McLaren Oakland, part of statewide McLaren Health Care, and its McLaren Clarkston medical campus have launched online scheduling for patients seeking non-life-threatening emergency care at the locations’ emergency departments.
For patients looking to minimize their wait time in the ER, visiting mclaren.org/oaklandER will let them view all available upcoming treatment times and register for a time that fits their schedule, allowing them to wait at home until their time arrives.
“Online check-ins are a great option for patients with less severe cases that still require timely care, such as intense coughs or acute orthopedic injuries,” said Dr. Tressa Gardner, emergency physician and medical director of emergency medicine at McLaren Oakland and McLaren Clarkston. “However, this is in no way a replacement for 911 or the level of timely care that can be provided by a paramedic. Patients experiencing symptoms commonly associated with higher acuity conditions should not hesitate to call for an ambulance.”
All online check-ins are reviewed and evaluated by medical professionals for symptoms that may indicate a severe condition. Patients experiencing a potentially serious emergency are contacted directly and advised to call 911 or to go to their nearest emergency department. Symptoms such as chest pains, severe abdominal pain, a major injury or a trauma associated with loss of consciousness, or a potential pregnancy complication.
“A visit to the ER for emergency care can cause a patient an understandable level of anxiety and nerves,” said Tracey Franovich, McLaren Oakland President and CEO. “By making this accessible to our patients, it affords them more control over their health care experience through its support of a more comfortable and convenient experience, which increases the likelihood that they will seek the care they need when they need it.”
To view current waiting times for the emergency departments at McLaren Oakland in Pontiac and McLaren Clarkston or to check-in online, visit mclaren.org/oaklandER.
About McLaren Oakland
McLaren Oakland is a 318-bed hospital that provides primary and specialty healthcare services to the greater Pontiac and Oakland County, Michigan communities. Founded in 1953, McLaren Oakland has grown to a comprehensive medical community that includes outpatient facilities in Clarkston and Oxford, in addition to an inpatient hospital in Pontiac providing a range of clinical services including emergency and trauma care, cardiology, cancer services, minimally invasive robotic surgery, and orthopedic services. McLaren Oakland offers ACGME accredited residency and fellowship programs in anesthesiology, diagnostic radiology, emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, orthopedic surgery, otolaryngology, pulmonary disease and critical care medicine, and transitional year, in addition to a CPME accredited podiatry program. Learn more at mclaren.org/oakland.
About McLaren Clarkston
McLaren Clarkston represents the largest ground-up development in the history of the corporation. The $600 million health care village project, located on 95 acres of prime real estate in northern Oakland County, is being developed in two phases. Phase I opened in May 2009 and includes a 138,000 sq. ft. Medical Office Building, a 42,000 sq. ft. freestanding cancer center and a 5-acre Garden of Healing and Renewal. Learn more at mclaren.org/clarkston.
About McLaren Health Care
McLaren Health Care, headquartered in Grand Blanc, Michigan, is a $6.6 billion, fully integrated health care delivery system committed to quality, evidence-based patient care and cost efficiency. The McLaren system includes 13 hospitals in Michigan, ambulatory surgery centers, imaging centers, a 490-member employed primary and specialty care physician network, commercial and Medicaid HMOs covering more than 732,838 lives in Michigan and Indiana, home health, infusion and hospice providers, pharmacy services, a clinical laboratory network and a wholly owned medical malpractice insurance company. McLaren operates Michigan’s largest network of cancer centers and providers, anchored by the Karmanos Cancer Institute, a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the U.S. McLaren has 28,000 full-, part-time and contracted employees and more than 113,000 network providers throughout Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. Learn more at mclaren.org.