LUMBERTON — People who are not experiencing life-threatening illnesses should not seek care at Southeastern Regional Medical Center’s Emergency Department, which is being overwhelmed with people suffering from flu.
“We are treating very high volumes of patients seeking care from our Emergency Department, many for conditions that could be treated in a setting which is more appropriate, such as an urgent care center or their primary care physician’s office, where patients could be treated quicker with less expense for the patient,” said Joann Anderson, president and CEO of the medical center.
Alternative medical facilities offered by SRMC include Southeastern Urgent Care of Lumberton, Southeastern Urgent Care of Pembroke and The Clinic at Walmart.
“Patients who are experiencing emergencies will continue to get exceptional care through our emergency room,” said Dr. John Reed, medical director for Southeastern’s Emergency Department. “However, it is those patients who could be treated appropriately at other types of medical clinics who experience long waits and become frustrated with the Emergency Department process. We hope to steer these patients in a direction that is more appropriate for their medical condition.”
Southeastern has recently seen an increase in patients with the influenza virus. According to the medical center’s Infection Control Department, 63 patients have tested positive for influenza during the past 11 days.
“According to the CDC, flu activity has increased substantially nationwide,” said Dr. Obiefuna Okoye, an Infection Control specialist at the medical center. “It has reached a national baseline level in some areas and it is strongly recommended that those who have not received the flu vaccine should do so immediately.”
Southeastern’s primary care and urgent care clinics, as well as The Clinic at Walmart and Southeastern Mobile Medical, offer influenza vaccinations. Many locations, such as CVS and Walgreens, also accept patients without an appointment. The out-of-pocket cost for a flu shot at the medical center and its affiliate clinics is $20. At CVS a flu shot is $34 and at Walgreens it is $32. For a complete listing of facilities and phone numbers, log on to www.srmc.org <http://www.srmc.org>.
The medical center advises basic steps to avoid the flu, such as washing hands and using hand sanitizer.
“Avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose,” Okoye said. “Avoid sick people. Stay home if you are sick. Most of all if you’re really sick, call your health-care provider.”
If I told you I didn't have any arms and I'm typing with my nose would that mean I get a pass with critisism? Nope.
Judge, yes I do. Don't claim to go to church. We all judge. Quick, you're on your way to work running late, approaching a stop light, one lane a loaded dump truck, the other lane a red corvette, what lane are you gonna get in? Judgements, we all make em.
How would you feel for someone to tell you to go elsewhere because we dont want to treat you here?
Its all fun to pick at sick people or walkie talkies and Mrs. Rose refers to them until you are so sick youfeel like you are dying.
Mrs. Rose you are a joke! Face it.
There arnt many jobs in robco to support families anymore and SRMC is doing s terrible job providing car. These facilities are established to the community. It dosnt matter if you are a child, ol, young ot middle aged everyone deserves care.
This situation is like calling the cops for help and they tell you to call another cop because you are poor, not important and you arnt a local lawyer or commisioner.
I posted earlier my.grief with srmc.
Avoid them at all cost brcause they are terrible at how they conduct business.
Take your money elsewhere so they can be out of a job and.feel the effects of a recesion.
They dont attend class, they get their degrees online. Do you think this presents an oppurtunity to.cheat? Thought so.
YOU ARE ON A COMPUTER AS WE SPEAK, BUDDY. You have a cell phone, a car, big screen TV, you probably smoke, and play the lottery, BUT YOU AIN'Y GOT MONEY TO GO TO THE DOCTOR. Yeah right. You are the reason the hospital is struggling to stay afloat. You go up there, smelling like cigarette smoke, test positive for illicit drugs, beg for pain pills and leave a $2000 dollar bill for your neighbors to pay. Stay out unless you can pay. Take better care of your health if you don't have the money to get sick. You make me sick having to pay your bills.
What would you have done years ago before you could go to the emergency room for free?
If you want free care go to a voodoo doctor online, you've got a computer.
Stay out unless you are truely in need of EMEGENCY services.
You should be ashamed of yourself, when there is actually sick children and old folks waiting and you're up there begging for pain pills, because you are addicted to narcotics. The staff is on to you and your days of free percocets are numbered. There's a system in place now where your drug use is tracked and monitored. Gonna get harder and harder to lie about your usage.
Ps. And the providers are getting fed up with the non-sick, or "walkie-talkies". Claim you are in so much pain, but yet you are walking around talking, and complaining. "Walkie-talkie", they're on to ya pal.
Just stay out, period. Until you people learn to appreciate the providers, ask someone in you family to provide care when you get sick. And around here it's when not if......