Residents in and around Pflugerville now have access to 24-hour emergency care seven days a week at St. David's Emergency Center in the Stone Hill Town Center, the city's first such center.

The emergency center, which opened Dec. 6, features 12 treatment beds, advanced testing capabilities, including radiological testing and a medical lab, and is staffed by board-certified emergency medical physicians affiliated with St. David's HealthCare.

During its first week of operation, the emergency center saw an average of 13 to 14 patients a day and up to 24 patients in one day. Patients sought care for broken bones, dislocated elbows, sprained ankles, strep throat and pneumonia, said Dr. Vard Curtis, medical director of St. David's Emergency Center in Pflugerville.