Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital | Healthy Yakima | Winter 2017

3 yakimamemorial.org WHERE you go for your health care matters. But do you know the difference between, say, your provider’s office and a convenient care clinic? Here’s a primer on options so that you and your family can get the right care at the right place. Provider’s office or primary care clinic The best place to get care for common illnesses, minor injuries, and routine health exams is your provider’s office or a clinic. Your provider can also help you manage your health over time. Make an appointment with your provider’s office for common illnesses—such as colds, flu, earaches, sore throats, migraines, fever or rashes—and also for minor injuries such as sprains, back pain, minor cuts and burns, minor broken bones, or minor eye injuries. Your primary care clinic is also the place to go for vaccinations, prescription refills and medical advice. Most primary-care providers have an after-hours phone line. Get the number before you need it, and keep it handy. Convenient care clinics When your provider is not available, convenient care clinics can provide attention for medical problems that are not life-threatening. Convenient care clinics are often open seven days a week with extended hours. Hospital emergency rooms You should use an emergency room only for very serious or life-threatening problems. If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, don’t wait! Call 911 or get to your nearest hospital emergency room. ●    ● Chest pain ●    ● Severe abdominal pain ●    ● Coughing or vomiting blood ●    ● Severe burns ●    ● Deep cuts or bleeding that won’t stop ●    ● Sudden blurred vision ●    ● Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath ●    ● Sudden dizziness, weakness, or loss of coordination or balance ●    ● Numbness in the face, arm, or leg ●    ● Sudden, severe headache (not a migraine) ●    ● Seizures ●    ● High fevers ●    ● Any other condition you believe is life-threatening Go to the right place for care DID YOU KNOW? Virginia Mason Memorial’s Emergency Department (ED) is the second busiest in the state. Here’s how we measured up in national and state rankings, compiled by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services*: ●    ● Tied for eighth best on time from being seen to being sent home—1 hour, 46 minutes bested the state and national averages by more than 1 hour ●    ● Waiting time of 30 minutes tied the national average and bested the state average of 35 minutes ●    ● Less than 1% left without being seen bested the 2% national and state average ●    ● At 3 hours, 15 minutes for “time before admission,” Memorial bested the state average of 5 hours, 8 minutes and the national average of 5 hours, 38 minutes ●    ● Memorial’s transfer time of 1 hour, 20 minutes was better than both the state and national averages of 2 hours, 8 minutes and 2 hours,14 minutes, respectively ●    ● 45 minutes to receive pain medications after a broken bone bested the state and national averages *Using data from April 2015 to March 2016 For more information about our facilities, visit yakimamemorial.org/ patients-and-visitors.asp . / p. 3