When you get a cut, rash, or fever, going to the emergency room could take hours of your time and involves minimal time with a physician. As a member of Golden Oak Medicine in Asheville, North Carolina, you can see your physician for urgent care services. Kate Marshall, MD, Golnosh Sharafsaleh, MD, MS, AGSF, FAAFP, and the team provide diagnostic services and minor treatments for patients over 55 who need urgent care. Schedule your urgent care visit over the phone or book one online today.

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What is urgent care?

Urgent care refers to treatments and testing you can get from your regular physician very quickly at Golden Oak Medicine. Some conditions and injuries can’t wait several days for a typical appointment, and calling for urgent care allows you to get in touch with the team quickly when you need help the most.

Golden Oak Medicine doesn’t accept walk-ins for urgent care, but you can call ahead for urgent care availability at any time.

When do I need urgent care services?

There are a plethora of reasons why you might need to make an urgent care visit to Golden Oak Medicine. The team’s diverse training gives them the knowledge and tools they need to rapidly diagnose and treat various common conditions and injuries as they come up.

You should consider making an urgent care visit if you have any of the following:

  • Cold
  • Flu
  • Fever
  • Rash
  • Earache
  • Sore throat
  • Symptoms of a urinary tract infection
  • Minor cuts and scrapes
  • New back or joint pain
  • Bruises or pain after a fall
  • Signs of shingles
  • Cough

As long as you’re a member of Golden Oak Medicine, you can access urgent care for any non-emergency medical need. Minor injuries and signs of an illness can arise at any time and are often unpredictable, but sometimes they’re not severe enough to need emergency care.

What’s the difference between urgent care and the emergency room?

While urgent care and the emergency room both deal with injuries and illnesses soon after they develop, the two types of medical care are not the same. The emergency room often involves long wait times, especially if your injury or illness isn’t life-threatening. That isn’t the case with urgent care.

Urgent care at Golden Oak Medicine involves minimal to no waiting time, and you get to see a primary care physician you know. You should reserve your emergency room visits for when you have a lot of bleeding, are struggling to breathe, or have lost consciousness.

What should I expect during an urgent care visit?

When you first arrive for your urgent care visit at Golden Oak Medicine, the team goes over your medical history, including the results of any recent tests. They ask you to describe your symptoms and when they appeared before performing a brief physical examination.

After your exam, the team might perform tests, depending on your symptoms. Swab tests, blood tests, urinalysis, and imaging tests can all rule out possible diagnoses or lead to an accurate diagnosis if you don’t already have one.

With a diagnosis, the team can provide the necessary treatment for your illness or injury. They prescribe medications like antibiotics for bacterial infections and can perform minor procedures in the office when necessary, like sutures for cuts and lacerations.

Contact the team at Golden Oak Medicine over the phone or online to find out about availability for urgent care visits today.