MUSC plans for ‘one-stop shop’ in emergency care
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Imagine going to an urgent care in an emergency and being told to go to the emergency room or vice versa, leaving you with two different bills for one issue.
The Medical University of South Carolina is looking to expand urgent care services to a one-stop shop emergency department.
“When you need health care, you need it then and there. And you ask yourself the question, ‘Do I need to go to the emergency room?’” MUSC Health Charleston Division Chief Executive Officer Dr. Saju Joy says.
Joy says finding an answer to that question may be easier than you think with the help of this project.
At these new facilities, if it’s unclear of the level of emergency, community are able to come in for a triage to determine whether it calls for the emergency department or the urgent care.
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“This is a one-stop shop where the patients can come in through one door, get one check-in, and the emergency medicine trained physician or provider will evaluate and decide if this visit is necessary for urgent care or emergency care,” he says.
Through their partnership with Intuitive Health, MUSC plans to open new facilities throughout the Palmetto State geared towards both urgent care and emergency needs. Studies show that a significant number of ER visits are for nonemergency health concerns that could be taken care of at an urgent care.
Colin Echard, a physician assistant at Access Urgent Care, says they see people coming in asking for advice, not knowing a lot of information.
“When emergencies do come in, which is rarely, maybe once a week, maybe a couple times a month, we are intentionally across the street from the hospital. That way it can be handled very thoughtfully and make sure people are taken care of safely,” Echard says.
He says they see more people come thinking they needed the ER, so the integration of the two makes sense, especially when someone’s been in an accident or experiencing pain more severe.
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“Those for us are clear instances of why you would need to go to the emergency room. So those folks, we meet them and discuss with them really quickly, but the goal is to get them to the emergency room as quickly as possible so they can get the care they need,” Echard says.
Joy says these facilities will be up and running like a normal emergency department, open 24/7, catering to whatever the patients need, saving time, money and additional trips.
“The provider that you will see, you will have access to an emergency medicine-trained physician at your fingertips. The rest of the team will be the complementary team , whether it’s nursing or front desk personnel. Everything that makes up an emergency department will be the same,” Joy said.
Joy says their goal with this is to improve access to care, efficiency and effectiveness.
“It’s going to be somewhere close to where you live. You’ll have the option to get the right kind of care for the right kind of cost, right?” Joy said.
In of timeline and locations, Joy said they’re still evaluating their plans, figuring out what communities need the most.
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