ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013 Long ER wait times can be frustrating\u2014sometimes even life-threatening. Now, a new option in downtown Orlando is aimed at getting patients in and out faster, without ever stepping foot inside a traditional hospital.<\/p>\n
\u201cHCA Florida Healthcare has opened a new freestanding emergency room in downtown Orlando to expand its services and cut down on long wait times.\u201d <\/p>\n
The 11,000-square-foot facility sits at the northwest corner of I-4 and West Colonial Drive, featuring 11 private treatment rooms, along with CT, ultrasound, and X-ray machines. The goal is to bring more services closer to patients. HCA officials say about 175,000 patients living within a five-minute drive of the downtown location visit local emergency rooms each year.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of us are familiar with going to a big hospital and having to sit in the waiting room a long time,\u201d said Dr. Gideon Logan, ER Medical Director at HCA Florida Downtown Emergency Room. \u201cWe typically don\u2019t have that problem. We\u2019re able to see people quickly and have everything on site quickly. And we\u2019re not dealing with addressing other inpatients like at a hospital ER. We are just an ER.\u201d<\/p>\n
This is now one of around 30 freestanding ERs across Central Florida, with at least 19 of those opening within the last four years.<\/p>\n
Flu and RSV are picking up across Central Florida, and if you\u2019re feeling run-down with a fever, cough, or congestion and aren\u2019t sure what it is, HCA Florida Healthcare has a free Consult-A-Nurse hotline that can help you decide what to do next. Just call 844-70-NURSE (6-8773).<\/p>\n
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