Fredericksburg Parent

www.FredericksburgParent.NET 21 Join us for the live conversation on Stay tuned to the Fredericksburg Parent Facebook page and YouTube channel for a video interview about Mary Washington Urgent Care later this month. Facebook: @fredericksburgparent • Twitter: @FredParent • Instagram: @fredparentmagazine a sk t h e e x p e rt Q: Do I have to call ahead to come to urgent care? JASON HAMILTON: You do not have to call ahead, we take walk-ins. Both of our urgent care centers are open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can go to urgent.mwhc.com and click the link to let us know you're on your way. This reserves your spot in line and allows us to prepare for your visit. It is important to note that this is not the same as mak- ing an appointment; urgent care centers do not take appointments. Q: What distinguishes Mary Washington Urgent Care from other urgent care facilities in our area? DR. WILLIAM REESE: A lot of the urgent care cen- ters out there are not focusing solely on urgent care. People are coming in for things that really should be taken care of by a primary care physician. We are a true urgent care center. We are not trying to do primary care for people. We are trying to focus on these minor illnesses and injuries so that we can be very good at what we do. The practitioners at Mary Washington Urgent Care centers undergo specialized training in urgent care. They are overseen by myself, a board-certified emergency physician with 30 years' experience. We try to adhere to a higher standard by focusing on a true urgent care situation. Where follow- ups are needed, we set them up with a provider in the community. JASON HAMILTON: When we pass a patient from an urgent care provider to a primary care or special- ist provider within the Mary Washington family, the transfer of medical records is seamless. We want it to feel like a team process. Mary Washington Healthcare uses EPIC for its electronic medical records, and that system allows seamless access to records for provid- ers, enabling a smooth continuum of care. Patients also have access to those records through MyChart, which is the patient portal side of EPIC. Q: Can I get a school or athletic physi- cal for my child at Mary Washington Urgent Care? JASON HAMILTON: That's not necessarily urgent care, but it's a common need we've seen in the community, so we have decided to provide this service. School physical visits often aren't covered by insurance, so we made the decision to set a flat fee of $50 for these physicals to make them as affordable as possible for the community. Q: Can I get tested for Covid-19 at Mary Washington Urgent Care? JASON HAMILTON: The King George urgent care center is a Mary Washington drive-through Covid-19 testing site. Anyone with an order from a doctor can come here and get tested. Without an order, area residents can come to our urgent care centers, get an assessment, and we can conduct the test right there if it is deemed appropriate. In general, it's important for the community to know that as with all Mary Washington Healthcare facilities, our urgent care centers exceed all CDC recommendations on cleaning and safety. We have dedicated an exam room for Covid-possible patients. Right now, we are taking patients directly to exam rooms for processing so that there is no potential for infection to spread in our waiting rooms. We have a heavy emphasis on preventing the spread of Covid-19 or any other infection like the flu. To come into our centers, you need to wear a mask, and we will offer you a mask if you do not have one. We are hyper-focused on patient safety and good outcomes. We want to encourage people in the community not to ignore any signs of illness or regular screenings that they need medical care for at this time. We have strong safety protocols in place, and the downside of waiting to get something checked out can be very serious. If people are not feeling well, we want to make sure they come see us, or the appropriate care provider who can help make sure their health stays on track during this time. Learn more about Mary Washington Urgent Care at urgent.mwhc.com. Our goal is that a visit should take no longer than 30 to 40 minutes. King George 11131 Journal Parkway Suite A King George, VA 22485 540.741.MWUC (6982) South Stafford (Rt 17) 10 Stafford Lakes Pkwy Suite 102 Fredericksburg, VA 22406 540.741.MWUC (6982) Mary Washington Urgent Care is available at two locations: Sponsored Material

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