Eureka Gains New Urgent Care Center

For those times when medical issues seem more urgent than waiting for a doctor's visit but perhaps not serious enough to call an ambulance, now there is a new, local option: Eureka Urgent Care.

Sonny Saggar, M.D., a Wildwood resident and CEO and medical director of Downtown Urgent Care, recently established a second urgent care facility off Fifth Street in Eureka. He said it is the first locally owned and operated urgent care center for Eureka.

"We're about embracing one's neighborhood, and taking care of it to the best of our ability," he said.

Saggar said the medical facility is perfect for getting X-rays, blood work, intravenous fluids, vaccinations, physicals for work or sports teams, and treatment "for non-emergency but urgent situations such as broken bones." One room is devoted to pediatric care. Another room is set up for extra privacy regarding OBGYN-related matters. He said his team also could evaluate heart attack symptoms and call an ambulance to get patients to their emergency rooms of choice because he has set up as an independent urgent care center.

"We're excited about this location," said Saggar, noting that is right off Interstate 44 and not far from Missouri Route 109. He said his staff intends to be responsive to the thousands of visitors who come to Six Flags Over St. Louis each year, and who may need unexpected medical assistance. He said he believes they also will be in an excellent place to assist with ski-related accidents in the winter.

Eureka Urgent Care aims to be seamless with insurance providers, said Saggar. "We're happy to work with (insurance) companies to add, and for those who don't have insurance coverage, we can work with them regarding upfront cash as well."

Saggar is a physician on staff or has a relationship with several area hospitals, such as BJC Healthcare, St. John's Mercy Center, St. Luke's Hospital, St. Anthony's Hospital and SSM Healthcare. He will be one of five doctors working at the Eureka Urgent Care facility. The daily staff is rounded out by a registered nurse and two or three technicians.

"Patients don't need to go to emergency rooms for situations such as lacerations," said Saggar.

He said Eureka ambulance teams often get called to Six Flags for minor problems, such as sprained ankles or deeper cuts, for out-of-town people. "It's appropriate to save paramedics for true emergencies rather than something such as gashes," said Saggar.

He said his staff's approach to urgent medical treatment always is to decrease the wait time for patients to get necessary care. Their goal is to have all digital X-rays read instantly and then further evaluated by a radiologist within the hour.

Saggar has lived in Wildwood since 1997, and as of 2003 served on the city's board of public safety for two years.

Eureka's economic development director Julie Wood said city representatives were enthused about having Eureka Urgent Care as part of the community. "We're pleased to have professionals within our area who can provide valued services to our community," she said at the facility's ribbon cutting ceremony.

Wood said having physicians who are available locally will hopefully support behavioral changes in that more residents will go to doctors locally, particularly as the population of Eureka grows.

Wood said Eureka has had 16 new businesses open so far in 2011.

Eureka Chamber of Commerce President John Jones said the facility "generates comfort" along with a new business. "Thanks to Eureka Urgent Care for providing an invaluable service, which also will be important to Eureka's thousands of visitors," he said at the facility's ribbon cutting ceremony.

Eureka residents may recognize a familiar face. The first female paramedic for St. Louis County, Benita Sacco, is volunteering at Eureka Urgent Care. As a Eureka resident, Sacco said she has three babies named after her due to various things that occurred on the way to hospitals in the past.

Sacco has been involved with the medical community for the past 35 years. She said she is particularly enthused about helping local residents with emergencies. "In cardiac arrest, we only have about 4 minutes to save someone, so it's good that we're here local," she said.

For hours of operation and more details about Eureka Urgent Care, visit the center's website.