Urgent care facilities are growing in popularity as alternatives to emergency room visits for minor emergencies and acute illnesses, thanks to the convenience, low cost and wide range of services provided. Prime Urgent Care is a local urgent care center serving urgent care in Pearland and surrounding areas. Open every day with extended evening hours during the week, Prime Urgent Care is standing by to care for you in the event of injury or illness.
I have a doctor—why do I need urgent care?
Everyone should have a primary care physician. However, primary care physicians generally keep limited office hours and may not have an available opening if you experience a sudden illness or unexpected injury. Although all doctors receive training in emergency care, most primary care physicians specialize in preventive care rather than injury treatment, which means that your regular doctor may not be equipped to provide stitches, X-rays and other emergency procedures. Hospital emergency rooms are also available in most communities, but emergency rooms are generally crowded and are best reserved for people with serious conditions, such as heart attacks and life-threatening injuries. For many minor health conditions, such as broken bones, sprains, dehydration, flu, sinus infections and earaches, urgent care in Pearland is the way to go.
What services do urgent care facilities provide?
In order to be called an “urgent care” facility, a clinic must meet the strict guidelines of the Urgent Care Association of America. An urgent care center must be open seven days a week, maintain regular operating hours, have at least one doctor or nurse practitioners on duty at all times and treat patients of all ages on a walk-in basis. The center must be equipped to perform basic patient assessment, diagnose and prescribe treatment for a range of illnesses and injuries, perform and read X-rays, draw blood and administer intravenous (IV) fluids. Prime Urgent Care offers all these services, plus other services, including sports physicals, DOT physicals and laboratory services.
How do urgent care centers differ from other medical providers?
Urgent care centers are equipped to provide basic emergency medical care. While most centers do offer some preventive health care to patients, such as laboratory screenings and blood pressure evaluations, urgent care centers are not equipped to provide comprehensive preventive screenings and care. Urgent care centers are also not fully equipped with all the lifesaving equipment available at hospitals and do not provide advanced medical treatment, such as surgery and chemotherapy. For patients who come in with health conditions that are beyond an urgent care facility’s scope of treatment, the urgent care center will generally contact the nearest large hospital and arrange transport for the affected person.
Do urgent care centers treat both insured and uninsured patients?
Most urgent care centers are in-network providers for the predominant types of insurance for the state in which they operate and offer care to uninsured patients as well. Prime Urgent Care works with many different insurance companies that supply insurance to Texas residents. Prime Urgent Care also gladly treats patients without insurance but requires payment via cash or credit card before services are rendered.
Urgent care clinics fill an important role by providing prompt care for patients with minor conditions who would instead seek care at a hospital. No appointment is necessary, so the next time you or a loved one experiences a minor medical emergency or illness; make Prime Urgent Care in Pearland the first stop on the road to feeling healthy again.
