Urgent care welcomed in Holbrook

Last Sunday I attended the open house for the new Med Direct Urgent Care facility in Holbrook Junction, 1550 Highway 395, 266-3003. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The staff includes medical director of Med Direct Urgent Care Dr. William O'Shaughnessy, physician's assistant Rebecca Kemp and medical assistant Pam Carter.

Offering an alternative to the emergency room and to help provide a cost-effective means of caring for patients with minor illnesses, the facility is now open after three years of planning, development and construction. When I toured the facility in the afternoon I was told more than 100 people had come to see the new facility that day, some from as far away as Walker.

Non-emergency treatment of illnesses or injuries such as bronchitis or sore throat, simple lacerations, colds and flu, ear infections, sprains and strains are examples of the type of medical problems treated. Persons experiencing chest pain, abdominal pain, open fractures, pregnancy-related problems, neck and back pain from a car accident or have an infant under 2 years old with a high fever should be seen in the emergency room. If a patient who comes to the facility needs emergency treatment, an ambulance or Care Flight would be called.

Services include: urgent care, walk-ins accepted with no appointment; family care appointments; X-ray and laboratory services; pharmacy dispensing basic medications; Carson Tahoe Regional Healthcare physical therapy services and behavioral health services available by appointment; Medicare, Medicaid, TriCare and most insurance accepted.

Clinical coordinator and nursing supervisor Kathi Haynie explained there are six exam rooms, a procedure room and a lab for basic laboratory procedures. The X-ray machine is being setup to send X-ray pictures digitally by computer to Carson City to be read with the diagnosis telephoned to the facility. The South County Sheriff's substation and the Douglas County E-library kiosk will be relocated to the Med Direct Urgent Care facility in the next few weeks.

An emergency helicopter landing zone at the corner of highways 208 and 395 was made possible from property released by Nevada Division of Transportation and sponsored by the East Fork Fire District. The urgent care facility will have its own helipad. The fire department owns an acre of land just west of the new facility. Urgent care is putting in a 170,000-gallon water tank on the property that will be shared with the people of Holbrook Highlands, the new subdivision that is going in on the south side of Highland Way and will provide water for any structure fires that start in that area.

n The Douglas County Library is presenting Bedtime Stories on Jan. 23 at 6:45 p.m. Children may come dressed in PJs and bring a blanket or favorite stuffed animal. The program includes stories, finger plays and poetry. The library is located at 1625 Library Lane in Minden. For information call the library at 782-9841.

n Carolyn Purkiss can be reached at 266-9482 or by e-mail at k6dug1@juno.com