Wellen Park Emergency cares for first patients
The emergency team at HCA Florida Wellen ParkSM Emergency welcomed and cared for their first patients just hours after opening their doors on Wednesday, March 26.
Among the first to seek care at the new facility was nineteen-year-old Kaelyn Pratt, who experienced dizziness and rapid heartbeats while at work yesterday. Luckily, Kaelyn’s father is a paramedic and knew she needed to be assessed.
“I couldn’t go to an emergency location near our house because they don’t accept our insurance. So, I decided we’d try HCA. We knew this location had just opened but didn’t realize it was today.” said Bill Pratt. “We weren’t expecting it to be so fast. It was everything we were looking for with labs and a full workup. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience.”
Kaelyn’s experience highlights the vital role the new emergency facility plays in providing immediate, expert care to the growing North Port and Venice areas.
Located in a state-of-the-art 11,300-square-foot facility, HCA Florida Wellen Park Emergency provides 24/7 emergency care with board-certified physicians and highly trained nurses specializing in emergency medicine. The facility is equipped with 11 exam rooms, a private patient triage area, comfortable treatment rooms, a dedicated pediatric treatment room, fast-track rooms for patients with less urgent illnesses and injuries and advanced patient monitoring equipment. This allows for diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of emergency conditions, ensuring timely and expert care for patients in need.
“This region is among the fastest growing in the nation. This investment allows us to ensure access to needed emergency care and additional services along the healthcare continuum for patients like Kaelyn,” said Kelly Lindsay, Chief Executive Officer of HCA Florida Englewood Hospital.
The difference between urgent care and an emergency room
Clinics like MD Now Urgent Care, a part of HCA Healthcare, treat non-emergent medical problems that arise unexpectedly and require prompt attention. They fill the gap between primary care physicians and hospital emergency rooms by handling minor illnesses, injuries, and conditions that don’t require immediate emergency intervention.
In contrast, emergency facilities like HCA Florida Wellen ParkSM Emergency are designed to provide critical care for serious and life-threatening conditions. They are equipped to handle strokes, heart attacks, serious injuries, and other medical emergencies—operating 24/7 with specialists trained in emergency medicine.
When facing a medical emergency that requires immediate and advanced care, a hospital-owned and operated emergency room (ER) is the best option.
As a department of HCA Florida Englewood Hospital, HCA Florida Wellen Park Emergency accepts all forms of United States, Canadian and other foreign government insurance. Englewood Hospital also accepts Medicare, Medicaid, Champus, Workers Compensation and all forms of commercial insurance.