MONROE - Monroe Clinic has new hours for its walk-in care services.
Located in the Monroe Clinic's emergency department, walk-in care service now will be available every day from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., a reduction from its previous 24-hour service.
Emergency care will continue to be offered 24 hours each day.
Christine Statler, director of emergency services and critical care at Monroe Clinic, called the change in walk-in care hours "an opportunity to raise community awareness about access to medical care, and how the type of care needed varies by level of urgency."
The new hours are to encourage patients to use their primary care physician (PCP), according to Mary Hanneman, senior marketing specialist at the Clinic.
"There needs to be some consumer education," about when to use emergency and walk-in care, she said.
"Patients and families benefit from understanding whether a medical issue is best served by an appointment with their primary care provider, or if they need immediate care to address a serious health threat," Statler said.
"Walk-in care is also used by people who have not made a choice of a PCP yet," Hanneman said.
"Insurance bills differently for emergency and walk-in care," Hanneman said.
Walk-in care provides the clinic with the ability to treat patients with reasonable medical situations, without incurring emergency expense.
Patients without health insurance are not turned away, and are allowed their choice of seeing a doctor, or using the walk-in clinic or emergency room.
Emergency care is more expensive than walk-in, but both are more expensive than a visit to a primary care physician.
The Clinic offers a 10 percent cash discount for the uninsured and offers Community Care assistance to help people pay for their health care, with a sliding scale based on federal poverty guidelines.
Monroe Clinic "believes patients receive better care by having a physician," Hanneman said.
A personal physician has a better understanding of the patient's running history of care, she said. For that reason, the Clinic is encouraging patients to call their PCP first.
If the doctor is unavailable or cannot schedule the patient with another provider, the walk-in clinic should be considered.
In any case, if a patient is experiencing significant pain or feels a situation is life-threatening, they always should go to the emergency department.
"When a medical problem cannot wait until the following morning, it most likely requires emergency medical attention rather than walk-in care - a service based on less urgent level of need," Statler said.
The clinic's main and branch locations are working together to provide appointments for same-day service, Hanneman said.
"Branches try to keep hours in the morning open. They can guarantee if you call before noon, you can get in that day - but it may not be at that clinic," she said.
Monroe Clinic also created the new open access clinic, based on the clinic's main campus, as a primary care service to patients who need same-day or next-day care when their normal primary care provided may not be available. Appointments with the open access clinic are scheduled on a provider-referral basis.
Located in the Monroe Clinic's emergency department, walk-in care service now will be available every day from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., a reduction from its previous 24-hour service.
Emergency care will continue to be offered 24 hours each day.
Christine Statler, director of emergency services and critical care at Monroe Clinic, called the change in walk-in care hours "an opportunity to raise community awareness about access to medical care, and how the type of care needed varies by level of urgency."
The new hours are to encourage patients to use their primary care physician (PCP), according to Mary Hanneman, senior marketing specialist at the Clinic.
"There needs to be some consumer education," about when to use emergency and walk-in care, she said.
"Patients and families benefit from understanding whether a medical issue is best served by an appointment with their primary care provider, or if they need immediate care to address a serious health threat," Statler said.
"Walk-in care is also used by people who have not made a choice of a PCP yet," Hanneman said.
"Insurance bills differently for emergency and walk-in care," Hanneman said.
Walk-in care provides the clinic with the ability to treat patients with reasonable medical situations, without incurring emergency expense.
Patients without health insurance are not turned away, and are allowed their choice of seeing a doctor, or using the walk-in clinic or emergency room.
Emergency care is more expensive than walk-in, but both are more expensive than a visit to a primary care physician.
The Clinic offers a 10 percent cash discount for the uninsured and offers Community Care assistance to help people pay for their health care, with a sliding scale based on federal poverty guidelines.
Monroe Clinic "believes patients receive better care by having a physician," Hanneman said.
A personal physician has a better understanding of the patient's running history of care, she said. For that reason, the Clinic is encouraging patients to call their PCP first.
If the doctor is unavailable or cannot schedule the patient with another provider, the walk-in clinic should be considered.
In any case, if a patient is experiencing significant pain or feels a situation is life-threatening, they always should go to the emergency department.
"When a medical problem cannot wait until the following morning, it most likely requires emergency medical attention rather than walk-in care - a service based on less urgent level of need," Statler said.
The clinic's main and branch locations are working together to provide appointments for same-day service, Hanneman said.
"Branches try to keep hours in the morning open. They can guarantee if you call before noon, you can get in that day - but it may not be at that clinic," she said.
Monroe Clinic also created the new open access clinic, based on the clinic's main campus, as a primary care service to patients who need same-day or next-day care when their normal primary care provided may not be available. Appointments with the open access clinic are scheduled on a provider-referral basis.