Fredericksburg Parent

20 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • July 2020 Ask the Expert a sk t h e e x p e rt INTERVIEWED BY EMILY FREEHLING From cuts and scrapes to minor illnesses, life with kids includes lots of moments of asking, "Where should we go to get this checked out?" Not every ailment warrants an appointment with a primary care physician, and visiting the emergency room can mean a long wait. Luckily, there's a "just right" option for the types of illnesses and injuries that are prone to pop up, allowing families to receive the care they need without too much disruption to their busy lives. Mary Washington Urgent Care is our July Expert. With locations in King George and south Stafford, Mary Washington Urgent Care's goal is to provide expert medical care and get you back out and on with your day as quickly as possible. We chat this month with Mary Washington Urgent Care Operations Manager Jason Hamilton and Mary Washington Urgent Care Medical Director Dr. William Reese about how to make the most of this level of care. Q: What kinds of medical needs can you take care of at Mary Washington Urgent Care? JASON HAMILTON: We handle a lot of the issues that you'd normally go to your pri- mary care doctor for—colds, fevers, pink eye, rashes, allergies, minor cuts that need sutures. These are things you can't always get in quickly with your primary care doctor about, and we are here to help handle those quickly and get you better and back to your day. Our goal is that a visit should take no longer than 30 to 40 minutes. DR. WILLIAM REESE: We have basic tests for many things, including flu, pregnancy, mono, strep throat. We can check and treat strep throat very quickly. Q: How should parents decide whether a problem would be better solved with a visit to Mary Washington Urgent Care or the emer- gency room? DR. WILLIAM REESE: If a parent ever has any question, they can call the urgent care centers at 540-741-MWUC (6982) and ask. Typically, we treat minor injuries and illnesses. We are trying to target illnesses and injuries that we can treat very quickly and get the patient back to their day. If you go to the ER for these, you might be waiting for hours. We can treat them almost immediately and turn the patient around and get them back out the door in short order. JASON HAMILTON: We don't take care of anything having to do with life, limb or eye- sight. If you are having chest pain, we encour- age you to visit the nearest emergency room. Coming to urgent care first would delay care.

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