By: Renown Wellness Team

October 19, 2018

How do you take the waiting game out of your Urgent Care visit? Book ahead! Here’s how this convenient service can help you schedule your appointment and see updated wait times at area urgent care facilities.

We’ve all been there, done that: It’s after hours, you need to see a doc, and urgent care is slammed. Renown now offers a convenient option that will enhance your experience.

Here’s How Book Ahead Works:

• From your phone or computer, you can check urgent care wait times around our region. This lets you see if the urgent care by your office is busier than the one closest to home — which may help your planning.
• Through Book Ahead, you can join the line at a specific urgent care just as you would in person. This allows you to stay home or at work as long as possible so you are more comfortable.

Book Ahead

When and Where to Receive Care

We have many choices when it comes to our medical care. Should you visit a doctor’s office, urgent care, emergency care or make a Virtual Visit? It’s important to know which choice is right for your situation or condition. We asked Luis Palacio, M.D., with Renown Urgent Care to explain the differences and how to make your visit as smooth as possible.

If you have been experiencing flu-like symptoms for less than 48 hours, call your doctor’s office. They can then determine if you can be treated with a prescription antiviral medicine.

Visit urgent care or the emergency room only if you are unable to eat or drink anything and may be dehydrated, have a fever over 102.5 degrees F, or are experiencing shortness of breath.

You can use Renown’s Virtual Visits videoconference service for flu-like symptoms so that you don’t need to leave the comfort of your home and you reduce the risk of spreading the virus to others. Virtual Visits allow you to see an urgent care provider from your home or office using a cellphone, computer or tablet with video capabilities. It is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

How Do You Book Virtual Visits?

Go to Virtual Visits to get started.

Here, you’ll learn what virtual check-in is all about: It allows you to stay where you are and receive text notifications once a care provider is almost ready to see you.

Click, join a line, and we will ask you some questions about your symptoms. This allows us to make sure you don’t need to call 911 or go to the ER. Reasons to visit the ER include stroke, chest pain, severe shortness of breath, uncontrolled bleeding, seizures and severe allergic reaction.

If you answer “no,” you will see the wait times for each urgent care location. If you need to get in right away, you can select the location with the shortest wait time. Or, if time is not an issue and you’d prefer to stay closer to your home or office, you can select that location.

Once you’ve selected a location, you input your cell number, name and number of patients. As your appointment gets closer, urgent care will text you with updates on timing. When you get the text message, you can choose to get “more time” and have your appointment pushed back, or tell them you’re ready to be seen and on your way.

Learn more about how to Book Ahead at Renown urgent care below. 

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