Ortho Express Expands With Saturday Urgent Care Hours in Fort Walton Beach
Orthopaedic Associates is expanding access to specialized orthopaedic care with the launch of Saturday hours for its ORTHO EXPRESS program, giving patients a convenient, lower-cost alternative to the emergency room for many bone, joint, and muscle injuries.
Beginning Saturday, September 12, ORTHO EXPRESS will offer walk-in orthopaedic urgent care every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon, at the practice's Fort Walton Beach office, located at 1034 Mar Walt Drive. No appointment needed
The new weekend service expands Orthopaedic Associates' existing Ortho Express program, which provides walk-in orthopaedic urgent care Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at all three practice locations is Fort Walton Beach, Destin and Crestview.
Designed exclusively for acute orthopaedic injuries and conditions, ORTHO EXPRESS provides patients with immediate access to specialty-trained orthopaedic providers, on-site digital imaging, and expert evaluation — all without the higher cost and longer wait times often associated with emergency room visits for non-life-threatening injuries.
"Orthopaedic injuries rarely happen at a convenient time," said Darren Harris, executive director of Orthopaedic Associates. "By expanding ORTHO EXPRESS to include Saturday morning hours, we're making it easier for patients to receive timely, specialized care when they need it. Our goal is to help patients avoid unnecessary emergency room visits, reduced healthcare costs and begin the appropriate treatment as quickly as possible."
The expanded hours come at a critical time for the community as fall sports seasons begin. Through Orthopaedic Associates' partnerships with Okaloosa County Schools and Northwest Florida State College, the practice expects the care for a growing number of student-athletes with injuries sustained during Friday night football games and weekend athletic competitions.
"Sports injuries require prompt evaluation to determine the safest path back to activity," said Dr. Mark Tenholder, sports medicine specialists at Orthopaedic Associates. "Having Saturday orthopaedic urgent care available means athletes, active adults and families can receive specialized assessment and treatment without waiting until Monday or spending hours in an emergency department for injuries that are better managed by orthopaedic experts."
Dedicated musculoskeletal urgent care clinics operated by orthopaedic surgery practices can be extremely beneficial to patients, physicians, and the health care system. A national research study found treatment at orthopaedic urgent care centers reduced patient wait times by more than half, lowered the average cost of care by up to 94% of a comparable emergency department visit, and helped ease the burden on hospital emergency departments. [1]
Patients experiencing recent bone, joint or muscle injuries often benefit from being evaluated by an orthopaedic specialists first, rather than visiting a general urgent care or emergency department that may ultimately refer them to an orthopaedic physician for follow-up care.
ORTHO EXPRESS is appropriate for many acute orthopaedic conditions, including:
- Recent muscle, bone or joint injuries
- Sports injuries
- Knee and ankle sprains and strains
- Hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder injuries
- Joint pain or swelling
- Recent back pain
- Suspected broken bones without an open wound and without significant deformity
Patients should still seek emergency medical care immediately for life-threatening injuries or medical emergencies, including open fractures, severe bleeding, head injuries, chest pain, difficulty breathing or suspected stroke.
Orthopaedic Associates continues to expand access to advanced orthopaedic care, providing patients throughout Northwest Florida with innovative treatment options delivered by experienced, fellowship-trained specialists.
For more information about ORTHO EXPRESS Saturday orthopaedic urgent care hours, call 850-863-2153.
Reference: [1] Anderson TJ, Althausen PL. The role of dedicated musculoskeletal urgent care centers in reducing cost and improving access to orthopaedic care. J Orthop Trauma. 2016;30(Suppl 5): S3–6.