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| - My young adult son was seen a week ago at this clinic and diagnosed with pneumonia by a physician's assistant (I assume, since no one was wearing identification or introduced themselves, but the signature on the prescriptions identified a physician's assistant). The advertisement says there are doctors on site, but I am not sure if this is accurate. Some other person in the clinic attempted to take my son for something besides a chest X-ray, and I asked if he had the right patient; he did not. Later that same person attempted to give my son a bag of medicines intended for another patient. I caught the error and he then returned with a bag containing (supposedly) three prescriptions. I asked my son to check the bag's contents, and there were only two prescriptions. That staff member told my son that one was a nasal inhaler--two puffs in each nostril. Again, he was wrong. It was an oral inhaler; two puffs only. Before discharge, we asked if my son's pneumonia was contagious, as he helps care for two young children. We were told it was not.
One of Urgent Care Extra's prescriptions was a Z-pack, which my son took as directed. However, he got steadily worse as the week went on. On Thursday I took him to a closer Urgent Care Extra (at Gilbert and Queen Creek). The person he saw there concluded his pneumonia was viral, since he wasn't getting better. They said there was nothing to do for viral pneumonia and sent him home with a strong cough syrup.
His condition worsened. Yesterday, Friday, he went to the ER, and was admitted to the hospital. The hospitalist was appalled that a Z-pack was prescribed, saying it is not useful for pneumonia. Two stronger, broad-spectrum antibiotics were given IV. She disputed that there was nothing to do if his pneumonia were viral, that he definitely was in need of "supportive therapy." Again, we asked if my son's pneumonia was contagious. and this time we were told definitively YES--that he should wear a mask around vulnerable people.
In addition to the fees at the two Urgent Care Extra centers, my son is now on the hook for thousands of dollars of ER and inpatient fees, despite having insurance. It will be worth it, though, to know he is being properly cared for.
You may draw your own conclusions about going to this Urgent Care Extra. I, for one, will not be taking anyone I love there again.
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