UPMC Urgent Care – Shadyside

Came in on Easter Sunday, thinking it would be a long wait due to the holiday. In and out in less than an hour! Kind, courteous staff. Thank you!

It wasn’t crowded during the middle of the day so I didn’t have to wait long anyway. However, the fact I was admitted before I could open my phone to read an article was impressive.
They took my insurance (BCBS — Maryland) and I filled out some forms and I was sent back to my seat. 3 minutes later my name was called and I went back. I imagine if and when it is more crowded it will be slower, but they didn’t dally and take their jobs seriously.
I was taken back to a room where two techs took my vitals and asked me questions about my acute issues. They even listened to me drone on about my GI issue even though it was more of a long term thing. (Urgent Care is for issues that just cropped up and need immediate attention).
After that I saw the PA who was knowledgeable and very helpful in quickly diagnosing me with a viral infection behind my ears which was causing the majority of my symptoms. I will update if she was wrong, but I suspect she is right since I have no fever but still feel feverish/​stuffy in the head. She even looked at my GI issue and wrote a referral so I can see a specialist :).

Came here today when my flu symptoms starting causing a major problem with my chest. I was quickly taken in and barely waited 10 minutes between signing patient forms and seeing my caretaker. Although I loved my physician, I was curious as to why she was a PA versus a regular MD. However, she knew what she was doing and confirmed that I had bronchitis. She made sure she did a thorough examination (X-​Ray and all) and made sure I was comfortable at all times. Within 30 minutes, I was outside, ready to collect my prescriptions.
Overall, this is a great place to go if you don’t have a regular PCP here (esp. if you’re a student and you’re not fond of health services at your university) and you want a thorough check-​up. The only con about here is that they don’t take all insurances (like mine — Blue Cross Blue Shield), but do offer a self-​pay option, which is a flat fee of $ 115.

Speedy and effective
I had to go to Pittsburgh for a conference only to find myself having pain in my left ear which I suspected was an ear infection.
I finally decide to go this urgent care. Within 5 minutes of opening the door I was having my vitals taken. 2 – 3 minutes later a very friendly PA came and saw me. She found that I did in fact have the ear infection. She explained in detail why she was prescribing the certain antibiotics and pain management. She even called the local cvs with my prescriptions (minus the pain Mgt) so when I arrived it was ready to pickup.
Doesn’t get any better than that.

Condescending PA acted like I was a professor and she was giving an answer to an oral exam. Awful bedside manner. Didn’t treat the condition I went in with.

I actually had a very good experience here three or four years ago when I had back pain beyond belief. I keep my expectations fairly low for emergency room and urgent care visits. I came here late on a weekend night after spending the previous night on my floor, and surprisingly I didn’t have to wait incredibly long to see someone (maybe an hour). All I really wanted was some solace from the pain until I could see my doctor the next week– and that’s exactly what I got. I got an X-​ray of my back, and once they ruled out a serious issue they sent me out the door with some pain pills to hold me over. Unfortunately, I couldn’t expect much more than that (and other people shouldn’t either).

We were traveling 200 miles from home when my son got sick. UPMC Urgent Care Shadyside came up in my search for an urgent care center in Pittsburgh that took my insurance, and it was a huge relief. There was a short wait, but they were able to treat him, prescribe the medicine he needed, and help me find a place to get it here quickly, on a weekend. I would certainly recommend them based on the service we received.

They get 1 star for the very nice lady who was fast checking me in… She couldn’t have been greater. The rest of my visit… Well, it gets zero stars. As I write this, I am sitting in an Ortho office because the problem that I went to see Urgent Care about had not yet subsided. Well, it hadn’t subsided because they took X-​rays of an area near the region of interest and not the actual area where I was having a problem. Awesome, right? Had they listened to me, they would not have focused on the ankle rather than the top of the foot where I was complaining of the pain and swelling.
So here I am… Two weeks later with bills that are being paid to UPMC Urgent Care and now ones to be had from here as well. At least I’m getting proper attention though for the right problem without being sent away saying no worries. The diagnosis here was totally different, addressing the problem and working on correcting it.
I guess if you have a virus and need attention, urgent care is a way to go, but that’s about it.

I had to take my special needs child to Urge last night and they could not have done a better job. There wasn’t anything seriously wrong; just an infected finger nail.(which she gets from chewing, even though I’ve told her not to!) Even though, the process from beginning to end was painless. From the gentleman who signed us in, the woman who registered us, the nurse who took our information and the doctor who treated us, everyone was wonderful and patient. Not always an easy thing when dealing with a special needs child with a nasty finger. The doctor did everything he was going to do on her, on himself first. To show her show her in wasn’t going to hurt and reassure her.
I have avoided places like this ever since I went to Med Express, also known as the third ring of hell, 2 years ago and a) got the worst service ever, b) didn’t actually get treatment for the malady I had and c) then got an unexplainable bill for an additional $ 35.00 which no one would or could tell me why I was being charged!!! I was so angry after that experience I refused to go to a slap dash medical center. Like I said, they told me I had your common cold, when it turned out I had bronchitis. Then I get a bill in the mail for seeing a doctor. When I asked what my copay was for then, they continued to say for seeing a doctor in our office. I called the manager about 6 times but not surprising she never got back to me. Apparently, besides a copay, you have to pay them just going there, which is what I thought a copay was for, but…
Anyway, I digress, and return to the subject of the superiority of Urgent Care. All I can say is thank you Urgent Care. You Rock!

Pros:
— Plenty of parking (free);
— Waited less than 30 minutes;
— People are very friendly and professional;
— Don’t have to fill out ridiculous paperwork (check-​in person keys it in from your ID and ins. card for you).
Cons:
— Not sure if I saw an MD or a Physician’s Assistant or a Nurse Practitioner;
— MD/​PA/​NP could not prescribe medicine, at least not in my case.
So I was pleased to get in/​out quickly and efficiently. But my previous experience with a «doc in the box» was that I was able to leave with prescriptions for the meds I needed. Not this time, and therefore, it was not helpful at all. To their credit, they offered to refund my co-​pay, which I chose to let them do (thank you).

Pretty good as far as urgent care goes. I went here twice.
The first time, I was seen immediately since they follow the ABCs of triage like ERs – I was having some trouble with a respiratory infection and was taken back right away. They took good care of me.
The second time, I was also brought back to a nurse as soon as the receptionist took a good look at me. I’d had a fight with some poison sumac, and I’d lost. I guess the hives looked pretty bad. The doctor gave me a prescription. I was in and out of the clinic in maybe 10 minutes total. Very efficient.

I’m really happy that Urgent Care exists and the days of sitting in an ER for hours on end are mostly over for small-​time illnesses and injuries. I’ve been here about a dozen times since it opened, and only one time did I have an extended wait. Every other time, I hadn’t even sat down before they are calling me over to get checked in.
The facility is spotless and the staff is friendly. I appreciate the follow-​up call the next day to make sure your issue is resolved or at least on the way to being so. They offer free parking in their lot (make sure to get a token to exit from the receptionist).
Bonus, they even offer x-​rays on site! I was in and out in 30 minutes during my last visit, including a chest x-​ray. Wow!

This is one of those places I wish I’d never had the opportunity to review.
But alas, I was experiencing an extremely sore throat (couldn’t swallow my own spit without wincing, coughing was also terribly painful), a fever for two days, a headache, a runny nose… Full disclosure: I cried from the perpetual pain more than once, and nothing OTC would help. I’d lost my voice and was unable to call my PCP to see if they could see me the same day. My SO called for me and they didn’t have an appointment until the next day. Commence crying bout number two of the day.
Once my SO (also my ride) got home from work we headed straight to Urgent Care (think prime rush hour time).There were plenty of parking spaces (and the parking is free), and there was no wait so the receptionist immediately saw me. She was good about not making me talk since it hurt like a mother and I didn’t have much of a voice. I paid my co-​pay, waited about three minutes I would say, and was called back by an assistant. She took my vitals, asked me about why I was there, symptoms, what meds I’m taking and swabbed my throat to do a rapid strep test. She told me someone would be in shortly to see me. I didn’t have to wait too long, maybe 4 – 5 minutes, but it was long enough to get in a third cry from the pain. I’m not a wus I swear! It felt like I’d inhaled fiberglass into my throat.
The PA that saw me (Kelsey Cattley) was cheery, upbeat and understanding. She did the standard ‘are you sick’ routine (gland check, looking at my nose, throat and eyes, listened to my breathing) and asked me about my symptoms and if I’d been exposed to strep. The rapid test came back negative, but she did a second swab to send out for cultures just to double check since untreated strep can be bad news. She told me what OTC meds to take and gave me a script for numbing mouthwash so I could get some relief (magic swizzle is the shiz!). I was in and out in probably half an hour, was able to get relief from my pain and had a very positive experience with this place. This was my first Urgent Care experience and while I was a little hesitant about it, I couldn’t wait for my PCP and waiting in the ER is always a so-​so experience. I’m glad I came to Urgent Care; with my insurance it cost me the same as an appointment at my PCP so I have no complaints!

I have been here about 5 times now, and as you could probably guess, the care you get completely depends on the doctor/​nurse practitioner! In general, they do a good job, but since they don’t know much about you – even though they can theoretically read your whole UPMC file – they are hesitant to do much more than «put a bandaid on it» until your PCP or specialist can take over.
The staff is very friendly and quite efficient. The facility is new and very clean.
Case 1: Husband, hurt foot. They take x-​rays and say that its broken. They give him a foot thingy and crutches and send him to sports medicine. Pros: we got into sports medicine much faster. Cons: foot thingy useless and was given a boot; had to pay for all new docs and x-​rays to be told that it was broken.
Case 2: Me, Bronchitis. It’s around the holidays so my PCP isn’t in the office. I call back after 10 days because I’m still sick and getting worse. They make me see them again because it’s been too long since my last appointment. What? They won’t give me antibiotics until they confirm via chest x-​ray that part of my lung has collapsed! Pros: I had a doctor when I couldn’t have my own. Cons: You have to be pretty sick to for them to diagnose you with other than «a virus.»

I lacerated my thumb in an awkward spot. It didn’t seem serious enough for an ER trip, I really couldn’t fix it myself, and I kind of remembered UPMC sending something out about their new facility. I called them, confused about what to do, and while it wasn’t something they could really advise about over the phone, I did feel better after the conversation and decided to go in.
There is free parking adjacent to the building in an area where there is no free parking, high competition for street parking, and I didn’t have to park in a multi story structure. If I’d have gone to the ER — fee for parking and a hike to its door from the car.
The receptionist was cordial and professional.
The intake receptionist was caring and professional. And a lovely good natured person as well. She was equipped with some basic first aid supplies at her desk which I found thoughtful and well prepared (I was bleeding) and checked me in rather quickly. I paid $ 35 to be seen, which I consider a bargain compared to what I think I would be billed for an ER trip.
I waited 5 minutes to be called by a nurse, who I observed using good hand hygiene practices. She was very competent at recording my history, taking my vitals, and keeping my bleeding under control. She was professional and caring. She let me know the next step would be for a physician or physician assistant to attend.
I waited a few minutes for the physician assistant to enter. I observed her using good hand hygiene practices. She was a very good listener, professional and caring. She examined me, answered all my questions graciously (I asked lots) and took care of my wound.
While I wish I hadn’t needed to go, I’m glad I found such a place exists. It was the right place for my kind of injury and level of urgency. After my experience and reading some other reviews, I think I have a more accurate idea of how and when to use this kind of service.

I thought UPMC Urgent Care Shadyside offered great & quick service. Despite being walk-​in only, I didn’t wait more than 10 minutes to be seen. The staff was friendly, helpful, and ran the place efficiently.

I was vacationing in Pittsburgh when I woke up one morning not feeling well. I found UPMC Urgent Care online and the few reviews I found looked good, so my husband drove me there. I was extremely pleased with the service I received. The triage person, nurse (Jeff), and doctor (Dr. Suyama) were all expedient and professional. I was in and out of there somewhere between 30 and 45 mins. They called a prescription in to the CVS down the street where I picked up my meds. Amazing!

My experience was not great, but I’m giving it 3 stars because I think it’s a good concept and I know others who have had no problems.
My story:
My foot hurts, so much that I realize I’m starting to favor walking on the side of my foot… this can’t be good. And it’s not going away. I call my PCP and they say go to Urgent Care because I’ll probably need x-​rays anyhow. OK.
I get there, little to no wait, which is one of the only good things.
Doctor (after x-​ray) tells me that I probably pulled a muscle or something and this thing happens a lot to runners. Take a bunch of ibuprofen. It’s not broken so it should heal up fine.
I follow instructions, with about a 20% improvement.
I forget why the buses stopped running this particular day, but I am walking from Oakland to pick up my car at the Bloomfield/​Shadyside border when I get a call from UrgentCare asking if my foot is better. (I suppose that’s kinda nice…). And I say ‘no.’ So after picking up my car, I stop in.
The doctor says my food is definitely not broken but maybe I should see a specialist.
I make an appointment to see a sports medicine doctor.
A few days later, after waiting 45 minutes to see sport medicine doctor (that’s a WHOLE other story), he takes my foot, presses down maybe 2 times. He asks me where it hurts.
«Oh, definitely broken.» And so it was. An MRI confirms that I fractured my 2^nd metatarsal bone.
So much for ‘definitely not broken’ and trying to cure a broken foot with ibuprofen. My stomach thanks you. And then making me walk all over town on it too. Thanks.
Anyhow, when it comes to simple stuff, like a UTI or strep throat, I imagine that might work out better. But I wouldn’t trust them to do more complex diagnostics ever again.