Center gives patients another option for health care
I don't have to point out to anyone that our community is growing at a dizzying rate. Such growth creates a need for diverse and expanded community-based medical care.
As Murphy's law dictates, you can depend on accidents or sudden minor ills to happen at the least convenient moments, particularly when your personal physician is not available. For those times, Bonner General Immediate Care is now an option. This walk-in clinic is open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. No appointment is necessary. BGIC is designed for a quick, convenient diagnosis and treatment of non-life threatening illnesses and injuries.
BGIC can treat:
? Sore throats, earaches, sinus infections
? Colds and flu, low-grade fever
? Minor skin rash, allergies
? Sprains, fractures and strains
? Minor back, joint or muscle pain
? Minor cuts, burns and abrasions
BGIC is located in Ponderay on 400 Schweitzer Plaza Rd., just east off Highway 95 North, behind the Super 8 Motel in Mountainview Plaza and can be reached at (208) 263-0649. With on-site radiology and selected laboratory services, Dr. Thomas Fletcher or certified physician's assistant, Deborah Brannigan can determine your needs and provide immediate care, refer you to a specialist, or ensure that you get emergency care.
"This is truly at win-win for the patient and the physician. Patients can receive immediate care without an appointment during weekend and off-hours and the physician can have a ready resource to refer a patient with an urgent medical problem," said Mary Bluhm, office manager of BGIC.
Sheryl Rickard, chief executive officer of Bonner General Hospital explains, "there was a need in the community for after-hours and weekend care clinic north of Sandpoint. The clinic compliments the existing services in the area and gives patients with minor ailments a lower-cost alternative to the emergency room."
Other services available at BGIC include occupational health services such as drug screening, breath alcohol testing, commercial driver's license physicals, and school sport physicals.
BGIC is not intended for obvious life threatening situations. board certified ER physicians at Bonner General Hospital's emergency department are equipped to handle life threatening injuries 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are not sure which facility to choose, err on the side of caution and head to the emergency department.