Throughout the course of the past two years, the Northwell Health System has been expanding and opening up urgent care centers throughout Nassau County.  On Sept. 11, Northwell opened  Northwell Health-Gohealth Urgent Care, its first center in Port Washington.

This establishment is located in the Stop and Shop lot.  Walk-in patients are welcome, and the center is equipped to deal with a variety of medical predicaments.

These issues include, but are not limited to sore throats, colds, fevers, and the flu.  Along with illnesses, they also care for injuries, whether they are sports or household related.  To help detect injuries, there are x-rays located on site.

“I’m really happy that we have this urgent care center now, especially as an athlete,” said sophomore Katie Winter.  “I usually go to urgent care centers when I get injured, and it makes it more convenient to have one in Port Washington.”

The x-rays emit minimum radiation and can examine injuries, chronic coughs, and other illnesses.  In addition, there are labs on site that can quickly run blood tests, and if the tests need to be sent out, they will be sent back between 24 and 48 hours.

In the event that someone’s condition worsens, physicians on site will be able to help pair patients up with a specialist.  This urgent care center provides comfort to Port Washington residents, who now have more accessible care.  Many hope that this urgent care center will alleviate the stress of going to the emergency room.

“I think that it’s important that everyone has access to help without waiting on the extremely long ER lines,” said sophomore Ella Penson.

Mainly, students feel a sense of ease and safety knowing there is a health center just minutes away.  Scheduling appointments at doctors offices to treat fevers or colds can be hard, and sometimes you can’t get appointments for days.  With an urgent care center, you simply walk in and receive treatment.

“Opening an urgent care center in Port washington is a vital part of safety and emergencies,” said sophomore Priya Chainani.  “To have to schedule an appointment with a doctor where there are waiting lists, or go to a hospital for an emergency is not always the best choice.  The opening of an urgent care center could change everything and make it easier to access medical treatment when necessary.”

The urgent care centers have had major impacts on Northwell hospitals.

“One of the positive impacts urgent care centers have had is on the various emergency departments at the Northwell hospitals,” said Dr. David Hirschwerk from Northwell hospital.  “Patients now receiving care in the urgent care centers previously may have received treatment in the Emergency Department for somewhat minor conditions.  However, because of this shift, the emergency departments have been able to focus their resources on patients requiring a higher level of care.”

However, primary care doctors are still important because you need them to oversee your overall health and make sure you are getting all the tests you need, such as screenings and annual checkups.

With all of this in mind, it is good to know when to go to the urgent care center and when to go to your general pediatrician. In the event of a slight injury or mild sickness, the urgent care center is the place for you. You can rest easy knowing that treatment is just minutes away.