Acute care hospitals are short-term medical facilities designed to provide immediate, vital medical care and treatment to discharge patients once treatment can be safely delivered in a lower level of care setting.
Acute care is delivered as a team’s collective effort, using technical equipment, pharmaceuticals, and medical supplies. At Hodgeman County Health Center, we provide our patients with acute care whenever it is required. Due to the nature of the conditions and traumas we treat, our acute care services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Read on to find out more about the importance of acute care services, and what it entails.
What Types of Treatment Are Offered in Acute Care?
Everyone participating in the service benefits from Acute Care. Its relevance impacts caregivers, patients, and their families. The World Health Organization defines the term ‘acute care’ as encompassing a range of clinical healthcare functions, such as:
- Emergency care
- Urgent care
- Prehospital care
- Trauma and critical surgery
- Short-term inpatient stabilization
- Wound treatment and pain control
What Is the Purpose of an Acute Care Facility?
Acute care is sometimes known as secondary health care since it only provides health services for a brief period. Many of these problems can be life-threatening if not treated.
Individuals in need of immediate treatment are those with:
- Severe injuries
- Serious medical conditions that require immediate care.
- An immediate need for surgical intervention
- Recovery needs post-surgery
Examples of acute conditions include:
- Asthma attack
- Acute appendicitis
- Broken bones
- Bronchitis
- Burns
- COVID-19
- Common cold
- Flu
- Heart attack
- Myocardial infarctions
- Neumonía
- Respiratory infection
- Strep throat
- Strangulated hernias
- Seizures
- Strokes
In contrast, chronic care refers to medical care that addresses a pre-existing or long-term illness.
Chronic medical conditions include:
- Asma
- Diabetes
- Efisema
- Bronquitis crónica
- Congestive heart disease
- Cirrhosis of the liver
- Hypertension
- Depression
Why Is Acute Care Significant in Healthcare?
Acute care is critical in preventing death and disability, particularly during the first 24 hours of illness. Unfortunately, primary care often lacks the resources and expertise necessary to assume this role. Acute care also acts as an entry point into health care for individuals with emergency and urgent conditions within health systems.
Benefits of Acute Care
- Acute treatment saves lives in an emergency.
- Acute care is beneficial in areas where hospitals are far away.
- Acute care assists patients in gaining a thorough understanding of their health and the conditions affecting their health.
- Acute treatment prevents dangerous health issues from escalating.
- Acute care retains a personalized approach to all medical conditions.
Acute care hospitals function the same way as other hospitals regarding management and human services. They are diverse regarding staff; the staff generally must have more experience and act as an advocate for the patient’s family and the patient. Also, in an acute care setting, the team must always be on their toes, seeing patient after patient since they don’t usually treat the same patient twice.
Is Acute Care the Best Option for You?
As we’ve already mentioned, the purpose of an acute care facility is to provide short-term care from medical professionals and all of the required employees to diagnose, care for, and treat a wide range of acute diseases and injuries.
At Hodgeman County Health Center, our medical staff will assess whether you require acute care or more extensive, long-term care. This is based on a preliminary diagnosis and projected treatment plan.
El servicio de cuidados intensivos está disponible en Jetmore, Kansas
If you have questions about the Acute Care services offered at Hodgeman County Health Center, our team is standing by to take your call!
You can connect with us by calling our office or scheduling an appointment online today!
