Written by: Certified Nurse Practitioner Nicole Samudio

Western Wisconsin Health’s Urgent Care celebrates their second anniversary to of providing convenient and timely care to patients and community members in this region. Urgent Care was opened at Western Wisconsin Health to provide conveniently located, cost-efficient care with extended hours to the community. Urgent Care has been available full-time at Western Wisconsin Health since the summer of 2020

Urgent Care has the ability to care for a patients of all ages, ranging from babies to senior citizens. Urgent care visit types include caring for patients with coughs, sniffles, sore throats, earaches, orthopedic injuries, cuts, scrapes, bruises, insect stings, fevers, and rashes. There are many same day services available to patients who present for Urgent Care at Western Wisconsin Health, including Lab and radiology. Typically, laboratory or radiology results are available within an hour. There is also a pharmacy available for any prescription or over-the-counter medication needs. The pharmacy at Western Wisconsin Health is currently open from 8:30-5:00 Monday through Friday. Saturday hours for WWH’s Pharmacy will start in July and they will be open from 8:30-2:00. If a patient requires a prescription to be filled outside of those hours their prescription can be sent to their preferred outside pharmacy. If the patient’s condition requires follow-up with a primary care provider or a specialist, those appointments can often be made before leaving the clinic.

A typical Urgent Care visit starts by arriving at Western Wisconsin Health and walking through the main entrance into the atrium. Patient access staff will greet the patient and check them in after a few brief questions. From there, the patient will be roomed by the Urgent Care support staff. Support staff will check the patient’s vitals, get a brief history of their illness/injury and provide an update to the provider. The Urgent Care provider will then introduce themselves, perform a physical examination, order appropriate tests and provide treatment for whatever ails the patient. If the provider determines that a patient needs additional medical care that cannot be provided in the Urgent Care, the patient’s care can be transferred to Western Wisconsin Health Emergency Department which is staffed with board certified physicians. The Emergency Department at Western Wisconsin Health is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Emergency Department can care for patients requiring a higher level of care, such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, severe pain or trauma.

There are two full time providers who staff Western Wisconsin Health Urgent care. These providers are Claire Bartlett, PA-C and Nicole Samudio DNP, FNP-C. Claire graduated from Southwest Minnesota State University with BA in Biology and BA in Chemistry and went on to graduate from St. Catherine University with her MSN in Physician Assistant studies. Currently, Claire is enrolled in an Integrative Medicine Fellowship through the University of Arizona. Nicole graduated with her BSN from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and went on to graduate from Bradley University with her DNP-FNP.

At Western Wisconsin Health the mission is to build a healthier tomorrow together by providing holistic and compassionate patient-centered care, to develop innovative models of patient care and to create a sustainable environment that produces lasting results for patients and the community. When patients seek Urgent Care at Western Wisconsin Health, they are cared for compassionately by providers who listen and seek to understand their concerns. Patients are kept safe by practices such as immediate rooming, laboratory draws in the exam room if necessary, waiting in the exam room for radiology instead of the radiology waiting room and regulated cleaning processes between each patient; these are all examples of innovations that Western Wisconsin Health has implemented in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Western Wisconsin Health looks forward to serving the community for their Urgent Care needs. Western Wisconsin Urgent Care is open from 7 AM-7 PM Monday through Friday and 8 AM-2 PM on Saturdays and Holidays. For more information or to schedule an appointment visit wwhealth.org or call 715-684-1111. Western Wisconsin Health, Building a Healthier Tomorrow, Together.