The Gnaden Huetten Campus of the Blue Mountain Health System has implemented an "Express Care" service in its emergency department. Express Care is a fast-track system designed to treat non-urgent patients with minor injuries in a timely and effective manner. These are patients who cannot be seen by their primary care physician or do not have a primary care physician.
In an emergency department, critically ill patients are seen first, which means less critically ill, non-urgent patients may have to wait. Express Care, a unique service not provided by hospitals in our local service area, will expedite diagnosis and treatment of patients presented with non-urgent conditions.
In an Express Care system adjacent to an emergency department within a hospital, a trained triage nurse assesses the severity of a patient's condition upon arrival. The triage nurse obtains a medical history, vital signs and decides if the patient meets set Express Care criteria or truly requires triage into the emergency department proper. If it is determined more intense treatment is required, the patient can easily be seen in the emergency department without major inconvenience. Patients can be timely and effectively treated no matter what level of care is required.
Express Care is open seven days per week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and staffed by physician extenders and assistants.
With the implementation of Express Care, the Gnaden Huetten Campus has improved customer service and has promoted quality patient care through reduced emergency department waiting times.
Express Care is designed to offer high quality medical care for minor medical emergencies with all the resources of the hospital available on demand, if needed.
What are "minor emergencies" that may be treated in Express Care?
- Sprains
- Minor cuts
- Minor burns
- Sore throats
- Eye irrigations
- Suture removal
- Rashes
- Colds or flu
- Earaches
- Insect bites or stings
Express Care is available seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The phone number for Express Care is 610-377-8230.