AFC Urgent Care vs. Emergency Rooms in South Philly, PA

When You Should Use an Urgent Care Center Instead of an ER.

Illnesses and injuries have the uncanny ability to strike our lives at the worst and most unexpected times. Maybe you cut your finger while slicing a tomato. You are distracted on stairs and slip, twisting your ankle. Perhaps you wake up to a crying child and are immediately concerned with a high temperature reading on the thermometer.

In the past, you would expect to wait in an emergency room for hours while waiting to be seen by a doctor. Weeks later, you receive a bill where you initially think the hospital has misplaced a decimal point. Avoid the long waits and high costs of a traditional emergency room. Save time and money with a visit to AFC Urgent Care South Philly. Emergency rooms are an essential lifesaving resource in Philadelphia. However, they must be only used when you have a life-threatening illness or injury. Nonlife-threatening ailments can be quickly and effectively addressed at a walk-in medical center like ours.

Federal law requires ERs to provide treatment to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay for any costs they might incur. ERs are placed under incredible strain when patients do not have the funds to cover any out-of-pocket costs or have no insurance. Would you believe that the average cost of the top 10 most common types of visits to the ER is $1,500? Who has that sort of walking around money? Studies show that almost $18 billion could be saved annually by Americans if they used urgent care centers instead of ERs for their non-life-threatening problems and related medical needs.

Nearly three-fourths of all Americans say their primary care doctors are unavailable at night or on the weekends. If they are inaccessible, patients assume their only alternative is the ER. They may not be aware that a walk-in urgent care center can handle nonlife-threatening issues like strep throat, x-rays, and minor stitches. AFC Urgent Care South Philly bridges the gap between your regular doctor and the emergency room.

When to utilize AFC Urgent Care instead of an ER:

AFC Urgent Care

• Abdominal Pain
• Asthma
• Back Pain
• Bleeding from accidents, cuts, or falls
• Broken bones
• COVID-19 Testing
• Ear pain
• Eye irritation
• Fever
• Flu Test
• Migraine
• Minor Car Accidents
• Skin rashes
• Sprains or strains
• STD tests
• STD Treatment
• Sore throat
• Urinary burning
• Vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration

Emergency Room

• Amputations
• Breathing Obstruction
• Major Car Accidents
• Convulsions or seizures
• Difficulty breathing
• Drug overdose
• Knife or gunshot wound
• Loss of limb or severe broken bone
• Poisoning
• Pregnancy – severe abdominal pain
• Seizures/Convulsions
• Serious head, neck, or back injury
• Suspected Heart Attack or Stroke

Did you know medical debt in 2022 was one of the top reasons for bankruptcy in the United States? It continues to be one of the top reasons every year. Do you know the top 3 reasons for ER visits? They are:

• Sprains and strains (6.1 million visits in 2012)
• Upper Respiratory infections ( 5.9 million visits in 2012)
• Superficial cuts (5.8 million visits in 2012)

All of these illnesses and injuries could be handled, without an appointment, at AFC Urgent Care. Plus, you spend less of your time and money on these treatments.

AFC Urgent Care South Philly’s board-certified doctors are ready to assist you with your nonlife-threatening medical concerns. We accept most major insurances, and we have very affordable self-pay options if you have no insurance. We aim to help you get back on your feet and healthy again without breaking the home budget.

Additional Services You May Like

• Cold, Allergy & Sinusitis Treatment
• Coronavirus
• Drug Screenings
• DOT Physicals
• Drug Screenings
• Immigration Physicals
• Employer Services
• eScreen Testing
• Flu Shots & Treatment
• Laboratory Services
• Flu Shots & Treatment
• Lyme Disease Diagnosis and Treatment
• Occupational Health
• Pre-Employment Physicals
• Poison Ivy Diagnosis and Treatment
• Ringworm Treatment
• Sports Injuries Treatment
• Sports, School, and Camp Physicals
• Sore Throat Treatment
• Sprains, Strains, and Broken Ankles
• STD Testing
• Tick Bite Treatment
• Travel Medicine and Travel Vaccinations
• Workers' Compensation
• X-Ray Services