Injuries and accidents don’t always occur during business hours, and it used to be that patients with acute orthopedic injuries had to either seek treatment in a busy hospital emergency department (ED) or wait several days to get an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon. The team at Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists (SOS) knew they could treat patients with non-emergency needs more effectively at an “ortho only” after-hours urgent care and opened SOS PLUS.
Devoted exclusively to the treatment of non-emergency, orthopedic injuries, such as closed fractures, sprains, sports injuries, or recently painful, swollen joints, SOS PLUS is staffed by certified physician assistants and nurse practitioners who specialize in orthopedic injuries and work with SOS board certified physicians who are available for consultations.
SOS PLUS is unlike conventional urgent care centers. One benefit is that patients are seen by dedicated orthopedic specialists who have extensive, day-to-day experience with a variety of bone and joint injuries. Another advantage is visitors to SOS PLUS aren’t exposed to the variety of illnesses which may present at general urgent cares or emergency departments.
“I learned for myself how convenient and helpful SOS PLUS is when my 12-year-old daughter injured her finger one evening at gymnastics class,” said Mike Humphrey, CEO, Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists. “As a father, I want my daughter to get the best care possible and I’m glad SOS PLUS was available so that she saw medical specialists trained specifically in orthopedics. Since the injury happened during the Covid pandemic, it was comforting to know that the clinic saw only orthopedic patients so there was a decreased risk of any infection spread.”
The main reasons people visit EDs are for: headaches, foreign objects in the body, skin infections, back pain, and cuts and contusions. A review of SOS PLUS patients shows that the most common injuries seen there are ankle sprains, wrist fractures, sudden knee pain, and sudden back pain. “SOS PLUS offers another benefit to our hospital partners and community by helping to alleviate the strain on burdened EDs,” commented Humphrey
SOS PLUS After Hours Care is located at 5719 Widewaters Parkway in Dewitt. Open everyday of the week, and it is closed on major holidays. For more information, call 315-883-5652 or learn more here.