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Mile Bluff offers many levels of service to meet your healthcare needs by Amanda Emery It’s the middle of the night and you wake up with a fever, or your child comes to you sobbing about the bee sting that seems to keep getting bigger and bigger. What should you do? Wait until morning? But what if your normal healthcare provider will not be in the office for a few days? Mile Bluff Medical Center provides options to the community for these types of situations. You can visit us at one of our outreach medical centers, the Urgent Care Department, or for more serious, life-threatening conditions, the emergency room (ER). How do you know which one is right for you? There are several factors that can determine the type of care you need. There are many advantages to seeing a provider at one of Mile Bluff’s outreach medical centers. In addition to family practice, each facility also offers x-ray, audiology (hearing), obstetrics, podiatry (foot) and laboratory services - among others. In an effort to reduce waiting time, patients are scheduled by appointments at these sites. You may be coming in for a variety of reasons, such as a routine check-up or preventive care. Many times though, you call when you have a mild fever, cough, cold, sinus infection, ear infection and a variety of other non-life-threatening maladies. What happens if you experience symptoms after normal business hours and feel that you won’t make it until the following day to get to an outreach medical center? What if one of these circumstances escalates to the point of needing immediate medical attention? Luckily there is an answer. Mile Bluff has specialized departments to handle cases like these. If you find yourself in one of these predicaments, but don’t feel as though it is life-threatening, Mile Bluff’s Urgent Care Department can take care of you. In urgent care you will be tended to by a physician assistant. This service is available weeknights from 4 to 10 pm, weekends from 9 am to 9 pm, and during “normal business hours” on holidays. Patients are treated in the order in which they arrive. Usually, cases are walk-ins; however, you can call ahead if you think you will be going to urgent care. By doing so, you can supply staff members with information about your illness or injury, and this will prepare them for your specific needs. The receptionist can also inform you of approximately how long it will take for you to be seen. It is important to note that at Mile Bluff, patients from both urgent care and the emergency room share the same waiting area. If you see someone who came in after you and is taken to a room prior to you, it is because that person was determined as needing to be seen by the emergency room. Sometimes, a life-threatening situation presents itself, immediate attention is required and you just can’t wait to be seen. This is where Mile Bluff Medical Center’s Emergency Room Department can help! If you ever feel that you or a loved one is in immediate medical danger, the first step is to call 911 (emergency assistance), or to head to Mile Bluff’s ER. In the emergency room, you will be taken care of by a team of highly-trained individuals that deal with serious conditions and have state-of-the-art equipment available to them. There is a Mile Bluff physician on duty around the clock in the emergency room. Upon arrival, patients are evaluated, and those with the most severe cases will be seen before others. The emergency room is available 24 hours a day to those who need it, however, these specialized services should only be utilized when necessary. If you use the services at one of the outreach medical centers or urgent care when available and appropriate, you free up the emergency room staff so it can deal with life-threatening situations more effectively. A common question many people have is “When should I go to urgent care instead of the emergency room?” If you have any of the following ailments and do not feel as though your life is in jeopardy, it’s recommended to visit urgent care if you aren’t able to get an appointment with your primary care provider. When to visit urgent care or an outreach medical facility: • wounds that may require stitches • coughs and congestion • sprains • diarrhea • strains • sore throats • deep bruises • insect bites • mild to moderate asthma attacks • rashes • ear infections • colds • urinary tract infections • flus • upper respiratory infections • fevers However, if you experience any of the following symptoms, it is recommended you go straight to the emergency room. When you should go to the emergency room: • broken bones • difficulty breathing • chest pains or pressure • trauma or injury to the head • stroke • sudden dizziness or difficulty seeing • uncontrolled bleeding • severe abdominal pain Due to the fact that the emergency room is designed to deal with life-threatening conditions, the services in the Urgent Care Department are substantially less expensive than emergency room care. This can be a huge factor for those individuals who have to pay out-of-pocket for medical services. Insurance companies also take this into consideration when processing claims; they tend to provide better coverage for those utilizing the most appropriate service. However, if you feel that your situation is life-threatening, do not hesitate to ask for emergency services. Now the next time you find yourself with a 2 am fever, or when your child has a swollen bee sting, you have the proper information to determine which of Mile Bluff’s facilities and services will best suit you and your loved ones’ healthcare needs. If you believe you are in a life-threatening situation, you should always go to the emergency room for immediate evaluation. For those more minor ailments you can visit an outreach medical center or the Urgent Care Department during its normal hours. If you have any questions regarding what type of attention you need, please call Mile Bluff Medical Center at 608-847-6161. |
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Mile Bluff Medical Center/ 1050 Division St./ Mauston, WI 53948 / 608 847 6161 © 2008 Mile Bluff Medical Center |
