News Releases
Paulding County Hospital Revamps Emergency Department Services
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Emergency department services are taking on a new look at Paulding County Hospital. Urgent Care will be the new name of the emergency service formerly known as PrimeCare. The main advantage to the new program will be that it is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No appointments will be necessary, just walk in and be assessed by a caring, professional nurse. Everyone will be seen on a first come, first served basis. The only exception to that rule would be if a critical patient would need to be seen immediately. Everyone can understand that life or death takes precedence. Paulding County Hospital will still maintain a fully functioning emergency room at all times.
The purpose for the updated program was to better serve the community. The Urgent Care setting is perfect for when a patient’s family doctor is out of town, a high fever develops at 7 pm or maybe a visitor from out of town suddenly gets ill. The welcoming environment includes multiple treatment and exam rooms offering privacy, cleanliness, and comfort. There is always a physician on site.
The way the system works is very simple. When a patient presents to the emergency room, one of the nurses on duty will assess you. After consulting a detailed set of criteria, the nurse will determine what level of care will be assigned, from urgent care up to the highest emergency room level. The lowest fee will be similar to a physician’s office visit fee. A professional fee from the emergency room physician will also apply to any visit to the emergency room. Illnesses that are commonly seen in the urgent care setting are: earache, sore throat,
vomiting, diarrhea, strains and sprains, painful or burning urination, flu-like symptoms, simple wounds, rashes or allergic reactions. All diagnostic services such as lab or x-ray will be available.
These changes will all become effective on November 1, 2008. If there are any questions, please call 419-399-1141 for more information.
