As we all know, life can be unpredictable. You may do everything right:
- Eat your vegetables
- Exercise 30 minutes a day
- Drink plenty of water
However, you could:
- Wake up in the middle of the night with terrible stomach pain
- Notice your kid has a fever on the weekend
- Hurt your leg during a game of pick-up basketball with friends
Whatever the case, life can bring unexpected illness or injury at any moment and knowing where to turn is important!
The above scenarios are common and can pose a tough question to patients dealing with it:
Do I go to the emergency room or can I head to the nearest walk-in clinic or urgent care location?
This dilemma is not unusual, and although urgent care centers are popping up all over the country, the team at Buford Family Practice has recognized many patients don’t know the difference between the ER and urgent care.
If you’re not sure about urgent care, what it’s for, and how it can benefit you—keep reading! We break down all the basics and even outline the urgent care services we offer at our practice.
Familiarize yourself with this important information so the next time a medical problem pops up in your family, you don’t have to waste time stressing over where to go.
What Is Urgent Care?
Before diving in we feel this is a good time to bring up if you are experiencing a serious medical condition or emergency you should call 911 or go to the ER immediately.
Medical emergencies are any conditions that are life-threatening or could permanently impair you like:
- Convulsions, seizures, loss of consciousness
- Heart attack symptoms
- Stroke symptoms
- Deep knife wounds or gunshot wounds
- Fever in a baby under three months old
On the other hand, you may be surprised at what is considered an urgent care condition and what urgent care clinics, like Buford Family Practice, can do to help you in times of need.
Urgent care was designed for patients who need medical attention, but cannot wait for an appointment with their regular physician.
Should you have minor illnesses or injuries that are not life-threatening, urgent care is a great option and the team at —Monday through Saturday!
What Can I Go to Urgent Care For?
There’s a wide variety of conditions which are considered to require urgent medical attention. These critical medical conditions are ones that aren’t medical emergencies but require care in 24 hours. Here are a few of the most common illnesses and injuries to give you an idea:
- Fluor fever
- Cuts that didn’t have much blood, but could require stitches
- Breathing difficulty, possibly mild to moderate asthma
- Urinary tract infections
- Skin rashes and infections
- Severe sore throat or cough
- Abdominal pain
- Dehydration
- Diarrhea
- Sprains and strains
- Vaccinations
- Lab work
- Minor allergic reactions
- Diagnostic services
Still not sure if your medical concern falls under urgent care services? Give us a call at 678-541-0588 for our Buford office or 770-822-4411 for our Lawrenceville location or feel free to visit us!
We accept walk-ins and are proud to offer weekend hours. Get the address for both locations here.
Quality Healthcare
Urgent care centers provide easy access to quality healthcare for the times when your primary care physician’s offices are closed.
However, at Buford Family Practice, we treat every patient and every appointment as if you have been coming to us for years.
Our team of medical professionals is committed to providing personalized attention to patients with urgent health needs receive the absolute best care no matter the day or time.
Who Is Urgent Care For?
Our urgent care services are prepared to handle any patient from pediatric to geriatric with a minor illness or injury.
Our team is made up of experienced doctors, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners, and we will do our best to attend to you as quickly as possible.
During your appointment, we will advise you on any necessary:
- Follow-up procedures
- Abnormal lab work
- X-rays
We can also send a record of your treatment to your regular primary care doctor who can also provide essential info regarding your follow-up care.
The Benefits of Buford Family Practice
Both Buford Family Practice locations, in Lawrenceville and Buford, are well-equipped to handle any urgent medical condition that may arise.
We are a primary care clinic with a team that has specialized in many different areas and continuously strives to offer all patients the latest and greatest in quality care resources.
Should you seek urgent care treatment at one of our medical facilities here are a few of the specific services we can provide:
- Digital X-ray machines
- Electrocardiogram
- Echocardiogram
- Shorter wait times (especially compared to the ER)
- Medical professionals who care!
If you think you may need another service not listed above give us a call today at 678-541-0588 for the Buford office or 770-822-4411 for the Lawrenceville location to inquire about other available services.
We’re Your Partner
Our team knows what you’re going through, and we pride ourselves on providing a one-stop shop with high-quality care at the forefront of our mission.
We’ll go beyond the typical patient-doctor relationship and make sure you receive the care you deserve.
Buford Family Practice understands the stress of an unexpected illness or injury, especially if your loved one is the person dealing with it, but you can rest easy knowing you’re in good hands with us!
Just because you aren’t a regular of ours doesn’t mean we’ll treat you any differently. We’re your partner in health and will work hard to make your appointment as accessible, informative, and efficient as possible.
Why Is Urgent Care a Good Option?
More often than not, patients will say “This is great, but the ER can offer the same” so why should you choose an urgent care clinic over the emergency room (in cases of non-emergency, that is)?
- More than 3/4 of urgent care patients wait less than 30 minutes to see a provider.
- You don’t have to worry about scheduling an appointment and walk-ins are welcome.
- We accept many insurance plans (BCBS & HMO), making your visit more affordable.
- We have convenient locations.
What could be better than getting high-quality, affordable, and time-efficient care? If you have an urgent medical condition, don’t hesitate to drop by our clinics to receive help or call ahead to see how we can help.
What to Expect During Your Urgent Care Appointment
Have we convinced you of all the benefits of urgent care centers? If so, here are some basics for what to expect should you come to Buford Family Practice for urgent care attention.
Although you can’t exactly plan for an urgent care visit, as it is by nature an unexpected illness or injury, we hope that by familiarizing yourself with this information now you may have a better idea of how the process works should you ever have to go through it.
Let Us Help You Find a Solution
We know patients who come for urgent care may not be on top of their game, don’t be hard on yourself; we will help you find a solution. However, a little planning could help things run more smoothly.
We recommend keeping a folder at home or in your car, backpack, etc. that has a copy of your:
- Insurance card or other proof of insurance
- ID (this could be a driver’s license, passport, military ID, employment badge, or student identification card)
- Current prescriptions and over-the-counter meds you’re currently taking
- List of important medical history info and any allergies
We also recommend writing down the contact info for any medical providers you regularly see as well as an emergency contact. Taking the time to prepare this information could ensure your urgent care process goes by quickly and efficiently.
While we pride ourselves on short wait times, we know that sometimes things just get busy. If you’re able to call ahead and make an appointment for your urgent care visit you could significantly reduce the amount of time you spend in the waiting room.
Please keep in mind our patients are our top priority, and we work hard to make every visit to Buford Family Practice as comfortable as possible.
Buford Family Practice for Urgent Care Services
Dr. Osowa and the Buford Family Practice team is here to serve you Monday through Saturday.
You can find our clinic locations here or give us a call at 678-541-0588 for the Buford office or 770-822-4411 for the Lawrenceville location to get more information.
Walk-ins are welcome, and we accept many insurance plans! Don’t hesitate to drop by any time and see how we can help.
Resources
- Image attribution.
- https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/urgent care
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urgent_care_center