Do you know the difference between urgent care and emergency room? We think you should!

Instead of spending unnecessary time in a hospital emergency room for minor injuries and illness, urgent care centers offer an alternative without sacrificing the level of care.

The difference between the two is simple – if you fear your illness or injury is life-threatening, call 911 or visit the nearest emergency room. If your doctor is unavailable and you have an illness, such as a sore throat or nausea, or if you have an injury, such as a broken finger, sprained ankle or skin irritation, an urgent care center is a more appropriate care setting. Choosing to go to the wrong type of facility can be dangerous when time is of the essence, such as during a heart attack. If a patient were to go to an urgent care center for an injury or illness that is too severe, the doctors there must stabilize them and transfer them to a nearby emergency room, wasting valuable time.

The latest emergency room technology and design usually offer resuscitation rooms and Clinical Decision Units to help doctors, nurses and staff provide the most effective and efficient care.  Emergency Centers also accept patients from Fire-Rescue and EMS providers, critical partners in patient care, and are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Urgent care centers accept patients from private vehicles and have limited hours.

As part of Baptist Health’s continuously expanding international services across Latin America and the Caribbean, ProHealth Urgent Care, LLC and Baptist Health International announced today a strategic partnership between the two organizations. Now, as a result, an urgent care center is expected to open in nearby St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands during the fourth quarter of 2019. Please see below for more information. The urgent care center is open to the community and should you find yourself in St. Croix and in need of urgent care, you can use it.

MIAMI/ST. CROIX, USVI – July 31, 2019 – ProHealth Urgent Care, LLC and Baptist Health International, a part of Baptist Health South Florida, announced today a strategic partnership between the two organizations. The agreement solidifies their affiliation and licenses the Baptist Health International brand for an urgent care center in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, which is expected to open during the fourth quarter of 2019.

“This partnership with ProHealth marks a significant step forward for Baptist Health International,” said Joe Natoli, chief administrative officer of Baptist Health South Florida. “We look forward to supporting the establishment and operations of a premier urgent care center to serve the people of St. Croix.”

“This urgent care center will allow us to elevate the healthcare services available to our community following the devastation of the 2017 hurricanes,” said Stuart Lewis, CEO of ProHealth. “The shared values and quality standards between our two organizations will form the foundation for our efforts to provide greater access to high-quality care for USVI residents and visitors.”

The ProHealth urgent care center, which has already received a Certificate of Need allowing the project to move forward, will seek accreditation by The Joint Commission, marking a commitment to high-quality, patient-centered care in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The center will be connected to Baptist Health International through a secure telemedicine platform.

ProHealth and Baptist Health International extend their appreciation to Governor Albert Bryan, Jr., the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Health, and members of the 32nd Legislature for their professionalism and support during this process.

Baptist Health International

Baptist Health International is one of the largest hospital-based international programs in the United States with more than 12,000 international patient visits at Baptist Health South Florida facilities from the Florida Keys to Palm Beach County. Baptist Health International is dedicated to providing comprehensive, high-quality services for international physicians and their patients, including hospital admissions, outpatient medical exams, medical second opinions, and physician consultations, as well as concierge services.

ProHealth Urgent Care LLC

ProHealth Urgent Care is a new state-of-the-art ambulatory care facility that offers diagnosis, observation, consultation, treatment, intervention, laboratory, pharmacy and imaging services on an outpatient basis. ProHealth will be centrally located and easily accessible on St. Croix, with access to major roads and the local bus system, as well as free onsite parking. Local patients will have a convenient and efficient alternative when dealing with non-life-threatening conditions which require same-day treatment.

###