Not all Urgent Care Centers are created equal: 4 Factors to find the best Manhattan Urgent Care for you.
Urgent care in Manhattan ranges from a McMedicine experience at the corner chain pharmacy all the way to the opposite end of the spectrum: a boutique facility staffed by elite doctors with on-site services that provide a true ER alternative.
Here are 4 factors to consider in deciding which Urgent Care in NYC is best for you:
Quality
Convenience
Cost
Patient Experience
Quality:
1) Insist on being cared for by an actual Doctor.
At many urgent care centers you will be seen by a Nurse Practitioner, Physician’s Assistant, Medical Assistant or trainee. While this can in some cases result in a more affordable urgent care experience, the fact is that urgent care centers staffed by real doctors are often the same price as those who take shortcuts with your care.
2) Insist on Emergency Medical Care provided by Emergency Doctors.
You never want to sacrifice quality for convenience. When something you thought was minor turns out to be serious you will want the expertise of someone trained to treat acute illness and injury. Look for an Manhattan urgent care center that is staffed by Board Certified Emergency Medicine Physicians, not Internists or Primary Care doctors.
3) You deserve a doctor with excellent credentials.
At the end of the day, you want a really smart Doctor. That’s why quality urgent care centers will prominently post the bios of their doctors. Notice where your emergency doctor did their training and what awards they have achieved. Note whether they also work at prestigious academic institutions. If so, they are more likely to have cutting edge skills and up to date knowledge than doctors who work exclusively in urgent care centers.
Convenience:
There may be an urgent care center right down the street, but if it’s not open at 8pm when you need emergency medical care, or on Thanksgiving day when the unexpected happens, it’s not going to be a help to you. Most urgent care centers are open 7 days a week but not all are open 365 days a year.
You will likely want to:
1) Choose a Manhattan urgent care that is open holidays, weekends and extended evening hours.
2) Also choose one that is easily accessible by subway or taxi.
Whether you need emergency medical care in TriBeCa or a prescription refill on the UWS, convenience is of the essence and you want to choose an urgent care center that’s open when you need it most.
Cost:
Part of what’s great about urgent care centers is that, unlike the ER, rates should be transparent and no one should be getting an unexpected mystery bill. Look for Manhattan urgent care centers which:
1) Post their self pay rates clearly in the office and online.
2) Accept your insurance.
3) Charge urgent care co pays and rates, not ER co pays and rates.*
*ER co pays are typically $100 more than urgent care rates, plus ER rates can come to thousands of dollars extra on your bill and are more likely to be denied by your insurance.
Patient experience:
Manhattan urgent care centers offer a wonderful ER alternative in a city where the ER experience is often chaotic, dirty, dehumanizing and slow. By removing the care from the inefficiency of the hospital system some urgent care centers have had opportunity to reinvent the way patient care is delivered offering
1) chic surroundings
2) cutting edge technology
3) customer service amenities that evoke the hotel industry
Read reviews. Stop in on the way to work. Shop around before an emergency is upon you.
Medhattan is the premier urgent care in lower Manhattan when you need emergency medical care in TriBeCa, BPC, (Fidi), Seaport or the West Village. Our beautiful Manhattan urgent care center is staffed exclusively by caring Board Certified Emergency Medicine Doctors to provide the best walk in emergency care in NYC for you and your children.
