Benefits of a Freestanding Emergency Center

A healthcare entrepreneur in the Houston area, Jeanne Shipp worked as an emergency room nurse with Bayshore Medical Center and as an administrator with Elite Care Emergency Center. Additionally, Jeanne Shipp co-founded both Patients Emergency Room, LLC, and Hospitality Health ER, privately owned freestanding emergency rooms.

Unlike urgent care centers, which typically provide services similar to a primary care physician’s office, a freestanding emergency center (FEC) is open 24 hours a day. Staffed by emergency-trained physicians at all times, FECs are equipped with advanced medical technology and equipment that can handle all manner of emergencies, as well as a class F pharmacy.

Traditional ERs are known for long wait times, as patients have to depend on multiple departments to perform each service. At a FEC, testing and procedures are all done in one place, helping patients get care more quickly and efficiently. FECs are particularly helpful for patients with conditions such as pneumonia, which require specialized medical attention but do not typically call for admission to a hospital.