The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
URGENT CARE OPENS
University Hospitals unveils new facility at Elyria Medical Center
University Hospitals has opened a new urgent care facility at the UH Elyria Medical Center.
University Hospitals Elyria Urgent Care opened on Oct. 7 and already has seen more than a dozen patients over its first three days.
Hospital staff expect that number to increase quickly once people learn about it, said Tara Sostakowski, nurse manager at the facility.
“It seems to be catching on already,” she said.
UH Elyria Urgent Care is part of the hospital complex at 630 E. River St., Elyria.
“Our goal is to get them in and out as quickly as possible and just provide them with good service.”
— Tara Sostakowski, nurse manager
“Our goal is to not even have anybody waiting out here,” Sostakowski said at the entrance to the facility.
Patients can enter, register and go back to a room to meet with a nurse, nurse practitioner and medical assistant, she said.
“It’s a pretty quick process,” Sostakowski said. “Our goal is to get them in and out as quickly as possible and just provide them with good service.”
The urgent care center is for those not feeling well, but who don’t need the services of the ER, she said.
Common symptoms or conditions treated at an urgent care include: allergies, except severe reactions; bee stings and insect bites; coughs, colds and sore throats; cut and laceration care, including stitches; ear infections; ear wax removal; fever and flu-like symptoms; head lice treatment; minor burns and rashes; pink eye; poison ivy; sinus infections; skin irritations and scabies; sports injuries; sprains, strains and deep bruises; sexually transmitted disease checks; TB testing; urinary tract infections and work-related injuries, according to the hospital.
The community had a need for an urgent care center and it serves to “decompress” the emergency room, Sostakowski said.
More critical patients can go to the ER, but patients who do not need that level of care don’t have to wait there, she said.
The urgent care center sits next to the hospital’s emergency room, so anyone needing emergency medical care can be sent there easily, Sostakowski said.
UH Elyria Urgent Care has access to the resources of the hospital, including laboratory testing and medical imaging, she said.
The offices previously were used for other hospital functions but did not need major renovations to create eight treatment spaces, Sostakowski said. There are two private rooms, treatment bays and a central desk area and nurses station.
On Oct. 9, Jessica Maynard of Elyria was waiting with her daughters, Faith Cruz, 3, and Rosalena Cruz, 4.
Faith had a slight earache and her mother speculated the tot may have gotten some paint or PlayDoh off the table and into her ear.
“And it’s not coming out,” Maynard said.
The family started at the emergency room, but Maynard said she knew it was not a top 10 emergency and she did not want to take up space when someone else might need care.
Staff directed her to the urgent care center.
“She told me it was just like than a hundred feet,” Maynard said. “I’m like, well, I’m sold. It’s pretty busy over there.
“I’ve been here a few times for the ER, so this is awesome,” she said. “I hope this works out because this is awesome.”