1-Persistent chest pain, especially if it originates in the arm or jaw

2- Difficulty breathing, speaking, or talking. These could be symptoms of a stroke

3- Severe pain, especially in the abdomen

4- Severe loss of balance, sudden clumsiness or unexplained fainting

5- Sudden paralysis, especially if it is taking place on one side of the body

6- Newborn babies (3 months or younger) with temperatures over 100.4 degrees

7-Deep cuts that continuously bleed and may require stitches- especially if they are on the face

8- Severe flu or cold symptoms, including persistent vomiting or diarrhea

9- Head or eye injuries

10- Serious burns

11- Seizures that are not pre-diagnosed with epilepsy

12- Broken bones and dislocated joints

13- Sudden vision changes, including complete or partial vision loss

14- Any high fever, especially those involving a rash

15-Vaginal bleeding during pregnancy

Neighbors Emergency Center has several locations throughout Texas. We are right around the corner from you, and you can see your wait time for any location online now!

Quality Staff

Our nurses and front desk staff provide excellent service to each and every patient that walks through our doors. Expect to be greeted with friendly smiles and quickly helped. It is always our goal to get patients through triage and speaking with a nurse or doctor as quickly as possible.

Convenient Locations

Neighbors has many locations throughout the Houston area. We pride ourselves on serving and providing the best medical care in many communities.. Hospitals can have crowded parking lots, as well as crammed and unkept waiting rooms. Our facilities have easy parking and clean and comfortable waiting rooms.

Knowledgeable Board-Certified Physicians

All of our physicians at Neighbors are board-certified. That means they have taken the additional step of passing an exam that tests their medical knowledge and clinical judgment. This allows us to serve you with the dedication and knowledge patients deserve from their physicians. We want you to feel confident with our passionate, patient-focused experience, medical knowledge and clinical judgment to properly diagnose, treat and save lives.

State-of-the-art Equipment

Our ERs have state-of-the-art equipment, including CT scanners, X-rays and ultrasounds. This equipment means you can be tested on-site without waiting in a long line of patients. In addition, you will have your results quickly, giving you immediate access to proper treatment.

Patient Driven Focus

At Neighbors Emergency Center our focus is always on the patient. We believe in providing extraordinary care that is dedicated to Making Lives Better every day. Neighbors Emergency Center operates with an unfaltering vision to be the Best Neighbors Ever. This means providing unparalleled medical care driven by compassion, respect and dedication.

Neighbors Emergency Center has several locations throughout Texas. We are right around the corner from you, and you can see your wait time for any location online now!

Most back pain goes away in a couple days with pain relievers, however if you find it lasting longer, associated with loss of bladder/bowel control, or pain below the waist make an appointment with your doctor. Even if you practice prevention, we know emergencies can happen at any moment. Neighbors is here for your 24/7/365. Visit nec24.com to find a Neighbors Emergency Center near you!

Transportation Safety

We tell our children to “look both ways,” but we need to continue to make sure children are practicing safe habits on the bus this year. They should stand a safe distance away from the curb when the bus arrives, not walk behind the bus and avoid getting on or off the bus after it has come to a complete stop. Also,  remind them not to run into the street and to follow all crosswalk signs.

If they are old enough to drive, make sure they know the dangers of using their cell phone while driving. They should pay attention to school zone speed limits, wear their seatbelts and use their turn signal. Like your driving student, make sure you as a parent are also practicing safe driving to avoid any accidents, especially around school zones.

Children who are walking home should not be distracted by listening to music in headphones, or by using their phone. They should be fully aware of their surroundings, especially near streets.

Backpack Safety

Heavy and ill-fitting backpacks can be detrimental to a growing body. Encourage your child to pack light and to use a school locker if they have one. Your child’s backpack should match their size in width and length of torso, not extending more than 4 inches below the waist. Making sure their backpack is not too big for their frame will allow them to carry their school supplies easily. When shopping for backpacks look for multiple interior pockets to distribute weight better, thick padded shoulder straps and a back panel.

The American Chiropractic Association recommends that backpacks are no more than 10% of your child’s weight. Rolling backpacks are also warned against as they cause a tripping hazard for other children.

Sports Safety

The start of the school year means soccer practices, dance classes and football games. Make sure your child is wearing the proper safety gear like mouth guards and keeping themselves hydrated. Sports- related injuries can be lessened by learning all the rules of the game and losing the “win-at-all-costs” mentality.

Concussions are very common among contact sports and require immediate medical attention.  Symptoms may include: confusion, forgetfulness, disorientation, clumsiness, slow speech and changes in mood. Your child should feel better in a couple weeks, however symptoms could last longer and affect how they think, act or feel. Knowing the signs and being safe can help your child avoid any serious injury.

Stranger Safety

For young child make sure they memorize essential information like their home address, phone number and how to call 9-1-1. Children who are old enough to stay home alone after school until their parents come home for work should avoid answering phones and opening the door for strangers. Teach them about stranger danger and the importance of paying attention to your surroundings.

We’re always here for you as the Best Neighbors Ever if you happen to experience any unexpected health situations. With short wait times and comfortable waiting areas, Neighbors Emergency Center is  right around the corner from you open 24/7. Visit nec24.com to find a location nearest you.

Camping and Hiking: The outdoors can be a great place to escape the rush of city life and enjoy a relaxing landscape. When camping and hiking, make sure you’re being safe. Allergic reactions can occur from insects and plant-based reactions. Serious falls can also land you in the ER. Many camping emergencies can happen at night, and require quick action. Don’t wait until the morning – get the medical attention you need as soon as possible.

The Beach/Pool: When you’re around any body of water, always be safe and cautious. It only takes a couple of moments for your child to start drowning. Be alert and make sure you and your kids have had swimming lessons. Playing in the sand can be very dangerous in extreme heat if you’re not properly hydrated. Protect against heat stroke by wearing sunscreen and lightweight, colored clothing, taking a break in the shade, and staying hydrated.

Bicycling: Bicycling is a great way to stay active and venture around the neighborhood or city. Make sure to wear your helmet when bicycling, head injuries are equally as common as arm/wrist injuries. Avoid bicycle vs. car accidents by taking caution and paying attention to surrounding cars who may not be able to see you when biking on streets and roads.

Barbeques: Barbeques can be a great way for family and friends to enjoy food and company outdoors. Keep children away from the grill and make sure you are handling the grill properly to avoid any fires or burns. Second degree burns can happen easily with an open flame. Be safe by teaching those around you how to use the grill (and fireworks) safely. Late night gatherings can lead to late night injuries, but remember Neighbors is open 24/7.

Summer Sports: When you’re getting out there and being active, stay safe to avoid any sports injuries. We want your sporting event to be fun and not painful. Wear the necessary sports protection like knee pads, mouth guards, and proper shoes. Make sure to stretch often, take breaks in between, and not overwork yourself. In the summer heat, playing sports outdoors can be especially taxing on your body. Stay hydrated when playing sports to replenish the water loss by sweat. Dehydration can take you to the emergency room instead of victory on the courts.

With these situations in mind, we want you to have the best summer ever. If you do happen to experience an unexpected health situation we are always here with short wait times and comfortable waiting areas. Visit https://nec24.com/ to find a Neighbors Emergency Center near you!

For any doctor to practice medicine in the United States, they must be licensed by the state that they work in. However, just because a doctor is licensed does not mean that they are qualified to practice a medical specialty. Examples of medical specialties are surgery, family medicine, or dermatology.

Board-certified doctors voluntarily meet extra standards that go beyond basic licensing. This demonstrates their expertise and requires additional education including the step of passing an exam that tests medical knowledge and clinical judgement. In addition, to remain board-certified physicians must actively stay updated with the latest advances and demonstrate best practices.

That is why we take our hiring process so seriously at Neighbors Emergency Center. We recruit physicians to join our team that we know have the proper medical knowledge and clinical judgment to be a great neighbor. By doing this we can provide nothing less than the high-quality patient care all emergency facilities should maintain. Our purpose is to make lives better every day, and we want you to feel confident knowing that your healthcare rests in the skilled hands of our board-certified physicians.

Why are wait times so long?

High-severity patients

In most hospital ERs patients are triaged as they arrive based on the severity of their medical situation. Those with more life threatening injuries are seen by nurses and doctors first, followed by those with more mild conditions. This is why if you have a broken bone and come into the emergency room, you may not be seen for hours if multiple high-severity patients come in after you. Someone with chest pain is likely to bump you down the waiting list and increase your wait time.

Overcrowding

As reported by the Centers for Disease control, the average emergency room visit is about 2 hours. This includes an initial er wait time of 30 minutes, followed by treatment, which usually takes about 90 minutes. Over the years the volume of amount of people waiting continues to increase. Overcrowding continues to be an issue in hospital-based ERs.

How has Neighbors solved these problems?

Neighbors Emergency Center is a freestanding emergency center. We offer 24-hour emergency services to patients at the same level of care as hospital-based emergency rooms. However, because we operate off-site from hospitals we can provide access and wait times that are much more convenient for our patients.

 

The average wait time at a traditional hospital emergency room is 52 minutes

 

The average wait time at Neighbors Emergency Center is between 5 and 10 minutes!

 

Neighbors Emergency Center has several locations throughout Texas. We are right around the corner from you, and you can see your wait time for any location online now!

Congenital defects, or heart defects you’re born with, thyroid or kidney problems, drug and alcohol abuse, and certain medications can lead to high blood pressure.

Do You Have Hypertension?

 

Hypertension does not come with specific, identifiable symptoms like other conditions. Pay attention to your blood pressure readings especially if you are 18-39 and have a history of high blood pressure, or you are above the age of 40. A blood pressure reading includes two numbers: the top number is the systolic pressure, which measures the pressure when your heart beats and the bottom (or second) number is the diastolic pressure and measures the pressure between heartbeats. Blood pressure does vary throughout the day, and may change depending on size of the inflatable arm cuff, the difference between arms, short-term stress, and age.

 

• Normal blood pressure is below 120 systolic/80 diastolic mm Hg.
• Prehypertension occurs when the systolic pressure is between 120-139 mm Hg, or the diastolic pressure is between 80-89 mm Hg.
• Stage 1 Hypertension is when the systolic pressure is between 140-159 mm Hg, or the diastolic pressure is between 90-99 mm Hg.
• Stage 2 Hypertension is when the systolic pressure of 160 or higher, or a diastolic pressure of 100 or higher.

 

Typically hypertension affects African-Americans more commonly than any other race.Those who are overweight or obese, inactive, have high stress, vitamin deficiencies, or frequent drug and alcohol users are more susceptible to developing high blood pressure.

What Should You Do?

You can improve your lifestyle by adhering to a healthy diet, reducing your salt intake, exercising regularly, not smoking, limiting alcohol intake, maintaining a healthy weight, managing your stress, and if needed, taking prescription medication if suggested by your doctor. Research more about what hypertension is and what you can do by visiting the American Heart Association’s website.

 

Regardless of how informed you are, we know unexpected health situations occur. We are here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  Visit https://nec24.com/ to find the Neighbors Emergency Center nearest you!

Common Symptoms

Many times, we don’t recognize that a spider has bitten us until hours after we have received the wound. However, regardless of what type of spider has bitten you, there are generic symptoms you can identify. They include:

 

• Pain around the bite area
• Itching or rash
• Fevers and chills
• Blistering that is red or purple in color
• Muscle pain or cramping
• Sweating and difficulty breathing
• Nausea and vomiting
• Headaches

Types of spider bites

 

Brown Recluse Bite

Brown recluse spiders are common in eastern Texas. They hide in dark secluded spaces and are usually not aggressive. The only reason they may bite you is if they are trapped against your skin.

When these spiders initially bite you it is painless. However, within eight hours your skin will begin to itch, hurt, and turn red. In addition, a red or purple ring may begin to form around the bite. Without treatment brown recluse bites will get progressively worse and begin to blister. The bite can kill surrounding tissue and lead to fevers, chills, and headaches. There is no antidote for brown recluse bite. To treat your bite simply keep the area clean. You can also visit the doctor, and they can prescribe you antibiotics. In extreme cases when tissue death occurs you will need to go to the hospital for potential surgery.  

Black Widow Bite

Black widows can often be found in warm, southern states, like Texas. They are shiny, black, and hourglass shaped with a distinct red mark on their bodies. You can normally find them in spaces like the attic or basement, or among leaves or woodpiles. When black widow’s bite you may feel a slight prick of pain, or nothing at all. Your skin will react to the bite almost immediately and result in muscle cramping, pain and burning by the bite. You may also get a headache, begin sweating, or experience nausea and vomiting. You should be prompt when you see these bites, and visit your local Neighbors Emergency Center.  

Hobo Spider Bite

Hobo Spiders are most common in the Pacific Northwest. They move very quickly on their long legs, and tend to attack people if they are provoked. They can commonly be found in window seals, the garbage, behind furniture, under baseboards, and in closets. When hobo spiders first bite, it tends to go unnoticed, but pain and numbness will occur in about 15 minutes or less. The bite site will then begin to turn red before eventually becoming hard and swollen after about 8 hours. After a day, or two, the bite may discharge fluids or even turn black. If you suspect you have been bitten by a hobo spider, seek medical treatment immediately, as antibiotics or even surgery may be needed.

If you have any unexpected spider bites this summer, remember we’re in your neighborhood! We are here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Visit https://nec24.com/ to find the Neighbors Emergency Center nearest you!