A brand new facility that features doctors and nurses who specialize in emergency care offers peace of mind to community
When it comes to emergency rooms, the closer the better. If you’re having a heart attack, stroke, abdominal pain, have a deep cut or broken bone or have a severe flu, the sooner you can get to an emergency facility, a doctor and medication, the better. Pleasant View now has a brand-new full featured emergency room just around the corner. Having had a few traumatic injuries in my own life, I know that the shorter amount of time between the onset of pain and the relief felt from medical attention, the better.
Freestanding emergency rooms are growing in popularity and are unique in that they offer the same benefits of any emergency-room without having to build an entire hospital. The Pleasant View Emergency room features 10 rooms,including a special trauma room and a mental health room. This new Mountain Star facility added 25 new jobs to their payroll. At the time of writing this article the average wait time for the new ER was seven minutes, which can be found by visiting their website.
The Northern Ogden area has grown tremendously, as have the healthcare needs of the community. Before this facility was built, the nearest emergency rooms were at Ogden Regional Medical Center and McKay-Dee hospitals, both of which are about 25 minute drives from this area. When in a life-and-death situation, every second counts. This is why we are so excited to welcome the new Pleasant View Emergency Center to our community.
Both doctors and nurses in this new freestanding ER are board-certified; most of them have specialized in emergency rooms for their entire careers. The ER features two Medical Control doctors: Dr. Kelly Blake, who has had experience opening several freestanding ERs, and Dr. Rob Simmons, who lives in North Ogden and is a doctor from the Ogden Regional Medical Center. He oversees this new facility. Together with their team of doctors, they strive to help patients have a great experience in the unfortunate event that they have to visit an emergency room. So far, the feedback has been great. Patients and community members alike are happy about how things are done at the Pleasant View Emergency Center.
Mountain Star has a goal of being connected to the communities they serve. Their plan is to sponsor community events like Founder’s Day and Cherry Days each year. One of their largest efforts will be offering a class to the community called Stop the Bleed. There’s a nationwide effort being made to educate people on howto stop bleeding for major wounds. This class will soon be offered to community members and groups in the area and sponsored by the Pleasant View Emergency Center.
During a visit I had with Craig Bielik, the Ogden Regional Medical Center Director of Communications, he mentioned how important it is for the Mountain Star Health to be a good partner in the community. This starts with the contractor, hiring the Wadman Corporation to build their building, as well as most of the staff coming from right here locally. The company goal is to better meet healthcare needs by increasing access to high quality care and ensuring an exceptional patient experience.
Heather Christensen is the manager of the center and Brian Imlay is the director of emergency services. Heather said, “Most of our employees live herein the community and nearby. There’s something special about serving your friends and neighbors. It matters more.”
She explained to me the difference between an ER and in InstaCare or quick care clinic. This emergency room is a full featured emergency room that can handle all events of trauma or emergency medical situations. If the patient needs to be admitted to a hospital, there is no additional ER visit needed; it’s straight from this ER to hospital room. Heather said, ”It’s just a slightly longer hallway to hospital.” If you have a typical cold or flu,or non emergency medical situation, it is best to visit your regular doctor. However, for emergencies or after-hours needs, Pleasant View Emergency Center is just around the corner and able to serve. They even have air transport available if necessary.
It’s important to verify with your insurance, but the Pleasant View ER accepts all insurance companies. The out-of-pocket is almost always the same as a visit to any ER. If a transfer is necessary for additional care, those transfers can be to any hospital. The goal of the facility is to do what is best for their patients.
In the a few short weeks that the Pleasant view Emergency center has been operating, they have treated chest pain, abdominal pain, lacerations, broken bones, fall injuries, strokes, traumas, motor vehicle accidents, psychiatric, headache migraines, babies and the elderly.
It is a comfort to know that we have such a great facility right here in our backyard. As a father of five children, I hope to never have to visit the emergency room, but in the unfortunate event that it’s necessary, I’m very glad that the Pleasant View Emergency Center is right here