It’s “Back to School” time for students across South Florida and many parents know exactly what that means: waiting hours at the doctor’s office for their child to get their school-required physical. .
Santiago Peña, DSc, PA-C, an advanced practice provider (APP) supervisor for Baptist Health Urgent Care Express locations in Country Walk, Key Biscayne and Coral Springs, spoke with the editors of Health regarding why visiting Urgent Care Express for that exam might be a better option. Physicals for school and sports are only $25 and usually take only an hour, he says, which means parents can save time and money by having their children’s exams at a Baptist Health Urgent Care Center. Express.
Health: Is “back to school” a busy time of year for Baptist Health Urgent Care?
Sr. Peña: For many families, preparing for the new school year means getting up-to-date physicals for school entrance or sports physicals if your child wants to participate in athletics. So yeah, we’re busy this time of year, but if you’re coming in for a physical, you can usually be in and out of here in an hour or so.
Health: What services does Baptist Health Urgent Care offer for student-athletes who are required by their schools to have a physical?
Sr. Peña: We offer a physical readiness evaluation (PPE) or sports physical for student-athletes. This involves obtaining a detailed medical history from the patient, performing a complete physical exam, and, if necessary, obtaining an electrocardiogram (ECG).
Health: How long does the physical exam usually take?
Sr. Peña: The physical exam itself is usually not long. There is some time spent going over the reported medical history and completing the required forms. Most encounters last no more than an hour from when the patient is placed in a room.
Health: Who conducts the exams?
Sr. Peña: At Baptist Health Urgent Care Express, we have an excellent team of nurse practitioners and physician assistants who are well-versed in the components of the PPE exam.
Health: What are some of the conditions that you see that might be a red flag and disqualify the student from participating in sports?
Sr. Peña: Some examples of typical worrisome findings that would require further evaluation or be disqualifying are a history of loss of consciousness, chest pain or shortness of breath with exertion, pathologic heart murmurs that may suggest structural heart disease, persistent musculoskeletal pain following an injury, or loss of function in one of the paired organs, to name a few.
Health: What if the student needs further diagnosis or care?
Sr. Peña: We will inform the patient and their caregiver of abnormal findings that require further evaluation and explain which specialists should be scheduled. We will also advise them of any symptoms to be aware of while awaiting further evaluation.
Health: Why should parents choose Baptist Health Urgent Care Express for their child’s physical?
Sr. Peña: At Baptist Urgent Care Express, we pride ourselves on offering an excellent patient experience and optimal medical evaluation at an affordable price – just $25 for PPE. If an ECG is required, there is an additional charge of $50 and that test is reviewed and signed by a cardiologist on staff. That is something that many other centers cannot offer. Even if the EKG turns out okay, if one was recommended for your child, wouldn’t you want to have it checked out by a cardiologist?
Health: Can people make appointments for school physicals at Urgent Care Express?
Sr. Peña: Absolutely. Patients can save their place online or use the PineApp on their mobile devices and select the “Save My Spot” option. They would select “Urgent Care” as the reason for the visit and then write “sports physical” or “school physical” in the notes section.
Aside from physical exams, there are other reasons many people seek care at Baptist Health Urgent Care Express during this time of year, according to Mr. Peña.
“As the first few weeks of school get underway, many students, faculty and staff are once once more spending their day in close proximity to others. When one of them gets a cold or another contagious illness, the others get it too,” he says, adding that most illnesses can be quickly diagnosed and treated at Urgent Care Express so your child can feel better and get back to normal. the school. “Also, flu season is coming up, so we’ll be administering vaccines and treatments for that as well.”