guidewell emergency doctors

When COVID-19 made its way to Florida last year, there were a lot of unknowns.

The symptoms changed often in the early weeks and months after the virus arrived here in March 2020. It was unclear why some people were more susceptible to the virus than others. And there wouldn’t be a vaccine for another nine months.

So much uncertainty naturally led to frustration, concern and even fear for the doctors and nurses trying to navigate those uneasy waters, including the staff at GuideWell Emergency Doctors. It tested them personally and professionally. But it also brought them closer together as a team. One where they leaned on and looked out for each other more than ever.

Those feelings don’t disappear when the worst of the crisis has faded. (The number of new daily cases in Florida has dropped from about 18,000 to 3,000.) They’re still here today, part of the fabric of a team that weathered the worst of a storm and came out stronger.

By: Lissette Campos, Enterprise Communications

The notes are in different sizes and colors. Some are on sticky notes. And then there are the stick people drawings that look like they came from kids. This is what an outpouring of thanks from patients looks like. This is GuideWell Emergency Doctors.

This week, the innovative medical practice expanded from Central Florida into the Tampa Bay region, opening its doors at 4748 North Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa. It’s the first of six coming to Hillsborough and Pinellas counties this year and promises no shortage of inspiring patient stories. The model combines the diagnostic capabilities, technology and emergency medicine team of a hospital ER with the convenience and lower cost of an urgent care.

New medical facility provides access to top board-certified emergency doctors at one-third the costs and 50% less wait time

The first of six GuideWell Emergency Doctors in the Tampa Bay area opened today. The innovative new medical facility combines the technology and medical personnel associated with a hospital ER and the convenience and low-cost of an urgent care clinic. The medical facilities are operated and staffed by Crucial Care.

Because of fears of contracting COVID-19, health care professionals say people throughout the country are afraid to go to emergency rooms and urgent care centers.

Now, health care providers are sounding the alarm.

Bethany Carlson, RN, who is a nurse manager at the GuideWell Emergency Doctors in Winter Park, says delaying care can be dangerous---even life threatening. She wants to urge the public not to put off seeking necessary or emergency care for themselves or their loved ones.

“A lot of the times they’re ignoring them (symptoms) a lot longer than they should so by the time they come to us they’re sicker than they needed to be just because they’re afraid.”

Dr. Christopher Hamann, MD, a Board-Certified Emergency Medicine physician, says ignoring symptoms is risky. He says someone who experiences a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or chest pain but ignores symptoms could end up having a stroke or heart attack.

Tampa Bay will soon have a lower-cost alternative to the emergency room. GuideWell Emergency Doctors announced it will expand into Hillsborough and Pinellas counties with six new locations.

The innovative medical practice, operated by Crucial Care, will treat both urgent and emergency medical needs to patients of all ages and provide an alternative to overcrowded, high-cost emergency rooms by combining the convenience and low-cost of an urgent care clinic with the technology and medical personnel associated with a hospital ER.

High Quality Care at More Affordable Prices

Throughout the GuideWell enterprise, there are many nurses in many different roles. National Nurses Week, which begins each year on May 6 and ends on May 12 - the birthday of nursing founder Florence Nightingale- is an exciting opportunity for our company to recognize the significant contributions of nurses in our organization. Recently, we caught up with a few nurses to hear more about how nursing has had an impact on their lives, especially during COVID-19.

Kirsten Baker, RN, BSN, MBA, CHC | Florida Blue Center