Putnam Prompt Care after-hours clinic opening April 20 inside PCH

Putnam Prompt Care, an acute after-hours clinic located inside Putnam County Hospital, will begin seeing patients on Monday, April 20.

Putnam Prompt Care will be open seven days a week, Monday through Friday, 5-9 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.

No appointment will be necessary for the after-hours clinic, where board certified family nurse practitioners and physician assistants will provide care.

While receiving care at Putnam Prompt Care will be typically less expensive and quicker than a trip to the Emergency Department, patients will have the same access to the hospital's state-of-the-art technology, such as laboratory and X-ray services, if need be.

Putnam Prompt Care will offer a high-quality, low-cost option to the Emergency Department for treating minor illnesses and injuries to adults and children over two months of age.

Below are general guidelines to help differentiate when to receive care from Putnam Prompt Care and when a visit to the Emergency Department is in your best interest.

Putnam Prompt Care:

-- Cough/cold/flu.

-- Sinus infection.

-- Sore throat.

-- Earache/ear wax impaction.

-- Seasonal allergies/mild asthma.

-- Pink eye/Mild eye complaints.

-- Minor cut closure (durabond,numbing).

-- Bladder infections.

-- Minor burns/sunburns.

-- Skin infections/rashes/bug bites.

-- Diarrhea/nausea/vomiting.

-- Minor abdominal complaints.

-- Simple foreign body removal.

-- Sprains and strains.

-- Acute gynecological exam.

PCH Emergency Department:

-- Life-threatening emergencies.

-- Chest pain.

-- Difficulty breathing.

-- Obvious fractures.

-- Severe bleeding.

-- Pregnancy complications.

-- Mental status change/stroke symptoms.

-- Dizziness.

-- Severe abdominal pain.

-- Severe headache.

-- Severe lacerations/amputations.

-- Pain exacerbations.

Putnam Prompt Care will accept most insurance plans, patients should just ask the receptionist to check on your specific plan. Co-pays will apply. Cash, check and credit card payments will all be accepted.

For more information on Putnam Prompt Care, persons may visit www.pchosp.org or call 655-2686.