STORY BY JOY PRUDEK

St. Luke’s Wood River Family Medicine has expanded walk-in care on weekdays from 8 to 11:30 a.m. Same-day appointments are also available on weekdays from noon to 5 p.m. at the clinic at 1450 Aviation Drive near the airport in Hailey.

Walk-in care remains available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Suite 109 of the Physician’s Office Annex next to St. Luke’s Wood River Hospital in Ketchum.

“We are pleased to offer this expanded access for non-life-threatening illness and injuries,” said Amber Weber, senior manager of St. Luke’s Family Medicine. “If you can’t get in immediately to see your primary care doctor, don’t have a doctor, or are visiting from out of town, you can walk in for medical care and potentially avoid a trip to the emergency department.”

Lab and x-ray are available as well as access to language services.

Additional walk-in care will be available during the holidays at the Physician’s Office Annex this week and the week of Dec. 25.

The clinic will accept walk-in patients between 1 and 5 p.m. today, Wednesday and Friday, Dec. 22. It will be open from 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 29.

Pediatric walk-in Thursdays with Dr. Caitlin Hopeman will be available between 2 and 4 p.m. Dec. 21 and Dec. 28.

There will be no change to the regular 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday schedule

The clinics will be closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day--Dec. 24 and 25--and New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day--Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.

When to go to a hospital Emergency Department:

An emergency is any life-threatening or serious condition, such as those listed below. Call 911 immediately or go directly to the nearest emergency department in the case of:

Chest pain

Stroke

Trauma

Head injury

Abdominal pain

Loss of consciousness or confusion

Shortness of breath

Seizure

Severe Bleeding

Vaginal bleeding or abdominal pain in pregnancy

Broken bones

Severe allergic reactions

Major burns

When to go to a Walk in Clinic/ Urgent Care/ Same Day Clinic

For illnesses or injuries that require immediate attention but are not life-threatening, call your doctor or go to a walk-in clinic. Urgent care facilities are equipped to provide last-minute care, but they can’t always handle life-threatening conditions.  Conditions that require immediate attention, but are not life-threatening include:

Fever

Ear pain

Sore throat

Cough

Respiratory illness

Vomiting

Diarrhea

Urinary infection

Sprains and strains

Minor broken bones

Puncture wounds and lacerations

Mild allergic reactions

Rashes

Minor burns

Walk-in Care Not a Replacement for Primary Care

“Walk-in appointments are for immediate, urgent medical needs. They’re not intended to replace the routine care you receive from your primary care provider, such as your annual exam or routine follow-up care,” said Tiffany Wohlwend, PA, St. Luke’s Wood River Family Medicine. “It is important to continue to keep up to date on preventive care. Apart from disease screenings, the annual wellness exam is beneficial to answer questions about health and lifestyle choices while presenting an opportunity to help steer patients in a healthy direction. When you schedule an annual wellness exam, you are making an important decision to take responsibility for your health and quality of life.”

Virtual Care Options

For some health problems, a phone call or video call with a medical provider can save time and money. Virtual Care utilizes a computer, phone or other device to connect with a doctor or nurse. Visits can be scheduled or on-demand, depending on the need.

St. Luke's offers on-demand virtual care services seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., if appropriate depending on the symptoms.

Patients can log in to their myChart account, answer a few questions about their symptoms, and begin a virtual visit with the next available St. Luke's primary care provider. The doctor or nurse can ask questions and they may be able to check blood pressure, pulse, and other body functions through special tools connected to the computer. Patients may still have to wait a bit, as they would at an in-person urgent care clinic.

Patients can also contact their primary care provider or specialist to inquire about utilizing myChart and scheduling telehealth visits.  Within myChart patients can additionally message their provider with simple questions, request prescription refills, view test results, schedule appointments and e-check-in for an upcoming visit via myChart. 

For those looking for a primary care provider, call the Center for Community Health at (208) 727-8733 for help finding the right provider.