Health care is important, but sometimes it’s difficult to get the medical attention you need. Long wait times are common in doctors offices and emergency rooms, so patients these days need to find urgent care in medical clinics across the nation. Fortunately, there are many urgent care centers in the state of Washington. Whether you need a Seattle WA urgent care center or Kirkland WA urgent care, there are plenty of options available.

Here are five frequently asked questions about urgent care that you need to know:

What are urgent care centers?
Urgent care centers operate independently from doctors offices and hospital emergency rooms in the United States. Because ERs tend to be overcrowded, urgent care centers offer another option for those patients who need immediate medical attention. However, these centers are just like your typical doctors office or hospital, with plenty of the necessary equipment and resources for those who are sick or injured.

Who visits urgent care centers?
Americans make approximately 160 million visits to urgent care centers each year. As this industry expands, more and more people will seek out these centers in addition to or instead of hospitals and doctors offices. Young and old patients alike visit these centers in the events of injury or illness or for other medical needs.

Who owns these facilities?
Physicians own an estimated 50% of US urgent care facilities. Some of these buildings are also run by hospitals or others in the medical industry. No matter which urgent care center you choose, you can be confident in knowing that they are staffed by trained physicians and other medical workers.

How long have urgent care centers been around?
Most urgent care centers (about 53%) in the United States have been operating for over five years now. The number of centers open for fewer that five year, 47%, is due to the growing demand for these centers in the US today. As a result, many of these centers are new facilities, but all of them are filled with trained professionals.

Where are urgent care centers located?
Most of these urgent care centers aren’t in crowded hospitals. They are typically freestanding buildings; however, many are also located in medical or retail plazas. They are found in urban, suburban, and rural areas, and all are designed with their population’s needs in mind.

If you or a loved one require immediate medical attention, sometimes waiting in a long line for an ER doctor simply isn’t an option. Consider getting to know your local WA urgent care facility today, and feel confident in the care you receive!