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HOLLYWOOD, FL - February 21, 2005 - VISTA announced today the expansion of its network of urgent care centers (UCCs) from six to 46 in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. UCCs provide treatment for an illness or minor injury that is not life threatening but requires immediate medical attention. While UCCs are not intended to replace primary care or routine office visits with a primary care physician, they do play an important role in the delivery of health care. "When a doctor's office is closed or immediate care is needed, members have a lower cost alternative to the emergency room for urgent care," said Duell Wise, executive vice president of network management. Compared to an emergency room, at an UCC the waiting time is normally shorter, the service is faster and out-of-pocket expenses are lower. The typical VISTA health plan copayment for an UCC visit is about the same as a specialist copayment and half of the cost of an emergency room visit. Often times the need for urgent care services occurs in the evenings, middle of the night or on holidays and weekends when a pediatrician or primary care physician is not available. UCCs are staffed with physicians, nurses and other medical professionals that can treat a variety of concerns including cuts, simple fractures, eye injury, sprains, fever, cold, flu and insect bites. If any delay in receiving immediate medical attention could cause permanent injury or becomes life threatening, calling 911 or going to the nearest emergency room is the best course of action. VISTA's UCC network includes 19 centers in Broward County, 19 in Miami-Dade and 8 in Palm Beach County. Hours of operation vary by center and most include weekends and extended weekday hours. One center is open 24-hours a day, 7-days a week.
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