Q:
We have been visiting Las Vegas every year since 1982 and always stay at the Imperial Palace. Only for the last three years were we aware that they had a Medical Center. Since we seem to get sick every time we visit, we have been frequent patients at the center. However, this past May when we visited, we found it is no longer there. Do you know where there are any other casino Medical Centers?
A:
You're correct that the Southern Nevada Physicians facility atop the Imperial Palace (it wasn't owned by the property, just occupied space in their building) closed earlier this year. It was the only medical facility located on casino premises, but the good news is that another option is handy for tourists, namely the Harmon Medical Center, now the only independently owned and operated medical facility on the Strip.
Located just behind Planet Hollywood, it offers urgent care 24/7 and has a courtesy van available to collect a patient from their hotel, if necessary. Although most major hotels have a doctor on call, that's a really expensive route to go, so they'll all refer you to the Harmon facility.
For downtown visitors, the nearest hospitals are the UMC Quick Care Center at 2231 W. Charleston and Valley Hospital at 620 Shadow Lane (just off W. Charleston).
For more information about these facilities and our own tips for a healthy holiday here, check out the newly updated First Aid section in the LVA Visitor Guide section on this site, where you'll also find our guide for visitors with Special Needs.
Update 06 June 2008
Many thanks to Jean Scott, who
blogged on this topic a couple of months back and reminded us of a useful additional resource we'd forgotten about:
"There are now three Walgreens drugstores on the Strip, one just north of the Stratosphere, one across from the ghost of the Stardust, and one north of the MGM Grand.
"CVS has two stores, one near Circus Circus and the other just north of New York-New York. This last one might be particularly valuable to remember because it has a MinuteClinic, where you can see Board-certified practitioners, like physician assistants (PA's). They don't require appointments and can diagnose and treat many non-emergency medical problems, including writing prescriptions. These mini-clinics are being added in many Walgreens and CVS pharmacies all over town. Check the Yellow Pages or online for their locations and hours."
Some more info:
MinuteClinic is a quick (about 15-minute visits and no appointment needed), affordable (treatments between $30 and $110, and reimbursed by most insurance plans), and convenient (located inside select CVS pharmacies, open 7 days a week) medical center. MinuteClinic's team of board-certified practitioners are trained to diagnose, treat, and write prescriptions for a variety of common family illnesses to patients 18 months and older. They are in-network with most major insurers, so patients are responsible for either their copay or the price clearly listed on the treatments and services menu. For those who are uninsured or prefer to pay out-of-pocket, MinuteClinic accepts cash, checks and credit cards. Here's the link to the treatments and services menu
www.minuteclinic.com.
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