Priority ER gives patients quality care in a time-efficient manner

THE WOODLANDS, Texas--In January of 2013, Priority Emergency Room of The Woodlands opened its doors to residents. Conveniently located on the corner of FM 1488 and Kuykendahl Road, the freestanding emergency room provides a high level of care to patients with a considerably less wait time than the average hospital ER.

Located in The Woodlands and in Katy, Priority Emergency Room takes pride in being freestanding, meaning it is a healthcare facility that provides emergency care, but is independent and separate from a hospital. According to the Texas Association of Freestanding Emergency Centers, freestanding ERs must be licensed by the state and provide 24-hour emergency care, just as an ER based in a hospital. Freestanding facilities also have to adhere to state requirements and have imaging services available onsite. The thickest population of freestanding emergency rooms is in the Houston area.

There are many benefits of going to a freestanding ER. They are usually closer than hospitals, the wait time is significantly less, and patients get more personal interaction with a physician.

Priority ER is complete with four regular patient rooms, one pediatric room and two trauma rooms. The spacious and aesthetically pleasing facility also has a CT-scan, an X-ray machine, and its very own lab to run diagnostic tests. Any images taken from the ER are usually read within an hour at a top radiology group in Texas.

All five physicians at Priority Emergency Room are board certified in Emergency Medicine, and all of the staff members are experienced in emergency medicine care. There is always at least one physician, a registered nurse and a radiology technician at the facility 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. Priority ER also accepts most major insurance plans.

While Urgent Care Centers are good for minor medical problems such as a sore throat or a sprained ankle, emergency rooms are manned by doctors and can handle medical emergencies such as chest pain, shortness of breath, and broken bones.

Winnie King, MD, PhD, is a Physician and Managing Partner at Priority ER who has been practicing Emergency Medicine for over 25 years.

“All of us here have grown up practicing hospital based emergency medicine and now we are providing emergency care in a different way,” said Dr. King. “We learned that we can take the ER out of the hospital and put it someplace that is a lot more convenient. We have practically everything that the hospital emergency room has,” said Dr. King.

With the growing problem of hospital emergency room overcrowding and the resultant long wait times for treatment, freestanding emergency rooms have become a very popular alternative. Oftentimes, when a patient comes in to Priority ER, they don’t even have enough time to fill out the registration papers before they are brought back to a room to be treated.

“Priority ER is more efficient for patients, they’re happier, they can get in and out, and they go on about their way,” said Dr. King.

Should a patient need to be transferred to a hospital, Priority ER has transfer agreements with all local hospitals so that they can be directly admitted to a hospital bed.

If children need emergency care, they will be in absolute awe of the pediatric room at Priority ER. With an “Under the Sea” theme, the room is complete with a full-length wall mural with colorful fish and coral.

“It really calms children down,” said Dr. King. I love children, and taking care of kids is the highlight for me.”

For over a year now, Priority Emergency Room in The Woodlands has been giving residents a more convenient and efficient option for receiving emergency services. At Priority ER, patients will receive a high level of personal service. The physicians really take the time to talk to patients while treating them with the upmost care in a time-efficient manner.

Priority Emergency Room is located on 3759 FM 1488. For more information, visit their website below or call 832-299-2500.