SSM Health Care recently opened its first urgent care clinic, providing more accessible medical care to St. Charles County residents. The clinic (1475 Kisker, 636-498-7400), located several miles from St. Joseph Health Center campus, is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week, including holidays. SSM invested about $200,000 to renovate and equip the space, which has eight treatment rooms and 10 full-time employees.
The new clinic will also provide preventative services, routine exams, and immunizations, such as school and sports physicals, the flu shot, and occupational medicine coverage. The list of conditions the center will treat include allergies, infections, sprains/strains, back pain, insect stings, mono, rashes, and more. The clinic recommends you visit the ER for conditions such as chest pain, difficulty breathing or speaking, dizziness, shortness of breath, severe abdominal pain, severe burns, and fractures.
Benefits of visiting an urgent care center for minor medical needs rather than visiting the ER include reduced waiting time and generally less-expensive care. Samantha Sattler, medical director of SSM Urgent Care and a physician with SSM Medical Group, said in a statement: “Urgent medical issues often arise after hours or on weekends when patients can’t get in to see their doctor, so many times they end up in an emergency room. The average ER visit lasts more than three hours. SSM Urgent Care visits generally take less than an hour and can cost considerably less than an ER visit.
The new center will operate under the medical direction of Sattler and experienced nurse practitioners.
For more information, visit ssmhealth.com/urgent.
