What Services Do Urgent Care Centers Provide?

Urgent care centers are gaining massive popularity in communities across the United States. If you’ve never visited one, you may be wondering what they’re all about and what they have to offer.

If you or a family member has ever been treated at an urgent care center for a health issue, you may want to know what other services they provide.

In this article, we’re taking an in-depth look at this new paradigm in health care — what advantages they have over other types of facilities, what distinguishes them from emergency rooms, and what are all the ways they can have a positive impact on the health of you and your family.

What Urgent Care Services Does Fast Pace Health Offer?

We offer two main urgent care services at Fast Pace Health:

In-Clinic

You can walk-in to one of our clinics or make reserve a spot online if you’re dealing with any of these issues.

Allergies

This includes seasonal allergies and allergic reactions from food or bites/stings.

Illnesses

We treat cold and flu, coughs, sore throat/strep throat, COVID-19, fevers, etc.

Infections

Ear and eye infections, UTIs, respiratory infections, yeast infections, etc.

Injuries

Sprains, strains, minor bone fractures, and other minor injuries.

Some other common conditions we treat:

• Cuts, scrapes, and wounds that require stitches
• Diarrhea, nausea, or stomach pain
• Severe headache or migraine
• Burns
• Sports injuries
• Vomiting

There are many more non-life-threatening conditions we can help you with at any of our clinics.

Telehealth

Get treatment and advice for a range of symptoms from the comfort of your own home. Talk to one of our providers on a smartphone, tablet, or computer about any health concerns you may have – they can also virtually prescribe or refill certain medications. Telehealth is a great option if you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, viruses, infections, rashes, and allergies.

What Other Services Are Available?

At our Fast Pace Health locations, we offer wellness services beyond urgent care needs.

Primary Care

Work with one of our compassionate health care providers to receive ongoing and comprehensive wellness counseling. This includes the management of diseases and chronic conditions, preventive care, women’s and men’s health issues, lab work/testing, and lifestyle and nutritional strategies.

Physical Therapy

The physical therapy staff can help you build a custom plan to recover from any injuries you may be facing. Whether they are orthopedic, work-related, or sports injuries, you will get the care you need for healing and long-term success.

Behavioral Health

Through therapy or medication, our behavioral health team made up of licensed clinical social workers, psychiatric nurse practitioners, and professional counselors can help treat conditions like depression, anxiety, ADHD, and PTSD in patients of all genders and all ages.

Occupational Health

Our clinics are in-network for most of the workers’ compensation insurance plans. This service aims to create supportive environments for employees and reduce healthcare costs for employers.

Head to our site to explore what other types of care we provide.

Why Visit an Urgent Care Center?

If you’re dealing with a sprain, need a vaccine, or are seeking other health care services but don’t have a primary care doctor, urgent care might be a great choice. Here are just some of the benefits that urgent care centers have to offer when you need medical care.

Accessibility

Urgent care centers are a convenient option due to an abundance of locations with same-day availability. No matter what part of the country you live in, you are likely no more than a short trip away from one.

Another aspect that makes them accessible is that they allow “walk-in” services. Unlike traditional primary care physician offices, you do not need to schedule an appointment in advance to see a health care provider.

Flexible Hours

Urgent care facilities often have more operating hours than private practices. If you have an urgent medical condition but don’t have time to visit an office during business hours, urgent care facilities offer hours in the evening, on weekends, and even on some holidays, depending on the location.

Fast

The time you’ll spend visiting a doctor’s office or emergency room is a complete toss-up — your wait time could be hours — with urgent care, you’re likely to be talking with a provider within 20 minutes. It can be slightly longer if you visit at a busier time. However, the whole process shouldn’t take longer than an hour.

Affordable

Visiting an urgent care center for a non-life-threatening emergency usually costs far less than visiting an emergency department for the same health issue.

If you are paying out of pocket, a visit is likely to be in the $150 or less range instead of in the thousands of dollars for ERs. Most urgent care locations also accept all types of insurance, including federally funded insurance programs like Medicare.

Quality Care

It is a common misconception that urgent care centers don’t offer the same level of care as physician’s offices and hospitals. This may be true if you’re talking about highly specialized areas of medicine and rarer, more severe health conditions. However, for many common conditions that people experience, the providers at urgent care centers are just as qualified and trained as those at other types of facilities.

What Are the Differences Between Urgent Care and the Emergency Room?

Although urgent care facilities provide a lot of services and are a great option when you’re facing a health problem that needs immediate care, they are not appropriate for certain situations. If you or a loved one is experiencing a life-threatening medical emergency, you should go to an emergency room as they will be more equipped to deal with these health problems.

A medical emergency is anything that requires immediate medical attention and includes:

• Loss of consciousness or seizures
• Large or deep wounds, including knife and gunshot wounds
• Bleeding that cannot be controlled
• Moderate and severe burns
• Poisoning
• Issues with a pregnancy
• Severe abdominal or severe chest pain
• Heart attack or stroke symptoms
• Any difficulty breathing

If your health condition does not fall into any of these categories, you may still be experiencing something that should receive care within the next day. This is where urgent care centers fit in, and below, we’re taking a look at all the specific care you can receive there.

Does Urgent Care Accept Insurance?

Are the services provided at Fast Pace Health urgent care clinics covered by my insurance?

We do accept most of the private major insurance plans, along with federal insurance plans. They generally cover any urgent care needs along with most of the other services we provide. If you are unsure about your insurance, you can call ahead to confirm with the front desk.

If you don’t have insurance, we offer a simple and affordable payment program to cover the cost of your visit.

Our Commitment

If you’re experiencing a health condition that needs urgent medical attention, come visit us at any of our 170+ locations. We strive to serve rural areas across Tennessee, Mississippi, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Indiana.

Whether you’re being treated for an urgent care matter or for any other health condition, our goal at Fast Past Health remains the same — to provide high-quality and thorough care to all of our patients. We place the individual needs and goals of our patients above all else, improving the health status of the communities we serve in the process.

Summary

Urgent care centers are becoming a popular alternative to more traditional forms of health care. They are helping communities thrive due to their accessibility, convenience, and low-costs. If you are not experiencing a life-threatening emergency, urgent care can help you quickly get the care you need.

Beyond urgent care matters, Fast Pace Health Clinics offer much more, including primary care and telehealth.

Sources:

Women’s health: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia | MedlinePlus

What’s Medicare? | Medicare

Telehealth: Technology meets health care | Mayo Clinic