Ask for local health care options available at VMH
Veterans Memorial Hospital began offering Urgent Care Monday, November 18, available seven days a week. Urgent Care is designed for treating injuries or illnesses requiring immediate care, but not serious enough to require an emergency department visit.
Urgent Care is now offered every Monday through Friday evening from 5-9 p.m. and Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Patients may enter through the main entrance of the hospital and ask for urgent care. A registered nurse will assess each patient and decide if urgent care or emergency room is the level of care they need.
Examples of what a patient may seek Urgent Care for could include back pain; bladder or urinary tract infection; cough; cuts, scrapes and bruises; diarrhea; fever, colds and flu; ear pain, swimmer’s ear, ear infection or wax removal; insect or tick bite; joint pain; minor burn; nausea/vomiting; pink eye; rash; seasonal allergies; sinus and upper respiratory infection; sore or strep throat; strains/sprains; sudden back or neck pain; urinary problems or vaginal irritation/discharge. Most insurance does cover urgent care visits. Patients can usually expect to pay a co-pay or deductible for visits to Urgent Care treatment centers.
“Local care will still be available through other local clinics in the area as well as our new Urgent Care service,” states Mike Myers, Administrator of Veterans Memorial Hospital. “We encourage the communities we serve to ask their provider if their care can be provided right here, close to home, at Veterans Memorial Hospital. Many of our skilled care, surgical, maternity, laboratory, rehab and x-ray patients among others share with us that they would have been sent elsewhere for their care, had they not specifically asked for local care at VMH.”
Veterans Memorial Hospital’s Laboratory has the ability to draw and run many lab tests locally. Specialists from out of town often require blood work prior to an appointment. Often those tests can be run locally and the results sent electronically the same day the blood is drawn. Weekly INR testing can also be completed by the hospital’s lab as well as wellness testing which is provided daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday.
X-ray/Radiology Services, such as CT scans, mammograms, dexa bone densitometry scans, and ultrasounds are available the same or the next day.
Nuclear Medicine cardiac stress tests are available every Thursday. Respiratory Therapy offers pulmonary function testing the same or next day, overnight oximetry tests within one or two days and sleep studies are scheduled within a month or less.
Rehabilitation for Physical therapy, Occupational therapy and Speech therapy can all begin within one to two days as can Nutrition and Diabetes consultations.
“We want everyone in our local communities to ask for local options before leaving the area for their health care,” adds Myers. “So many services can be provided close to home. It’s convenient, top notch and our friendly staff truly shows how neighbors can care for neighbors.”
