*Sponsored content provided by MedHelp
By Judi M. McGuire
For The Tribune
TRUSSVILLE — Where should you go to get stitches on your finger or to seek relief from flu-like symptoms when your primary care physician’s office is closed? An illness or injury that does not appear to be life-threatening but can’t wait until the next day should be treated at an urgent care center.
Dr. Michael Vaughn recognized a healthcare solution was needed for eliminating the long waits for primary care appointments and extended emergency department wait times. He founded MedHelp Clinics in 1982, which was the first Urgent Care/Family Practice in Birmingham to address this severe need. MedHelp Clinics’ medical expertise and commitment to personalized attention ensure that patients with urgent health needs receive the very best care days, nights, and weekends with convenient hours and no appointments needed for most visits.
MedHelp uses a state-of-the-art medical records system and digital x-ray equipment that produces high-resolution images for their providers to interpret. Their in-house laboratory is CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) certified. The Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) regulations include federal standards. A full-time lab director manages the in-house laboratory.
MedHelp Clinics’ Mission Statement serves as the focus and direction of the organization. “It is our goal to follow the Golden Rule – treating our patients as we would like to be treated. The physicians at MedHelp are dedicated to helping people whether they are sick in body or spirit. It is always our intention to honor Christ as we serve our patients.”
Over the past thirty-five years, MedHelp Clinics have added four locations: MedHelp Lakeshore, Highway 280, Pelham, and Trussville. They are hoping to expand again soon. Their providers include seventeen physicians and two nurse practitioners. These providers practice the full range of Family, Internal Medicine, and Urgent Care. Also, the staff is physicians who provide weight loss, nutrition, and bio-identical hormone replacement and primary care dermatology. Among others, Dr. Song Yu’s dedication is an example of MedHelp Clinics’ commitment to providing quality and compassionate care to those seeking health care solutions. He routinely works thirteen hours a day, six days a week in the MedHelp Clinic Trussville location.
Recent years have seen an increased recognition of the importance of teaching by individual doctors and throughout the profession. MedHelp is honored to be on the teaching staff of both the UAB School of Medicine and the University of South Alabama School of Medicine. The organization considers it a privilege to train the next generation of physicians.
In summary, all too often, illness or injury appears out of the blue. You wake up in the middle of the night with intense abdominal pain. You stumble while carrying groceries up a flight of stairs and can no longer put weight on your swollen ankle. Or you have a high fever over the weekend. Where do you go for help? The good news is that MedHelp Clinics are open now, waiting for you.