As COVID-19 cases continue to increase in Berks County, Reading Hospital – Tower Health encourages the community to consider alternate care locations for non-life-threatening, but urgent, health issues. Tower Health offers several in-person and virtual care options for patients, including:
- Tower Health Urgent Care - Tower Health’s 24 Urgent Care facilities are open 365 days a year from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. to provide care for minor emergencies, orthopedic injuries, cold and flu, pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma, sore throat, urinary tract infections, or other common illnesses. All Tower Health Urgent Care facilities also offer COVID-19 testing. View a complete list of urgent care locations.
- OnDemand Virtual Visits with Tower Health Urgent Care - Virtual Urgent Care provides patients with access to high-quality care in 10 minutes or less, 24/7/365, from the convenience of your smartphone, tablet, or computer. Virtual Urgent Care connects you with a Tower Health Urgent Care physician or advanced practice professional (APP) for general medical care from minor conditions to seasonal allergies, COVID concerns, and everything in-between. If medically necessary, a prescription will be sent to your pharmacy of choice. It is an affordable, convenient alternative to in-person Urgent Care and emergency department visits. Learn more about OnDemand Virtual Visits with Tower Health Urgent Care.
- Scheduled Virtual Visits with Tower Health Medical Group (THMG) - THMG offers virtual visits through MyTowerHealth, our electronic patient portal, which allows patients to speak with their physician or APP by phone or video. These visits are ideal for non-life-threatening conditions which do not require in-person evaluations of symptoms including routine checkups and follow-ups, general wellness concerns, select new patient appointments, and more.
- Scheduled Virtual Visits with St. Christopher’s Pediatric Specialists - Virtual visits with specialists from St. Christopher’s Pediatric Associates are available for non-life-threatening conditions and those that do not require in-person evaluations of the child’s symptoms. The child’s pediatric specialist will work with the family when an appointment is scheduled to determine if a virtual visit is a good option. Learn more about Pediatric Virtual Visits with St. Christopher’s Hospital.
Of course, if you or a loved one is experiencing a medical emergency, including symptoms of a heart attack or stroke, please call 9-1-1 immediately.
As the pandemic surge continues in the community, using Tower Health’s alternative care options such as Tower Health Urgent Care or virtual visits may help avoid a trip to the Emergency Department.
“Patient care in the Emergency Department is based on a triage system,” said Brian Lahmann, MD, Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine at Reading Hospital. “This means patients presenting with severe and life-threatening medical conditions are seen immediately. Those with less severe conditions are seen after the most severe and critical patients are evaluated and treated.”
At Reading Hospital, a tent has been placed adjacent to the Emergency Department to create additional capacity for patients and to improve patient throughput. The additional assessment space is currently open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and provides eight additional areas to evaluate and treat patients. The Emergency Department has also recently instituted dedicated staff to provide additional comfort to patients with items such as additional pillows, blankets, or coloring books for children.
“Our emergency department is staffed with board-certified emergency medicine physicians, Advanced Practice Providers, registered nurses, respiratory therapists, and other dedicated medical professionals,” said William M. Jennings, Reading Hospital President and CEO. “They’ve worked tirelessly to provide high-quality care to our patients since COVID-19 arrived in our communities and they will continue to do so for every patient that enters our facility.”
Reducing the spread of COVID-19 is vital to relieving patient volumes at the region’s emergency departments. “Please continue to wear your mask, wash your hands with soap and water, or alcohol-based sanitizer if soap is not available,” said Dr. Lahmann. “It is also critical that we all continue to practice social distancing while COVID-19 is still in our communities. Together these important steps can help prevent the spread of the virus and keep our family, friends, and neighbors healthy.”
Tower Health is committed to meeting the healthcare needs of the community with high-quality physician and clinical care providers and skilled team members using the latest technology and practices. During the period of increasing COVID-19 cases, Tower Health will continue to ensure patients receive the right care in a convenient, accessible setting either in their home with virtual care or in the community with urgent care centers and physician practices. Please contact 484-628-HELP (4357) to be connected to timely healthcare in a clean and safe care environment.
About Reading Hospital
Reading Hospital is the flagship, Magnet Recognized, acute care hospital of Tower Health. Located in West Reading, Pa., Reading Hospital is a 714-bed hospital that is home to many top-tier specialty care centers, including Reading HealthPlex, Tower Health Transplant Institute, McGlinn Cancer Institute, Miller Regional Heart Center, Emergency Department, Level I Trauma Center and Beginnings Maternity Center, which houses the region's only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). With more than 1,000 physicians and providers across 49 locations, Reading Hospital has been recognized for its quality outcomes and clinical expertise across services lines. It is listed as one of America's 100 Best Hospitals for four consecutive years and received a 5-Star Rating from CMS two years in a row. For more information, visit towerhealth.org.