About a month ago, pain developed in one of my feet. I really didn't want to seek medical help, and…read morejust hoped that the pain would go away on its own. Well that ended up with me in pain for one more day that necessary! I decided to take action on seeing what I could do about seeing someone about the pain on a Monday.
I had switched over to a new medical plan for this year and had to find out all about it online before I determined where I could go to see a Dr. I still hadn't picked a regular Dr, nor did I need one until I had to go see a Dr, so I looked for an urgent care near where I live. Couldn't find one really close, but this one was close enough to satisfy me. I was able to make an appointment online on the same day, picking out a time that was convenient for me. I had taken time off from work, so anytime was actually good for me, and I showed up a little early for my appointment.
Piedmont Urgent Care is in a standalone building next to a BP gas station at the intersection. It has its own parking lot with two entrances/exits on a very busy section of Mt Vernon, so it's probably best for everyone involved if you take a right turn when leaving the parking lot. The parking lot is free, and it isn't that big, but it's probably big enough for everyone who comes here at any given time when it's open. The waiting areas are big, with comfortable padded chairs. Indoor lighting was ample, although the windows were very dirty, both on the inside and outside. What looked like the end result of a water leak from the ceiling was over the front desk, complete with peels of paint hanging down. Everything else looked clean.
The two young women at the front desk pulled on their face masks as soon as they saw me walk through the front doors. There weren't any other patients in the waiting areas. One of the women was very courteous as she asked for my name, my ID card and my medical card. Taking those, she gave me a form on a clipboard to fill out. It was nice to see a couple of pen holders, one marked "Clean" and the other marked "Dirty." I took a pen from the "Clean" holder, but I'm going to also assume that many people probably don't even see/read those signs. After I turned in my completed form, I waited probably about 15 more minutes before a nice nurse called out my name and took me to an examination room, took my vitals, asked me lots of questions (am I currently taking meds, any allergies, any other health issues, etc.), wrote everything down and left the room. The nurse practitioner came in a few minutes later and started asking me questions about what was going on and started the exam of my foot. I felt that she was listening to everything that I said, and didn't try to push me to do anything I didn't feel the need to do, like when she said that she would like to have an x-ray of my foot. I told her that I didn't think it was necessary, so she didn't try to talk me into getting one. I didn't feel rushed by her, either. I felt good about this exam, although I didn't like the diagnosis. It wasn't anything life threatening; it's just that I would be feeling pain, albeit diminishing pain, for probably the rest of the week. The nurse practitioner was courteous and understanding during the entire time that she spent with me. She told me that she was going to prescribe two meds and then told me what they were, how they would help me, and how much I was to take.
I'm a Costco member. I had told the nurse who earlier took my vitals that I use the Costco pharmacy for getting prescriptions filled and I was told that my two meds prescriptions had already been sent to Costco and that I could pick them up at my convenience. Another nurse came into the room after the nurse practitioner left, and she followed up with some questions regarding what I thought about today's visit and whether or not all of my concerns were addressed. I told her that everything was fine.
I would come back to this Piedmont Urgent Care, and I recommend this place to others.