10 Things You Didn't Know About the UR

There is more than what meets the eye when you come to The Urgency Room. We thought we would create a post for the things you might not know about the UR!

1. Our radiology technicians come from St. Paul Radiology. The wonderful people at the UR take your x-rays and ultrasounds are actually employees of St. Paul Radiology. We who were so impressed with their skills that we wanted to collaborate!

2. Every UR has a candy drawer. The UR and it's employees contribute to the candy drawer to keep it well stocked. When that occasional chocolate craving hits, we are ready!

3. The average patient visit is 90 minutes or less. No matter how serious this injury or illness the UR averages a 90 minute or less from door to discharge. We think that is pretty impressive!
                                            

4. Our staff shares meals on holidays. Even when our employees are working to take care of patients on the holidays, they still get to enjoy a holiday meal with their UR family.

5. We have access to local clinics medical records. With your permission, we can access your electronic medical records from your primary care provider. In addition, your records can then be electronically sent from the UR to your regular doctor for review or follow up care.

6. We have COWs at the UR. Well maybe not actual cows, but we have Computers On Wheels. We have scribes at the UR who go room to room with a doctor and document the visit. The scribes use COWs to make the documentation process more efficient for the patient and provider.
                                                              

7. Woodbury is the only one of our three locations that was created from an existing building and was once a video rental store. After gutting out the building we were able to turn the old video store into a state of the art medical facility. We bet the original builders would have never imagined it was going to become a free standing emergency room!

8. Between the three URs, we go through almost 450 bottles of water per month. The URs have a drink fridge at each location for our ill patients. Though we stock juice, sports drinks and lemon lime soda, water is the number one beverage we go through.

9. The UR has its own YouTube Channel!  You can find our board-certified emergency physicians on YouTube providing educational information on some of the most common things we see at the UR.  Some of our videos have almost 100,000 views!

10. The physicians, PAs and NPs that staff our Urgency Rooms also work in the ERs of 5 of our main Twin Cities hospitals.  You could see your doctor at the UR or working in the ER of Mercy, Unity, Southdale, Ridges and Methodist hospitals.  Needless to say you are in very capable hands during your visit to the UR. We only hire the best and the brightest!

Heart Attack on a Plate? Tis The Season...

It’s certainly the lump of coal among all the presents! Research shows that the death rate from heart attack and stroke tends to spike around the holiday season. The numbers include both fatal and non-fatal heart attacks, as well as a less serious, alcohol-induced condition called "holiday heart syndrome" that causes the heart to beat irregularly.

When you eat a lot of food at once, your stomach expands with your digestive system requiring more blood. If you have coronary heart disease or are at risk for it, overeating (a big Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner can top 5,000 calories) can have serious consequences. Triglycerides­—a type of fat in the blood after a large meal—can cause coronary artery inflammation, commonly a prelude to a heart attack. Large amounts of food and alcohol can also cause the release of adrenaline-like substances that can cause a fatal abnormal heart rhythm.

Recognizing the symptoms of a heart attack and getting immediate medical treatment is vital. Here are the top signs of a heart attack, though these may vary between men and women and patient by patient.

• Pressure, tightness, pain, or a squeezing or aching sensation in your chest or arms that may spread to your neck, jaw or back
• Nausea, indigestion, heartburn or abdominal pain
• Shortness of breath
• Cold sweat
• Fatigue
• Lightheadedness or sudden dizziness

Planning is your best weapon against overeating during the holidays. Some helpful tips include, eating a high-protein snack before a party and adding to your exercise routine might help to prevent overeating.

Certainly we all love the delicious dishes and treats that come with holiday celebrations. The key is to enjoy in moderation, don’t over-indulge. Your heart will certainly be thankful that you did.

Vertigo - A Spinning World

It feels like seasickness or that dizzy feeling some of us get when we step off a rollercoaster -except, those suffering from this common condition aren’t boating or at an amusement park.

Vertigo is an illusory sense of spinning. It can be frightening and lead to nausea, vomiting, headaches and other symptoms. Vertigo has been linked to anxiety, a drop in blood pressure, migraines, multiple sclerosis and Meniere’s disease, a disorder of the ear that can also cause tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and hearing loss. It can also signal a more serious condition, such as a brain tumor or stroke, although that is less common.

Many of us have felt dizziness when standing up suddenly from a couch, this is not vertigo. The experience for vertigo sufferers is much more intense and includes a sensation that the world is whirling around them. Sufferers can also experience nausea and vomiting, symptoms which really get a person’s attention. Additional symptoms include abnormal or jerking eye movements, headache, sweating and ringing in the ears.

In many cases, vertigo goes away without any treatment because your brain is able to adapt to the inner ear changes. For those who need further treatment options may include vestibular rehabilitation, medicine or even surgery.

If you experience vertigo, you should see a doctor to rule out more serious causes. Thankfully there are simple and effective treatments to stop the spinning!

Changing Seasons and an Emergency Care Clinic

There are so many great things about the changing of the seasons! If you are transitioning from summer to fall, you have the stunning array of colors of nature. Or from winter to spring, it seems the world lights up with the bright bold colors of the spring flowers! There is so much to look forward to when the seasons are changing. Of course, with the good comes the bad, and that is very true when talking about the changing of the seasons.

Most of us know our bodies and we know what happens when the weather takes a turn, we get sick. Sometimes that is just a simple as seasonal allergies but it could also become as severe as a sore throat that doesn’t want to go away. When life has you down there is nothing more you want than to be feeling better to enjoying the new weather! For those ups and downs in the weather, you should consider seeing an emergency care clinic.

Emergency care clinics are prepared to deal with the changing of the seasons. They are ready to handle the basics such as allergies and asthma to the more intense medical situations like flu and respiratory symptoms. The best thing to do when you are feeling under the weather is to attack your symptoms in the bud and seek medical attention right away. You do not want something that could be as easily fixed in the early stages become something that keeps you indoors for weeks!

Dehydration and Emergency Care Clinics

When we are outside enjoying all that nature has to offer, playing games or doing sports, we may forget one important factor to all of this outside fun; water. Water is a vital part of working outside. That is anything from doing yardwork to physical activity, water helps you stay hydrated. When you are exerting force and sweating you are losing vital nutrients that you need to stay hydrated and if you do not intake enough water to replace those that are lost, you can become dehydrated.

There is more to being dehydrated than just the feeling of being thirsty; there are serious medical issues that could arise when one becomes dehydrated. If in the event of a severe case of dehydration one would need to seek an emergency care clinic like The Urgency Room to have symptoms evaluated and possibly have fluids replenished. The rule of thumb to remember when you are working outside is to drink double what you normally would, especially if you are partaking in physical activity. This is true for days when you cannot beat the heat; you will be sweating more and losing more. Stay hydrated this summer by always having cold water within arm’s reach; remember if you are thirsty you are already dehydrated! For more information from The Urgency Room visit our website for after care instruction related to dehydration.

Camping and In Need of “Urgent Care Near Me"

So you are out enjoying the fresh air, sleeping under the stars, and roasting marshmallow in the campfire. However, what happens when innocent camping turns into something more than just fun? When you stumble upon a beehive or fall and cut yourself on some sharp rocks, this is when you need to start searching for an “urgent care near me” and need to consider The Urgency Room.

When you are camping, some things can be planned, the s’mores and being prepared for bug bites however, when your outdoor fun takes a rough turn and you are far from your normal physician’s office you need a facility similar to an urgent care, with the capabilities of an ER who delivers the experience you deserve. The Urgency Room will be able to provide you with the right type of medical services for you to get back on your feet faster!

If you are camping in the woods of Minnesota and encounter a mishap, look to The Urgency Room to be your answer to get you on your feet faster. Our top-notch physicians and facilities will be able to stitch you up quickly without having to wait hours in the emergency room.  Visit our website for wait times, locations and directions.  We are here for you 365 days a year from 8am to 10pm.

When to Seek Out a Hybrid Urgent Care Facility

When there is a medical emergency, we instantly think that we should seek out the nearest emergency room. However, there are many instances when going to the traditional emergency room will be frugal to your well being because of wasted time spent in the waiting rooms. While there are of course the true-life threatening situations, in which you should still seek immediate medical care. Although, non-life threatening situations is when you should seek out an alternative to the ER.

While services vary between each urgent care and clinic you visit, most of them have the more than the basic services of a physician’s office and less than the serious situations that a traditional emergency room can offer.  For serious situations that do not require an ambulance, consider the hybrid urgent care option offered from The Urgency Room.  It is the ideal facility when you are looking to get back on your feet faster but don’t need the hassle and long wait of the ER! The Urgency Room is for people seeking immediate help for symptoms that deal with allergies, cuts that require stitches, chest pain, and even head injuries. If you are in the Minnesota area and are in need of a hybrid, advanced urgent care option, look to The Urgency Room to provide that service for you. Learn more at our website!