A trip to an urgent care center can be a bit nerve wracking for anyone – especially a kid. Being in an unfamiliar environment and placed into the hands of strangers can cause anxiety, especially when a child must undergo a medical procedure or get an injection – things that can be downright scary for little ones. We’ve all seen the resulting bouts of crying and temper tantrums. But it doesn’t have to be that way for you and your child. Solantic Baptist Urgent Care offers these tips to help make your child’s next visit to the doctor a bit less stressful, and perhaps even fun.

Allowing your child to get to know his doctor can help ease his anxiety, making each trip to the doctor less stressful and more fun.

Give some warning: When possible, tell your child in advance that he or she will be visiting the doctor soon. For older children, let them know a few days ahead of time. For younger children, a day is sufficient without giving them too much time to fret. This allows them time to express any fears or anxieties and ask questions about the visit.

Choose and stick with a doctor you and your child like: The more familiar a doctor becomes to a child, the less anxiety he will experience with each visit. Urgent care centers increasingly are replacing the family physician for many routine visits such as annual checkups, school and sports screenings and urgent care treatment for illnesses and injuries. This works to your advantage because it allows your child to get to know his Solantic Baptist Urgent Care physician, nurses and staff during routine visits, making things less stressful when a more urgent need such as an unexpected injury or illness occurs. Barring a more serious situation that requires emergency room treatment, the same urgent care physician who handles your child’s routine visits will be there for his urgent care situation.

Don’t make it a big deal: Let your child know that all boys and girls go to the doctor and that a visit to the doctor’s office or urgent care center is simply to make sure that his little body is working in all the ways it should. If a visit is for a particular health concern and your child is aware that something is different, tell him only the most essential information and assure him that the doctor will know exactly what to do to help set everything right again. Also be aware of your own facial expressions and body language when talking to your child about an upcoming visit. They pick up on nonverbal signals as well as adults, so keep a sincere smile on your face and maintain a cheerful and comforting tone of voice.

Read a book about visiting the doctor: Multiple children’s books address going to the doctor in ways that are informative, humorous and reassuring. A few of our favorites are The Berenstain Bears Go to the Doctor, Elmo Goes to the Doctor, Curious George goes to the Doctor and Madeline, in which the famous young heroine must visit the hospital in the middle of the night to have her appendix removed. Though it was written in 1940, it remains among the most used resources to help soothe a child’s anxieties about emergency doctor visits.

Keep your child occupied in the waiting room: Bring along a few favorite toys or stuffed animals, funny books, coloring books with crayons or simple games. A soft, familiar blanket and yummy snack will help as well. Toys can be a big help in the days before you go to the urgent care center or doctor’s office too. Role play allowing your child to play the doctor and an assortment of huggable dolls and stuffed animals to be his pretend patients. Educational doctor play sets work great for older children.

Be prepared yourself: Be on time and make sure you have all of your child’s insurance information, prescription card and any other necessary documentation with you, such as shot records from prior physicians. Write down any questions you have beforehand. This all helps assure that your visit will go quickly and smoothly.

Give your child something to look forward to: Reward a successful visit to the doctor with a trip to the park or ice cream shop. And be sure to pile on the hugs, kisses and words of praise. This will help lay the foundation for your child’s next trip to the doctor.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule your child’s next checkup, visit our website and find the nearest Solantic Baptist Urgent Care center.

Urgent Care Mini-Site Optimized For Those On-the-Go

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – (May 6, 2010) - Solantic walk-in urgent care today announced the launch of a mini-website optimized for mobile phone devices.

The site was designed with mobile phone users in mind and offers user-friendly layouts; a listing of the company’s urgent care, wellness and workers’ comp/occupational health services; urgent care prices; insurances accepted; and information regarding Solantic’s urgent care locations in North Florida, North Central Florida, Central Florida, the Treasure Coast and South Florida. The application also includes click-through links to Google maps to assist users in locating the nearest Solantic center.

The site can be accessed by any phone that has web-browsing capability.

“Based on our experience, we know that many prospective patients are in a mobile environment when seeking urgent care,” said Karen Bowling, Solantic CEO. “With the launch of this technology platform, we are ensuring that patients have access to relevant information during their time of need.”

Mobile phone users can access the site at m.solantic.com

###

At Solantic Baptist Urgent Care, we know springtime means more than love is in the air – competition is in the air too. It’s also on the fields, courts and water, especially here in sunny Florida. In fact, April is National Youth Sports Safety Month – and with good reason.

Before your kids huddle up, make sure you know all the youth sports safety tips.

According to Safe Kids USA, a nonprofit organization solely dedicated to eliminating preventable childhood injuries, more than 3.5 million children ages 14 and under nationwide receive medical treatment for sports injuries each year. Nearly half of all sports injuries to middle and high school students are overuse injuries, caused by repeated motion such as pitching a baseball or throwing a football. It’s important to note than 62 percent of organized sports related injuries among youth occur during practices – not games. That’s because many young athletes (and their parents and coaches) fail to take the same safety precautions during practices as they would for a game.

Solantic Baptist Urgent Care clinics treat hundreds of youth with sports injuries every year, and the vast majority of these injuries are preventable. To help ensure your child stays safely in the game, consider these tips:

• Be sure your child stretches the muscles he or she will be using most during a game. For instance, in youth baseball pitchers should concentrate on stretching the arm and back muscles while catchers should focus on the legs and back;
• Warm-ups, such as life calisthenics or a short jog, are just as important as stretching. Warm-ups help raise the core body temperature, preparing all of the body’s muscles for the demands of physical activity;
• Keep regular ice packs (not chemical packs) on hand during both games and practices to help control pain and swelling caused by springs, strains and contusions;
• Never let anyone, including coaches and teammates, encourage your child to “play through the pain.” Pain, especially when accompanied by swelling and limitation of movement, can be a warning sign of a serious injury;
• Be aware that injuries that look like sprains in adults can be fractures in children. Because children’s bones are still growing, they’re more susceptible to fractures and breaks, especially during growth spurts;
• Provide your child with appropriate, well-fitting helmets. Sports and recreation related activities account for 21 percent of all traumatic brain injuries among American children;
• Be sure your young athlete gets plenty of rest, particularly in the weeks following an injury;
• And make sure your child drinks plenty of water to keep hydrated during times of vigorous activity.

All of these tips will help ensure that your child’s body stays healthy. But don’t forget the most important potential injury – emotional injury by overzealous or abusive coaches and taunting teammates. Even well-meaning parents can go overboard, criticizing game-day mistakes and pushing children to their physical and emotional limits. Studies show that 73% of kids drop out of youth sports by age 13 because it’s just not fun anymore, particularly as more emphasis gets put on winning games and the potential of sports careers. This robs young athletes of all the benefits of sports, including confidence building, goal setting and friendships. To make sure your child is ready for the sports season, stop in at the nearest Solantic Baptist Urgent Care Center for a sports physical today.

Center’s Physicians to Continue Staffing

Longtime Neighborhood Medical Resource

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (April 21, 2010) - Arlington Acute Care officially became Solantic Baptist Arlington Monday, April 19, as part of Solantic and Baptist Health’s joint venture to provide Northeast Florida residents access to an expanded continuum of care. This is the 32nd Solantic center statewide.

The Arlington center, located at 1021 Cesery Boulevard, was previously a Baptist Health facility. Robert Kiely, M.D. and Carlos Barberis, M.D., who have owned the practice since 1981, will staff the center along with April Turner, M.D. and Solantic personnel. Managing the center is Heather Parrish, who previously managed the Mandarin Solantic.

Dr. Kiely, who has served as Jacksonville Fire/Rescue Department Medical Director for more than 25 years and was named a 2008 Healthcare Hero by the Jacksonville Business Journal, said the decision to allow Solantic to manage the center came from knowing the company’s good business track record and his longtime friendship with Solantic CEO Karen Bowling. The two worked at Memorial Hospital in the 1980s.

“We had a decision to make, as owners of this practice, whether to carry the clinic on our own,” Dr. Kiely said. “We felt, at this point in our careers, Solantic had a good track record of being successful in providing urgent care in this market.”

Renovations to the center are scheduled to begin during the summer and are projected to cost $150,000, said Mark Reddinger, Solantic North Florida Market Leader. Center enhancements will include an expanded reception and waiting room area, a separate childrens’ room, and a new digital x-ray system, which will allow patients to receive results immediately and take a CD copy of their images with them for future medical consultations.

“It’s very exciting for us and will be for a lot of patients that have been coming to this center for years, because they will get to experience the brand new look and feel of the center,” Reddinger said. “It’s one more example of how the Solantic and Baptist joint venture is reinvesting in the community.”

The Solantic/Baptist Health joint venture, announced January 14, 2010, encompasses 11 urgent care centers in North Florida, which are jointly owned by Solantic and Baptist, but are managed and staffed by Solantic. A new co-branded Beach and Hodges center is scheduled to open in late May at 13460 Beach Boulevard.

Solantic Baptist Arlington center hours of operation are: 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.

###

Any given month or week of the year is dedicated to some particular health issue, and this month, Solantic Baptist Urgent Care urges you to recognize April’s status as Alcohol Awareness Month.

Alcohol abuse is prevalent among various demographic groups including teenagers who fall prey to peer pressure, college students who binge drink at parties and local bars, professionals aiming to relax after a long day of work and senior citizens who find solace in alcohol during what can be a lonely and reflective time of life. If you’ve ever forgotten what you did while drinking, if your family or friends have talked with you about concerns over your alcohol intake, or if you find that that you drink to deal with loneliness, sadness or anger, you may well have an alcohol abuse or addiction problem.

Solantic Baptist Urgent Care recommends several tips to help you curb or cut out your drinking. First, write down your reasons for taking control of your drinking, such as getting better sleep, improving your health, being more productive at work or improving your relationships. Post these in a spot you’ll see each day for a visual reminder of the better life that awaits you. If you drink socially, alternate alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. For instance, enjoy a glass of wine, then a glass of sparkling water. Drink both slowly and keep a journal listing each drink you have as another visual reminder to help you avoid overindulgence. Steer clear of temptation by keeping a small amount or no alcohol at home and carefully plan your socializing calendar. Rather than meeting a friend at the local bar Friday night, plan a workout in the park or a shopping trip on Saturday instead.

When you visit Solantic Baptist Urgent Care for your annual physical, be sure to talk with our physicians or nurse practitioners about your concerns. Our expert medical staff is trained to pinpoint many lifestyle factors that are potentially harmful and can help tailor a plan to help you address these issues and live a healthier lifestyle. If you are an employer and suspect that an employee may have a substance abuse problem, any Solantic Baptist Urgent Care location can conduct reliable alcohol and drug screenings. In fact, you or your company representative can set up an account for all your occupational health and screening needs by emailing us at occhealth@solantic.com.

If you have questions or concerns about your alcohol intake, Solantic Baptist Urgent Care has nearly 40 locations throughout Florida ready to help. Visit our website to find a location near you and set an appointment today.

Solantic’s newest urgent care center is open for business at 4498 Hendricks Avenue at the San Jose Boulevard split in the Miramar neighborhood. It’s our first urgent care clinic to open since Solantic joined Baptist Health, Northeast Florida’s largest hospital system, in January.

The new Hendricks Avenue Solantic urgent care center offers immediate healthcare services for sudden illnesses or unexpected injuries including workers’ comp injuries and sports injuries. The clinic, housed in remodeled former convenience store, also offers a range of non-urgent healthcare and medical services such as wellness screenings, blood work, X-rays, pre-op physicals, drug screenings, immunizations, DOE physicals, insurance physicals, school and sports physicals, blood pressure tests, cholesterol screening, occupational medicine and OSHA respiratory physicals.

Our Hendricks urgent care clinic is high tech not just terms of our state-of-the-art medical equipment, but in comfort features including three large flat-screen televisions in our waiting and examination rooms for patients to watch while they wait to see one of our board-certified physicians; a children’s area to keep little ones playfully occupied; and a computer monitor that allows patients to check their wait times. Patients also can register online and receive a text message on their cell phones when it’s time for their exam. This allows patients to choose whether to wait in our waiting room, outside or at a nearby location.

Soon, all North Florida Solantic urgent care clinics will be known as Solantic Baptist Urgent Care. The new partnership with Baptist Health means patients now have access to the hospital system that includes five hospitals and more than 40 primary care centers located throughout Northeast Florida if follow-up care is needed. Founded in 2001, Solantic Walk-In Urgent Care has grown to 31 urgent care centers throughout Florida, employing upwards of 530 employees. Twelve Solantic urgent care centers are located in the Northeast Florida region and a 13th is slated to open at the corner of Beach and Hodges boulevards in May.

Urgent care clinics nationwide, and particularly those located in Sunny Florida, are prepared for the Spring Break season. March and April historically bring more walk-in patients to both hospital emergency rooms and urgent care clinics. And Florida is a prime Spring Break state with is warm temperatures, beautiful beaches and oceanfront hotels and condo rentals. Solantic Walk-In Urgent Care clinics are located throughout Florida and we’re prepared for all the most common Spring Break injuries and illnesses.

• If you drink, drink moderately. Alcohol begins to affect the brain within five minutes of consumption and one of the most common reasons for Spring Break hospital visits is alcohol poisoning. Many travelers report drinking far more than their normal weekly consumption during Spring Break and too often, overestimate their alcohol tolerance. Consider non-alcoholic beers or mixed drinks instead.
• Designate a driver. Any highway patrol officer or hospital emergency room worker no doubt has a full roster of horror stories to tell of alcohol-related auto crashes that killed or left Spring Breakers with traumatic, sometimes life-long injuries. Drunk driving most definitely spikes during Spring Break. Make sure you don’t end your trip with more than a hangover.
• Don’t take an open drink from a stranger. This applies to anyone, but is a particularly important rule for women. Date rape drugs like GHB, Rohypnol and Ketamine give no warnings because they are colorless, odorless, have no taste and don’t cause bubbles or other visible changes when dropped into drinks. They act fast and can render a victim unconscious and/or unable to fight off an attacker, leaving him or her vulnerable to physical or sexual assault. We recommend getting your drinks directly from your server or bartender and never leaving them unattended. If you think you may have been drugged, seek medical help immediately and try to preserve any evidence for investigators.
• Don’t take that dare! This is a big one for you guys. Something about Spring Break brings out the machismo and tempts many a young man to take physical risks either to prove himself or just get a laugh from his buddies. Emergency rooms and urgent care centers all have treated broken limbs, burns and lacerations with explanations beginning with the words “We’re on Spring Break and my buddy dared me to…”
• Slather on the sun block. We see a lot of sun poisoning and severe sun burn cases each year, particularly among fair skinned people or those unaccustomed to the coastal life. Even those who live near the coast often fail to realize that differences in beach sands can factor into sunburn severity. For instance, sands in Northwest Florida along Pensacola and Panama City Beach are finer and whiter than are Atlantic sands in Northeast Florida, which are courser and darker in color. Those white sands are more reflective and can cause much quicker and more severe sunburns.

Currently, there are 31 Solantic Walk-In Urgent Care Clinics located throughout Florida. If you’re traveling in Florida for Spring Break, make sure you know where the nearest urgent care clinic and hospital emergency room is located. Also know that while urgent care clinics can provide treatment for many types of illnesses and injuries such as cuts, burns and some broken bones, more severe medical conditions require emergency room care. Before your trip, know when to choose urgent care over ER care. Follow the tips above and enjoy your Spring Break for many healthy years to come.

Spring is just around the corner, and for America’s 20 million asthma sufferers, that could me a rough couple of months. In fact, Solantic Walk-In Urgent Care and other urgent care providers nationwide see typically see an increase in visits by asthmatic patients during the springtime. Sunny days mean more time spent outside, which means exposure to asthma and allergy triggers such as pollen, grass and air pollution.

Consider these statistics from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America – Every day in the U.S.:

•    40,000 people miss school or work due to asthma;
•    30,000 people suffer an asthma attack;
•    5,000 people visit the emergency room with an asthma-related condition;
•    1,000 of them are admitted to the hospital;
•    11 people die of asthma-related problems.

In fact, asthma is the fourth leading cause of work absenteeism among adults and the No. 1 cause of chronic illness-related school absences for children ages five to 17 and results in more hospitalizations than any other childhood disease. Each year, 4,000 people die as a direct result of asthma, and the condition is considered a “contributing factor” in nearly 7,000 other deaths. These statistics represent a 50-percent jump in asthma deaths since 1980, including an 80-percent jump in the asthma death rate for children under age 19 since 1980.

If you think you may have asthma, Solantic Walk-In Urgent Care offers age-appropriate screenings and wellness services that can help diagnose and treat your asthma symptoms. And to help you maintain your respiratory health, we offer several healthy tips. To help prevent asthma flare-ups, consider stress-reducing exercises and techniques such as yoga and meditation. Breathing exercises and regular (reasonable) aerobic exercise also can strengthen your lungs and increase your respiratory function. And research suggests that antioxidants (particularly vitamin A and vitamin C) can help protect the lungs of people with asthma against oxidative stress.

Solantic urgent care physicians also recommend being keenly aware of potential asthma and allergen triggers that are more prevalent during the spring season, including pollens and grasses. Got spring cleaning or sprucing up the home planned? That’s a good idea, as microscopic dust mites hiding in house dust, carpets, and pillows can be triggers as well. Just be careful as you polish that dust-laded furniture. And go light on air fresheners, particularly aerosols. Paint fumes can be irritants too, so if you’re planning on repainting rooms, consider hiring a professional painter, or putting that task on your honey-do list while you take a breather elsewhere.

Should you experience any asthma-related complication, head to your nearest Solantic Walk-In Urgent Care (30 locations throughout Florida) asap. We’ll take care of your urgent care needs and help develop a health maintenance plan based upon your medical condition and unique lifestyle.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Feb. 11, 2010) - Solantic walk-in urgent care, Florida’s fastest-growing provider of urgent care, wellness and employer health services, today announced it is offering $5 prescriptions to its patients whose conditions require prescribed medications.

Solantic’s 30 centers throughout the state of Florida have on premises almost 50 commonly prescribed medications ranging from Amoxicillin and Azithromycin (commonly known as Z-Pack) to Claritin and Prilosec.

“We are always exploring ways to provide even more convenience to our patients and enhance the overall Solantic experience,” explained Solantic CEO Karen Bowling. “Through economies of scale, we have been able to reduce the cost of our medications and want to pass those savings on to our patients.”

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Feb. 11, 2010) - Solantic walk-in urgent care, Florida’s fastest-growing provider of urgent care, wellness and employer health services, today announced it is offering $5 prescriptions to its patients whose conditions require prescribed medications.

Solantic’s 30 centers throughout the state of Florida have on premises almost 50 commonly prescribed medications ranging from Amoxicillin and Azithromycin (commonly known as Z-Pack) to Claritin and Prilosec.

“We are always exploring ways to provide even more convenience to our patients and enhance the overall Solantic experience,” explained Solantic CEO Karen Bowling. “Through economies of scale, we have been able to reduce the cost of our medications and want to pass those savings on to our patients.”

###