July marks the second anniversary of the grand opening of San Marcos’ first and only freestanding emergency room, My Emergency Room 24/7.

My Emergency Room 24/7 is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and offers a range of services to customers facing medical emergencies.

“A lot of people in the community have told us they saw a need for us to be here and are glad we’re here,” said Casandra Harrington, My Emergency Room 24/7 business administrator. 

The emergency center serves as an alternate option to going to a hospital emergency room, she said.

“It provides access to care that a lot of people may not have,” Harrington said. “We definitely have a place in the community based on the number of people that come to us and that are happy with the care we provide.”

The average wait time at My Emergency Room 24/7 is about 10 minutes, but being seen in the emergency room in a Texas hospital usually takes about an hour and a half, she said.

“The lower wait time is the biggest advantage [over a hospital],” Harrington said. “You don’t have to wait as long before seeing a physician and actually getting treatment started, whereas sometimes in a hospital if you’re not as emergent as another patient, you may be sitting there for a few hours.”

Sometimes patients even come from nearby hospitals to My Emergency Room 24/7 because hospital staff had told them that they would have a wait of several hours, Harrington said.

The most common ailment patients come in with is abdominal pain, Harrington said. Lacerations, bone fractures and flu-like symptoms as well as general pain are also common. Although the center gets a lot of local business, there is usually a spike in visitor traffic during the summer months.

One of 11 rotating physicians is always at the center, with an ultrasound technician on call 24 hours a day. The center also has a registered nurse and a radiology technologist on-site 24 hours a day.

“The main thing I see from working here is how wonderful the patients feel when they leave,” Harrington said. “They tell us constantly that they had a great experience and that they feel better. It’s very rewarding to hear that feedback.”

In addition to maintaining a focus on patient care, My Emergency Room 24/7 is also very active in the community, said community liaison Camille King. The company recently  gave a “health habits” presentation to San Marcos CISD students.

The success of the San Marcos location has led to the launching of a second location, which will open in San Antonio in November.