YOUR ESSE HEALTH OFFICE

At Esse Health, our Family and Internal Medicine physicians are your primary care providers meaning they will oversee all aspects of your medical care. Our offices have convenient hours to serve you and, in most cases, can get you an appointment within 24 hours of your call (if not that same day!). Call us first for non-life threatening illnesses or injuries during and after office hours, and we will advise you on what you should do. Hospital emergency rooms are frequently overcrowded, and if your visit is not considered an emergency by the hospital or your insurer, you may end up paying out-of-pocket for the trip.

URGENT CARE FACILITIES

Urgent care facilities have been popping up all over the St Louis area. They are good options for after-hours care for acute injuries like broken bones and sprains, vomiting and diarrhea, and minor cuts and burns. If it is after-hours, call us to discuss your concerns. If necessary, we may recommend you visit an Urgent Care to get immediate assistance. If you do go to an Urgent Care, call and provide us a status of your condition. We will then make an appointment for follow-up care to make sure you are on the mend.

DRUGSTORE CLINICS

Recently drugstore chains have added walk-in clinics that may seem convenient but may come at a cost to you. To the drugstore clinic doctor, you are the next name on the list. In most cases, you may see a different doctor each time you visit. At Esse Health, our physicians often have patients come into the office for care after they have already been to a drugstore clinic because they are still ill. Your Esse Health primary care doctor knows you and has access to all of your medical records. Your Esse Health team does a full chart review each time you visit to not only treat your current condition but to go over all your existing chronic conditions and medications to determine the treatment that is best for you.

EMERGENCY ROOM

If the condition is life-threatening, please call 911 immediately or go to your local hospital emergency room.

Which is Best for Me?

Did you know insurance companies may make you responsible for the entire cost of an emergency room (ER) visit if it is not considered an emergency? We want you to expirence high quality care and great service without an increase in cost.

Compare the estimate cost of care* in the Urgent Care versus the ER for common illnesses.

Call us first for non-life threatening illnesses during and after office hours. But if you need treatment after regular office hours, try an Urgent Care for minor injuries or illnesses. Urgent Care’s accept insurance, cost less than the ER and are open evenings and weekends. Keep in mind—certain conditions and medical emergencies will always require you go to the ER. The chart below may help you decide.