St. Mary's Hospital in Jefferson City (SSM) is now one of four SSM medical facilities offering a way for emergency patients to skip the waiting room and remain at home until they can be seen.
The program is called InQuicker, and although patients can forgo the waiting room, they still have to wait. The service was made available on Monday, and it is for patients with minor emergencies, according to a release from SSM. To use the service, do as follows:
• Go to www.ssmhealthmidmo.com/now
• Find the closest participating SSM hospital or health care facility
• Select the projected treatment time
• Fill out the form with contact information
After following these steps, patients should be contacted by a third party called Access Line. This call is to glean information about the patients condition to make sure they qualify for the service. It also lets them know that if they need immediate assistance to call 911. The SSM officials were not sure whether Access Line can contact 911 for the patient, said Dale Quimby, director of the emergency department.
Quimby also explained that minor emergency treatments are minor cuts, flu symptoms, or anything non-life threatening. Major symptoms would be something like a broken appendage, chest pains, or anything that is life threatening and should be treated immediately.
"While InQuicker will not eliminate all waiting times, it will give people a more convenient option for waiting when they need treatment," said Brent VanConia, regional president of SSM Health in Mid-Missouri. "I am confident this service will enhance our patients' experience and give them a reason to choose us when they need care."
The hospital has been working on implementing this program for a year, but the process was slowed by the move to a new facility, Quimby said. The program is also available for the SSM urgent care facility in Jefferson City, the SSM hospital in Audrain County, and the walk-in clinic at Lake Ozark.
No sensitive medical information is given online, and the system in which the program operates is very secure, Quimby said.
"We think it is cutting edge," she said. "We are very excited to offer this to our community ... There is a lot of literature out there that supports this type of process. It would be similar to just going to your doctor's office."