Emergency Rooms Flat Lining

A The New York Times article out this week highlights a growing issue across the country: hospital rooms, particularly in urban areas, are closing at an alarming rate.

In a study by The Journal of the American Medical Association, it was found that, “In 1990, there were 2,446 hospitals with emergency departments in non-rural areas. That number dropped to 1,779 in 2009, even as the total number of emergency room visits nationwide increased by roughly 35 percent.” For years, many Americans have relied on ERs for urgent care and reactive healing. As that becomes less of an option, those who value their health are in a position to make an empowering decision: continue seeking treatment only when necessary or begin a path towards a continuous wellness plan year-round.

SignatureMD physicians provide affordable concierge medicine, which not only helps keep patients out of emergency rooms, it also allows them to treat patients in a proactive and preventive manner. By understanding a patient’s full health history, personalized doctors area able to address the whole person and not just a set of symptoms.

Another benefit to SignatureMD patients is that the doctor is available to see them nearly any time. So should a patient have an emergency, his concierge doctor can see and treat him, or send him to an affiliated specialist or hospital promptly. There would rarely be an incident that would require an emergency room visit.

These are just some of the advantages an individual will experience with personalized healthcare. As the healthcare system in the U.S. continues to worsen, now is the time to make the switch.

Have you visited an emergency room in place of your doctor because you didn’t have quick access to him/her?