Palmetto Health offers several options for patients who are sick or injured and need same-day care

Palmetto Health now has a fast, more convenient way to get treatment for non-emergency needs when your doctor is not readily available. Patients can now use their smart phone, tablet or computer to complete an online interview about their symptoms, which are reviewed by a licensed provider.

The new online service, SmartExam, is for minor medical conditions, including colds, sinus pain, sore throats, allergies and skin rashes. SmartExam is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year including holidays. Responses are provided within one hour between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. The cost for a diagnosis and treatment plan is only $20.

“Smart Exam is one of several ways we are trying to make health care easier and more convenient for our patients and the community,” said William Gerard, M.D., emergency medicine physician and CEO of the Palmetto Health Quality Collaborative. “It offers a secure means of reaching a provider anytime, anywhere, especially when patients can find it difficult to leave work to go to a doctor’s office.”

Here’s how it works:

• Patients visit PalmettoHealth.org/SmartExam, or call 803-434-EXAM (3926) to create an account.
• After receiving confirmation that their account has been created, patients can log in and complete a SmartExam, which takes about 10 minutes.
• Completed exams are thoroughly reviewed by Palmetto Health providers and a customized care plan is sent directly to the patient. Any needed prescriptions are sent electronically to the patient’s pharmacy of choice.
• If the provider believes a patient needs to be seen in-person, our scheduling team will help them make arrangements.
• Patients pay by credit card and are only charged if they receive a diagnosis and treatment plan.
• If patients need an in-person visit, they are not charged for their SmartExam.

“We want to ensure that our patients get the best possible health care in the setting that is most appropriate for them,” said Gerard. “We want to meet our patients’ needs in a manner that is both efficient and cost effective.”

Other ways to receive same-day care for minor conditions

Palmetto Health also offers several options to provide patients with more affordable and convenient care. These locations are staffed with physicians, physician assistants and advanced care providers. These programs have more flexible hours including evenings and weekends, and cost about the same as a doctor visit. Options available include:

• Mobile clinic: This walk-in clinic provides treatment for minor illnesses and injuries such as: allergy symptoms, colds, flu, fever, sore throats, rashes, ear pain, simple infections, minor burns, minor cuts, scrapes, bruises, bug bites/stings, and minor sprains and strains. Preventive services such as screenings and vaccinations also are offered.
• First Care: No appointment necessary at this office. This is a good choice when your problems need immediate attention but aren’t life-threatening or emergencies like colds, flu, sore throats, allergies, minor cuts, scrapes, bruises and wellness needs such as sports physicals.
• Convenient Care: This walk-in clinic specializes in orthopedic urgent care for patients of all ages. Conditions treated include sprains, strains, fractures, lacerations and sports medicine injuries, as well as chronic conditions relating to the knee, shoulder, elbow, ankle, spine and more.
• Urgent Care: Located at Palmetto Health Baptist Parkridge, this office can treat problems like sprains, fevers and upper respiratory infections that need immediate attention but aren’t life-threatening or emergencies.

For more information about same-day care options, visit PalmettoHealth.org/SameDayCare.

About Palmetto Health

Palmetto Health, the largest health care system in the South Carolina Midlands region and one of the state’s largest employers, comprises more than 15,000 team members, physicians and volunteers working together to fulfill Palmetto Health’s Vision: To be remembered by each patient as providing the care and compassion we want for our families and ourselves. The system includes six acute-care hospitals in the Midlands—Palmetto Health Baptist, Palmetto Health Baptist Parkridge, Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital, Palmetto Health Heart Hospital, Palmetto Health Richland and Palmetto Health Tuomey. In the South Carolina Upstate region, Palmetto Health also co-owns Baptist Easley Hospital. Recognized nationally as one of the best places to work and receive care, the system also includes the Palmetto Health-USC Medical Group, the region’s largest multispecialty group, which serves as the entry point to the health care system with more than 500 providers serving patients in more than 80 practices and nearly 100 locations. Palmetto Health also is supported by two 501 (c)(3) foundations, and trains the next generation of physicians through its 24 residency and fellowship programs affiliated with the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. For more information, visit PalmettoHealth.org or call 803-296-CARE (2273).