Emergency room treatment versus urgent care clinics

Walk in clinics versus emergency rooms

Urgent care clinics can be found in just about every city, servicing the needs of all patients including pediatric care, school and work physicals, immediate medical care, geriatric care, and occupational health services. Many of us were raised when the only way to get urgent care or after hours treatment was to go to an emergency room. The main problem with attending an ER for urgent care is that Emergency Rooms are designed to handle emergencies… this makes walk in care at the ER inefficient and overpriced. This raises the question as to when it is most appropriate to seek care at an urgent care clinic, and when to go to the ER. Consider the following general guidelines:

Urgent care centers are a great resource and should figure prominently in your plan for your family’s health care. In addition to providing competent care, urgent care clinics will save you money and time compared to treatment for non-life threatening issues in an emergency room.

Convenient, walk-in care for Germantown, MD

We all want the best for our families, especially when it comes to healthcare and preventive medicine. Medical Access provides convenient walk-in care as an alternative to long waits in the emergency room. Their friendly staff will carefully and quickly assess your needs and provide the appropriate services, from preventive medicine to x-ray and lab services. Their facilities are fully staffed and equipped in order to meet the demands of their patients and their healthcare needs. Medical Access also presents the most complete Occupational Health Services to serve the needs of the business community. The goal is to help minimize lost work time and keep your employees healthy and working.

Dr. Manbir Takhar is the Chief Medical Officer, and has been associated with Medical Access since 1999. She is qualified to treat almost any type of injury or illness that may present itself. In addition to these qualifications, she is also a Civil Surgeon and Medical Review Officer. This designation is granted by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, making Medical Access one of the select facilities for immigration physicals. Call them today or simply drop in, as no appointment is needed to receive timely, quality urgent care.

Employment health services: Sleep tips for truck drivers

Sleep is critically important

Employment health services consist of much more than drug testing, physicals, and hearing tests. Employee education for a safer work environment must be a crucial part of your program. Professional drivers such as long haul truckers and delivery drivers know the rudiments of defensive driving. They are also pretty well versed on the negative effects of drugs and alcohol. However, when it comes to sleep habits, especially for long haul drivers on the road, sleep may not be the first thing that comes to mind. The truth is that if you drive for a living, not getting enough sleep is a major concern because it is one of the biggest on-the-job hazards you face.

Good sleep is just as important as eating proper and getting exercise. Your body is not dormant when you are sleeping. In addition to resting, sleep is the main mechanism for repairing damaged cells, digestion, and coping with stress. Without the proper amount of sleep, drivers commonly experience:

·         Slower reaction times

·         Difficulty concentrating

·         Mood swings

·         Compromised immune system

·         High blood pressure

·         Metabolic disease

·         Increased appetite

·         Obesity

DOT Physicals and driver services in Germantown, MD

Medical Access provides convenient walk-in care as an alternative to long waits in the emergency room. Their friendly staff will carefully and quickly assess your needs and provide the appropriate services, from preventive medicine to x-ray and lab services. Their facilities are fully staffed and equipped in order to meet the demands of their patients and their healthcare needs. Medical Access also presents the most complete Occupational Health Services to serve the needs of the business community. The goal is to help minimize lost work time and keep your employees healthy and working.

Dr. Manbir Takhar is the Chief Medical Officer, and has been associated with Medical Access since 1999. She is qualified to treat almost any type of injury or illness that may present itself. In addition to these qualifications, she is also a Civil Surgeon and Medical Review Officer. This designation is granted by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, making Medical Access one of the select facilities for immigration physicals. Call them today or simply drop in, as no appointment is needed to receive timely, quality urgent care.

Urgent care when your doctor is not available

Depending on urgent care

Urgent care is a great option for literally millions of emergency room patients without life threatening problems who wait for hours before being seen by a doctor. In today’s healthcare environment, finding a new doctor requires overcoming a few hurdles such as:

• Constant changes in healthcare insurance plans will sometimes mean that patients have a new primary-care doctor.
• Scheduling for a patient visit can take from a few days to a few weeks in the future.
• When you have an urgent medical problem, obviously you cannot wait until the new patient visit has been scheduled.

Same day appointments

Primary care doctors are in high demand and they fill their days with appointments to see as many patients as possible. There was a time when doctors would leave space open on their schedule for sick patients. However the present day realities of healthcare economics, these open sick visit spots are scarce or non-existent. Usually when you call a primary care doctor, the front desk staff is trained to refer you to an emergency department or to let you find care on your own.

Convenient, walk-in care for Germantown, MD

We all want the best for our families, especially when it comes to healthcare and preventive medicine. Medical Access provides convenient walk-in care as an alternative to long waits in the emergency room. Their friendly staff will carefully and quickly assess your needs and provide the appropriate services, from preventive medicine to x-ray and lab services. Their facilities are fully staffed and equipped in order to meet the demands of their patients and their healthcare needs. Medical Access also presents the most complete Occupational Health Services to serve the needs of the business community. The goal is to help minimize lost work time and keep your employees healthy and working.

Dr. Manbir Takhar is the Chief Medical Officer, and has been associated with Medical Access since 1999. She is qualified to treat almost any type of injury or illness that may present itself. In addition to these qualifications, she is also a Civil Surgeon and Medical Review Officer. This designation is granted by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, making Medical Access one of the select facilities for immigration physicals. Call them today or simply drop in, as no appointment is needed to receive timely, quality urgent care.

Drug and alcohol testing for occupational health services

Drug and alcohol screening is vital

Employment screening in most industries such as healthcare and transportation is highly regulated; however, for most industries drug and alcohol testing is often not required by law. Forward thinking employers realize that drug and alcohol screening is vital because an individual that abuses drugs or alcohol may put employee and customer safety at risk. On the business side, it usually increases the frequency of occupational health or workman’s compensation claims. Reasons to develop a comprehensive drug and alcohol testing program are listed below:

• Safety of your employees and clients depends upon more than just criminal background checks.
• Employees with no criminal record but abuses drugs; can pose significant safety risks.
• Individuals with drug issues are less productive and are more prone to workers’ comp claims.

In the interest of work place safety, productivity, and preservation of your brand; companies should include a comprehensive drug and alcohol testingpolicy as part of their overall screening program. Employers that commit to drug and alcohol testing for everyone in their workforce are better able to mitigate the risks of individuals that abuse drugs.

Drug/Alcohol screening services in Germantown

With more than 27years of experience and expert clinicians on staff, Medical Access is focused on helping you deal with the loss of productivity and profits because of workplace substance abuse. In addition to drug and alcohol screening, we provide a wide range of healthcare services through our convenient, walk-in location in Germantown, MD. Whether it is drug and alcohol screenings or wellness programs, our testing center at Medical Access can help you maintain workplace safety.

Urgent care for you and your family

Health care for you and your family

Urgent care clinics provide outstanding patient care that is convenient, affordable health care for families and for those who need work injury treatment. There is not always a need for emergency room services, but often we are faced with urgent situations that cannot wait until our doctor’s office is open. There are numerous services that you can expect from an urgent care clinic such as diagnostic imaging, CT Scans, X-rays, and ultrasound. You can expect diagnostic lab work and blood testing, treatment of ear, nose, and throat problems, and orthopedic care for fractures and joint problems.

Convenient, walk-in care for Germantown, MD

We all want the best for our families, especially when it comes to healthcare and preventive medicine. Medical Access provides convenient walk-in care as an alternative to long waits in the emergency room. Their friendly staff will carefully and quickly assess your needs and provide the appropriate services, from preventive medicine to x-ray and lab services. Their facilities are fully staffed and equipped in order to meet the demands of their patients and their healthcare needs. Medical Access also presents the most complete Occupational Health Services to serve the needs of the business community. The goal is to help minimize lost work time and keep your employees healthy and working.

Dr. Manbir Takhar is the Chief Medical Officer, and has been associated with Medical Access since 1999. She is qualified to treat almost any type of injury or illness that may present itself. In addition to these qualifications, she is also a Civil Surgeon and Medical Review Officer. This designation is granted by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, making Medical Access one of the select facilities for immigration physicals. Call them today or simply drop in, as no appointment is needed to receive timely, work injury treatment.

The benefits of urgent care treatment for occupational health services

Avoid long emergency room waiting

Urgent care treatment is available for patients who get sick at night, on the weekend, or over a holiday; you should never have to wait until the next business day to see your doctor. Going to the emergency room when you feel bad or are in pain can be a most miserable experience because emergency rooms are designed for just those… emergencies. Beyond the long and dreadful waiting, there is the high expense that you pay, even after insurance coverage. Every community should have at least one urgent care center so that injured and sick patients have a comfortable and convenient alternative.

Occupational health services

The best urgent care clinics provide much more than treatment for illness and injuries. If you need:

• pre-employment physical
• sports physical
• DOT physical
• pre-employment drug testing
• school physicals
• vaccinations

When it comes to work or school related physicals, your primary care physician may be scheduled well past the deadline for completion of the physical. Urgent care centers welcome drop in clients so that you do not have to worry about missing paperwork deadlines.

Convenient, walk-in care for Germantown, MD

We all want the best for our families, especially when it comes to healthcare and preventive medicine. Medical Access provides convenient walk-in care as an alternative to long waits in the emergency room. Their friendly staff will carefully and quickly assess your needs and provide the appropriate services, from preventive medicine to x-ray and lab services. Their facilities are fully staffed and equipped in order to meet the demands of their patients and their healthcare needs. Medical Access also presents comprehensive Occupational Health Services to serve the needs of the business community. The goal is to help minimize lost work time and keep your employees healthy and working.  Call them today or simply drop in, as no appointment is needed to receive timely, quality urgent care during cold and flu season.

Snow and Ice safety tips for youth

Avoid winter sports hazards

During the winter, urgent care clinics are convenient and effective when you need care related to harsh weather and winter sport injuries. It is only natural for children to overlook safety when they are preoccupied with fun in the snow. Education is the best tool to prevent your child from suffering a serious injury or any of the following potential hazards:

• Cars have difficulty stopping on slippery and icy roads. Make sure your children understand that it is still just as dangerous to play in the streets even if there appears to be few cars on the road.

• Slips and falls are common during the winter season. Remind your child that he or she should always wear their helmet when skating, skiing, or sledding in order to protect themselves against possible head injuries.

• Unfortunately, children are usually drawn to frozen ponds and lakes. They should be reminded to stay off the ice, especially when there is no adult supervision.

Be an active participant in your child’s winter fun and you can help keep him or her out of harm’s way while creating valuable memories at the same time.

Convenient, walk-in care for Germantown, MD

We all want the best for our families, especially when it comes to healthcare and preventive medicine. Medical Access provides convenient walk-in care as an alternative to long waits in the emergency room. Their friendly staff will carefully and quickly assess your needs and provide the appropriate services, from preventive medicine to x-ray and lab services. Their facilities are fully staffed and equipped in order to meet the demands of their patients and their healthcare needs. Medical Access also presents comprehensive Occupational Health Services to serve the needs of the business community. The goal is to help minimize lost work time and keep your employees healthy and working.  Call them today or simply drop in, as no appointment is needed to receive timely, quality urgent care.

Urgent care tips to stay healthy in winter

Urgent care during the winter season

Urgent care clinic doctors and nurses know that during the winter, you can be sure that there will be sore throats and runny noses. In addition to colds and flu, this time of year gives rise to a variety of ailments that can leave us in pain, feeling miserable, and rundown. We want you to realize that you can drastically reduce your risk of getting sick by following just a few practical health tips.

Wash your hands

We cannot express the significance of hand washing when it comes to containing the spread of germs. The first line of defense in preventing the spread of germs is to wash your hands regularly. Scrub your hands and fingers long enough to remove bacteria and virus particles. A simple rule of thumb is to sing the birthday song twice and do not stop washing your hands until it is over. Rub hard and create friction because friction is just as important as soap.

Sanitize and disinfect

Hand sanitizer can go a long way toward reducing your risk of contracting illness. It is also imperative to sanitize commonly-used items and surfaces. Use disinfectant wipes to frequently clean light switches, remote controls, toilets, and any other community items.

Convenient, walk-in care for Germantown, MD

We all want the best for our families, especially when it comes to healthcare and preventive medicine. Medical Access provides convenient walk-in care as an alternative to long waits in the emergency room. Their friendly staff will carefully and quickly assess your needs and provide the appropriate services, from preventive medicine to x-ray and lab services. Their facilities are fully staffed and equipped in order to meet the demands of their patients and their healthcare needs. Medical Access also presents comprehensive Occupational Health Services to serve the needs of the business community. The goal is to help minimize lost work time and keep your employees healthy and working.  Call them today or simply drop in, as no appointment is needed to receive timely, quality urgent care during cold and flu season.

Employment health services for workplace hearing loss

Protecting employee hearing

One of the chief concerns regarding employment health services is noise in the workplace and hearing loss. When we are exposed to high levels of noise over an extended period of time, hearing loss can occur precipitately. Hearing loss is alarmingly serious because it is painless, progressive, and permanent. In other words, hearing loss is often unrecognized until it is too late to correct. This is why annual hearing tests should be a regular component in employment health services.

Employers can help prevent hearing loss

Employers are very instrumental in the process to prevent hearing loss in the workplace. There are primarily three ways this can happen:

1. Identifying any noise problem may exist
2. Evaluating the extent of the potential problem
3. Devising methods and systems to control it

Recognizing the problem can be as simple as detecting the reality that workers are unable to properly communicate with another, even if only a few feet away. However, identifying the various exposure scenarios can be a complex undertaking. Exposure scenarios of the employees and many other situations make identification of a noise hazard very difficult.

One of the most essential elements for a successful hearing conservation program is to get employees to buy into the program. This begins with sufficient training and yearly employee screening. When employees understand the far reaching consequences of losing their hearing, it is more likely they will comply with the hearing conservation requirements.

Maintain a healthy workforce with Occupational Health Services

With more than 27years of experience and expert clinicians in occupational health, Medical Access is focused on helping keep your workforce healthy and productive. In addition, we provide services through our highly convenient, walk-in location in Germantown, MD. From drug screenings to wellness programs, Medical Access offers a wide range of employment health services to support employers in maintaining a healthy, safe workforce, while reducing the costs of work injury treatment for your company and your employees.

Preparing for DOT physicals through employment health services

Commercial driver’s physical

Only select urgent care centers are authorized to offer Department of Transportation (DOT) physicals and other employment health services. Even for established drivers, there are always rumors or sources of misinformation regarding the exam, so we thought we should enlighten you as to exactly what to expect.

You will be required to take a drug test

This is probably the number one disqualifier for many would be drivers. The test is strictly and uniformly applied to everyone, with no exceptions. The test is very accurate in detecting even very small traces of drugs in someone’s system. The drug test urinalysis conducted during a DOT physical checks for the presence of five drugs in the body:

• Amphetamines
• Marijuana
• Opiates (including heroin)
• Cocaine
• Phencyclidine (PCP)

The urine test is about much more that drugs alone. It also screens the driver for the presence of protein or sugar in the urine. This is a common indicator of, or an early sign of diabetes. The urinalysis also details markers that reveal other underlying medical issues, such as kidney disease.

Convenient, DOT physicals in Germantown, MD

If you are concerned about your upcoming DOT physical, visit the local MEDICAL ACCESS clinic in Germantown. Their physicians are trained to perform DOT physicals for clearance to obtain a CDL. Patient health information such as your symptoms, test results, diagnosis, treatment, and any related medical information is private and protected. Medical Access also presents the most complete Occupational Health Services to serve the needs of the business community. The goal is to help minimize lost work time and keep your employees healthy and working.

Dr. Manbir Takhar is the Chief Medical Officer, and has been associated with Medical Access since 1999. She is qualified to treat almost any type of injury or illness that may present itself. In addition to these qualifications, she is also a Civil Surgeon and Medical Review Officer. This designation is granted by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, making Medical Access one of the select facilities for immigration physicals. Call them today or simply drop in, as no appointment is needed to receive timely, confidential urgent care. They would be happy to answer your questions and let you know if there is anything you can do to ensure that you pass the exam and receive your card without problems.