Going to the emergency room is expensive – whether for a broken bone, a cold, or chest pains.
For many, often those with lower income or who are uninsured, the emergency room is the first stop. It takes and a number of hospital staff members and time to check-in, triage, and treat a patient.
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After they leave, the patient with an everyday illness is stuck with a bill that can easily come in at several hundred dollars.
Lower Bucks Hospital recognizes that area residents are coming to the Bristol Township hospital’s emergency department for visits that could be handled by a family doctor.
On Monday at 11 a.m., Lower Bucks Hospital will open their Community Health Center on the third-floor of the medical facility.
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Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ronak Bhimani told LevittownNow.com that the new Community Health Center will accept patients for as low as $38 and takes those with insurance and without. They also accept walk-in patients and those who make appointments.
The Monday through Friday operation is expected to expand hours as it sees more patients.
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Hospital officials said the Community Health Center is designed to handle patients with everyday illnesses and minor injuries like colds, flu, fever, asthma, allergies, minor skin lacerations, cuts, burns, urinary tract infections, sports injuries, fractures, and sprains and strains.
Bhimani said the Community Health Center is different from an urgent care and closer to a family practice. He added that some urgent care centers don’t take the uninsured and those on government insurance programs, while the new hospital-based facilities welcomes all patients.
“A benefit is we have a direct link to tell the emergency department what is happening if you need to go there,” he said.
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The Community Health Center is also expected to be able to take patients quicker than the emergency room.
One of the goals of the Community Health Center, according to Bhimani, is to decrease unnecessary emergency room visits.
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