What to Expect at Urgent Care
- A nurse will determine the urgency of your chief complaint. Some patients have more urgent problems and may need to be seen immediately.
- Registration occurs after your arrival. Basic personal and insurance information is requested.
- Once determined you may be placed directly in an exam room or you may be placed in the waiting room to wait for an exam room to become available
- Once in the exam room there may still be a waiting period before the provider examines you. However, you can expect that a staff member will check on you and your loved ones every twenty minutes while you wait. They will update you on your status to be seen and will also offer comfort measures as appropriate.
- A health care provider will examine you. The provider discusses the treatment plan with you (the patient), and then carries it out.
- Treatments may involve follow-up with a doctor’s office or the Emergency Department.
- We see patients as efficiently as possible. Factors affecting your visit length include: the number of people ahead of you, the severity of their problems, and the type of testing needed to diagnose your problem such as lab or imaging services.
- Please be aware that some patients in the waiting room may be waiting or scheduled for other services such as the lab or an imaging procedure, and are not necessarily here as an urgent care patient.
- After your care is complete the RN will go over your discharge paperwork and at home care with you. This is a great time for questions and answers.
- If you received lab work at your visit you will be notified only if there is a positive result or if there will be a change in your treatment plan from what was originally prescribed. Please be advised that we do not call all lab results back.
What to bring with you
- List of current medications and dosage
- Name/address of primary care physician
- Name and phone number of pharmacy
- Insurance card
Urgent Care Bill
Charges from your visit will be sent to your insurance company based on the information you have provided. There will be a bill from Cayuga Medical Center for the urgent care center charges and a bill from your health care provider for his/her charges. If laboratory or imaging services are performed, your insurance company will also be billed separately for the physician’s interpretation of the results.
Safety and Quality
Safety is a top priority for us here at Cayuga Medical Center. We have many processes in place that ensure the safest care for you or your loved one. As a result you can expect to be asked many times throughout your visit your name and date of birth for verification. In addition, we will label all lab specimens obtained from you in front of you before we leave the room with them. If you are having an invasive procedure we will perform a safety initiative called a “time out”. This is a process where the provider takes a moment and stops everything to verify he/she has the correct patient, the correct site, and is doing the correct procedure. This will be done with the registered nurse in the room for verification as well.
You can also expect to see our staff and providers wash their hands frequently. RN’s and providers should wash their hands before your physical exam and after your physical exam. They should also wear gloves when appropriate. If you have any questions or concerns about any of this during your visit stay SPEAK UP. Talk to your nurse, provider or the director. Remember that this is your health and you have a right to know and question your health care!