Pasadena Community Urgent Care Urges Employers and Local Residents to Consider Sensible Alternative to ER Visits
(PASADENA, Calif. – October 31, 2011) — As Pasadena Community Urgent Care (PCUC) prepares to celebrate its first anniversary, a new national study reports that consumers and employers alike can save significant time and money by more properly using urgent care centers instead of hospital-based emergency rooms for non-emergency care.
Unnecessary use of ER facilities is rampant in theUnited States, resulting in increased medical costs, long wait times, and decreased availability of medical resources for patients truly in need of emergency care. It is estimated that as much as 27 percent of all emergency room visits could take place at an alternative treatment site, such as urgent care, with a potential cost savings of approximately $4.4 billion annually.
The new survey, conducted by Evive Health in conjunction with the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, reports that 40 percent of employees surveyed had never used or were unfamiliar with urgent care facilities as an option. “Many employees do not realize that many non-acute illnesses can and should be treated at urgent care to reduce costs,” said Evive Health Chief Operating Officer Prashant Srivastava. “Everyone benefits if we leave ERs open for the true health emergencies, such as trauma, heart attacks and stroke.”
According to Wendy Karsten, chief executive officer of Huntington Medical Foundation whose physicians staff PCUC, the survey’s findings are “totally consistent with what we have experienced over the past year. Many people are simply unaware of what an urgent care center can offer for those times when you can’t wait for a doctor’s appointment but your need isn’t life threatening. And our evening and weekend hours mean that people don’t need to take time away from work to take care of their healthcare needs.”
Karsten points out that broken bones, cold and flu symptoms, cuts, sprains, sports-related injuries, and high fever are among the many conditions that can be treated at PCUC. The center includes 11 examination rooms, procedure rooms, testing laboratories and mobile X-ray equipment. “Once people have been to our center for care, they tell their friends and become a supporter of the cost savings and convenience we offer,” Karsten says.
In support of the local business community, PCUC provides immediate care for on-the-job injuries as well as an array of employee health services such as pre-employment physicals, drug screenings and more. “Our goal is to support the local business community by providing much-needed services in an easy-to-access, affordable and comfortable environment,” said Karsten, who adds that other employee health services offered at the center include respiratory fit testing, lift evaluations, vision and hearing test services, post-accident care, and breath alcohol testing as well as X-ray and lab services. PCUC also offers InstyMeds, a convenient medication dispensing system for employees’ medicinal needs.
PCUC is a unique collaboration among the city of Pasadena, Huntington Medical Foundation, Community Health Alliance of Pasadena andHuntington Memorial Hospital. The center is located at 3160 East Del Mar Blvd.and is open daily from7 a.m. to10 p.m. For urgently needed care, appointments are not necessary; however, appointments are required for employment physicals and screenings. For more information call 626-270-2400, or visit HMFUrgentCare.com.
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More information on Huntington Medical Foundation, including a directory of physicians, may be obtained at www.huntingtonmedical.com.
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