dr. Ayodeji Otegbeye, better known as “Dr. O” is the President and Founder of Central Florida Pediatrics Intensive Care Specialists and Pediatrix Urgent Care Urgent Care in Orlando, Florida, USA which developed a novel approach to care of children and adolescents in Central Florida. He is the Medical Director of Children’s Medical Services in the Central Florida Region (Orange, Seminole, Osceola and Brevard Counties) where he oversees the care of children with special health care needs and the Medical Director of Leesburg Regional Hospital Pediatric Hospitalist Program. Dr. Otegbeye completed his residency and fellowship at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. He is board certified in Pediatrics, Internal Medicine and Pediatric Critical Care. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, member of the American College of Physicians and Society for Critical Care Medicine. He specializes in pediatric critical care with special skills and interest in pulmonary medicine.
About the Author:
Dr. Ayodeji Otegbeye, better known as “Dr. O” is the President and Founder of Central Florida Pediatrics Intensive Care Specialists and Night Lite Pediatrics Urgent Care. Dr. O was the Medical Director of Children’s Medical Services in the Central Florida Region (Orange, Seminole, Osceola and Brevard Counties) from 2004 – 2019; and the Medical Director of Leesburg Regional Hospital Pediatric Hospitalist Program.
Disclaimer: These articles are not intended to be used for diagnosis or treatment. It is aimed at presenting a perspective only and is not a substitute for a prescription. Anyone experiencing a medical condition should consult their doctor.
