Urgent Care for Urgent Needs
Urgent Medical Care at EPIC Urgent & Family Care
Patients who need immediate medical service for acute and chronic illness and injury can benefit from urgent care medicine at EPIC Urgent & Family Care. Offering urgent medical care requires broad knowledge and close communication and collaboration with specialists.
What Is Urgent Care?
Urgent care is not a replacement for regular doctor visits. It should be used as a convenient option when you can’t wait for a scheduled appointment or illness or injury strikes outside of regular office hours. It’s also an alternative to what could be hours of waiting at a hospital emergency room.
Urgent medical care providers like Dr. Patel and our team of nurse practitioners are on the front lines of medicine, and they need to be proficient in evaluating and caring for any patient who walks into their clinic. That means there is some overlap between the scope of practice in urgent care medicine and many other medical specialties involving direct patient care.
Our Urgent Care Service Categories
At EPIC Urgent & Family Care, we provide a wide range of urgent care services to meet the diverse needs of our community. Here is a brief overview of the main service categories available at our facility:
- Conditions: We offer diagnosis and treatment for a variety of acute conditions such as colds, flu, infections, allergies, and asthma. Our team is equipped to handle both minor and more severe symptoms, ensuring that you receive the appropriate care quickly and efficiently.
- Medical Procedures: Our facility is equipped to perform a range of medical procedures right on-site. This includes wound care, suturing, abscess drainage, and casting for minor fractures. Our goal is to provide comprehensive care that addresses your immediate medical needs.
- Telemedicine: For those who prefer or require consultation from the comfort of their home, we offer telemedicine services. This option provides access to urgent care Palatine patients value through virtual visits, allowing you to speak with our healthcare providers via video call for diagnoses and treatment recommendations.
- Vaccinations & Immunizations: Staying up-to-date with vaccinations is crucial for preventing disease. We provide a comprehensive array of vaccinations and immunizations for all ages, from seasonal flu shots to routine childhood immunizations and travel vaccines.
- VA Urgent Care: Dedicated to our veterans, this service offers immediate care specifically for VA beneficiaries. Our VA care ensures that veterans receive timely medical attention for urgent health issues without the need for prior authorization, providing the respect and care our veterans deserve.
Each of these service categories is designed to ensure that you and your family receive high-quality medical care when you need it most, all within a welcoming and professional environment.
How Is Urgent Care Similar to Emergency Medicine?
Most parents who receive treatment in an ambulatory medicine setting can be treated fully by an urgent care medicine specialist, either independently or in consultation with another specialist. They may sometimes need a follow-up appointment or Dr. Patel will refer them to another specialist, transfer them to an emergency department, or recommend direct hospitalization for inpatient care. Urgent medical care does not include surgical operations (other than skin lesion removal or wound repair), inpatient care, or continuing medical care for chronic medical problems.
The Overlap Between Urgent Care and Family Medicine
Urgent medical care shares the most in common with family practice and emergency medicine, compared to other medical specialties, though it is unique enough from both to be considered a separate specialty with a distinct knowledge base, skillset, and breadth of experience required. Like family practice, urgent care has a broad scope, as it cares for patients of any age, male or female, with any complaint.
Where it differs from family practice is in its focus on acute medical problems. Not every family practice doctor offers urgent care medicine, focusing mainly on chronic health issues in patients. Family practice is about continuity of medical care more than anything.
Urgent Care or Emergency Room?
Urgent care is not the same thing as an emergency room. Patients with medical problems on the high end of the severity spectrum should go to the emergency room, but patients on the low end may get treated quicker through urgent medical care, with the added benefit that they may already be Dr. Patel’s patients. Dr. Patel has expertise in evaluating and treating urgent care patients with simple, office-based laboratory tests (including urinalysis, pregnancy test, and rapid strep assay) and X-ray. If you present to urgent care at EPIC Urgent & Family Care and Dr. Patel judges that your medical problem requires more complex tests such as CT scanning and ultrasound, she may transfer you to a hospital emergency department.
One benefit of urgent care over emergency care for lower-severity acute illness or injury is that care can usually be provided more quickly than in the emergency room. However, urgent care cannot provide definitive care of critically ill patients and are not equipped for long-term patient observation.
Dr. Patel Can Meet Your Urgent Care Needs
Whether you are a current patient at EPIC Urgent & Family Care or not, Dr. Patel is a great, convenient provider in Palentine, IL. We are committed to providing exceptional urgent care services that are accessible and affordable for everyone in our community. Whether you’re facing a sudden illness, minor injury, or need prompt medical attention, our skilled and compassionate medical team is here to offer the care you need, when you need it most. With state-of-the-art facilities, a wide range of services, and a patient-focused approach, we ensure a seamless and comforting healthcare experience. Trust us to be your go-to provider for all urgent care needs, where your health is our highest priority.
