Whether it's a broken leg or a burst appendix, emergency services in Provo and Orem are there to help.

The BYU Student Health Center has urgent care services open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturdays. After hours, students can use any of the hospitals in the county.

The Health Center has two points of access, said Rulon Barlow, administrative director for the Health Center. Students have the option to call and make an appointment or to use the walk-in services in urgent care.

Two doctors are always staffed during the urgent care hours and respond to patients who come in to receive treatment. The health center is not on the same level as an emergency room, Barlow said.

No ambulances take patients to the health center, though BYU Emergency Medical Services does take some patients there on occasion.

"One challenge we face is when someone has had something for a week but then decides to come in," Barlow said. "It takes up room for those who need the urgent care to get immediate treatment."

Utah Valley Regional Medical Center has a Life Flight helicopter on site if the situation arises. Police, highway patrol, EMS or whomever is at the scene makes a judgment call on whether Life Flight is needed, said Wayne T. Watson, administrative director of Emergency and Trauma Services for the urban south region of Intermountain Health Care.

The helicopter always takes the patients to UVRMC, Watson said.

He said the helicopter would rarely go to BYU because it is so close. An ambulance would be used instead.

Out of the three IHC hospitals in Utah County, UVRMC is the only trauma center. Orem Community Hospital and American Fork Hospital both have emergency rooms, but not with the full capabilities that UVRMC has, Watson said.

All critical injuries go to UVRMC, but Orem Community Hospital will treat patients with other injuries that are not as serious. American Fork Hospital can handle most things the ambulance brings in if they have the capacity to handle it, Watson said.

Timpanogos Regional Hospital also has helicopter services, through Air Med, that is based at the hospital 7 days a week. Proper protocol in the county says that Life Flight and Air Med usually take every other call depending on availability, said Jacque Brown, spokeswoman for the hospital.

"The hospital where the patient is taken is based on their current condition, whether that be here, or elsewhere," said Jerry Bushman, administrative director of Emergency Services at Timpanogos Regional Hospital.

Timpanogos Regional Hospital also offers other conveniences.

"We have private treatment rooms and 80 percent of patients are treated and gone within 60 minutes," Brown said. "We feel this is important because nobody likes to wait. We seek to give quality care in an efficient way so the patient can be in and be out quickly."



Copyright Brigham Young University 3 Apr 2003