Three-year-old Roel Villarreal wasn’t feeling well. He had been complaining of a stomachache for much of the night but his mother, Carla Moreno, thought it would pass. The next morning, however, her young son was still not acting like himself and Moreno’s motherly instincts were telling her something wasn’t right. “He was complaining all night,” Moreno says.“When he didn’t want to go to preschool the next day I knew something was wrong.”
For busy moms like Moreno, having convenient access to a freestanding emergency department like Doctors Hospital Emergency Room South is a real asset. “Before ER South opened, I had to travel all the way to Doctors Hospital of Laredo for emergency care,” Moreno says. “From my house to the hospital takes about 45 minutes.” she adds. “Now it only takes me about 10 minutes to get to ER South.”
While most incidents of abdominal pain in children aren’t typically cause for major concern, the worried mother wanted to make sure her young son’s discomfort wasn’t due to something more serious. “They checked him out for everything,” Moreno says. “They examined him, took X-rays, drew blood and did even more to help diagnose him.”
While her sick toddler was being examined, Moreno knew they were in the right place. On previous visits, whether she was there for herself, for her 12-year-old daughter, Alessandra, or for other sick family members, Moreno always had confidence in the care she received. “I always recommend ER South to my friends and family if they are having a medical emergency,” Moreno says. “The location is super convenient, I never have to wait long and I’ve always been satisfied with the outcome.”
Almost as important to Moreno as the care she receives at the freestanding emergency department is the way she is treated while there. “All of the physicians and nurses take good care of you and they always have a smile on their face while they’re doing it,” Moreno says. “They really helped Roel feel comfortable while he was there. As a result, he was very patient during all the tests they were doing and it wasn’t hard for the staff to work with him at all.” She adds jokingly that the stickers they gave the 3-year-old helped keep him content.
For this visit, the news was good. The symptoms of the young patient’s stomachache had likely led to dehydration, which was making him feel even worse. The care team helped get him back on his feet with the help of intravenous therapy (I.V.) to rehydrate him and they provided the relieved mom with instructions for at-home care. “Taking good care of my child is the most important thing to me and I can say that ER South did that exceptionally well,” Moreno says. "This place really stands out to me.”
ER Saunders: Our Newest Freestanding ER
Central Laredo’s resource for high quality, around-the-clock emergency care is ready to serve you and your family. The new facility features:
- 24-hour emergency medical services
- Diagnostic laboratory services
- Radiology services including X-ray, CT and ultrasound
- 6 exam rooms
- 3 rapid medical exam spaces
- 3 internal waiting spaces
Get the care you need—when and where you need it most.