Specialized Orthopedic Injury Care Can Make Summer Healthier

Scott D. Allen, MD

With the calendar officially flipping to summer, many families are getting outside and back to their pre-pandemic activities. But while being more active offers a variety of health benefits, it also brings greater risk of injury.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, injuries associated with many sports like soccer, basketball, and football saw reductions of more than 60 percent during the pandemic in 2020. As these sports and other physical activities resume across Rhode Island, we should expect a substantial uptick in injuries, too. As new injuries occur in the coming summer months, it will be crucial to respond to them quickly, and to ensure that care is administered by expert providers who understand how best to optimize recovery.

To help adults and children who have suffered injuries to bones, joints, and muscles – including in accidents at work, at home, and at play – Ortho Rhode Island offers Ortho RI Express, an immediate orthopedic care service that treats acute orthopedic injuries such as sprains, strains, tears, and fractures. Ortho RI Express provides same- and next-day appointments with certified providers specially trained in treating orthopedic injuries.

Not only does this specialized care improve the quality of treatment, it can help save patients time and hassle. Typically, emergency providers who treat an orthopedic injury will still recommend a follow-up appointment with an orthopedic specialist. Ortho RI Express eliminates this extra step by delivering immediate access to orthopedic expertise from the start, ensuring that patients get the care they need when they need it, without the frustration of long waits with painful injuries.

Their timely care also extends to evenings and Saturdays. Ortho RI Express is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at their centrally located Warwick campus, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at their Providence and Wakefield offices.

This convenience and ease of access are part of a commitment across all Ortho Rhode Island services to put the patient experience at the center of orthopedic care, from start to finish. To make a same- or next-day appointment, patients can simply call 401-777-7000 and choose option 1. Plus, Ortho RI Express accepts most major insurances, and a visit has the same co-pay as an appointment at the doctor’s office. And with their in-office advanced imaging technology like digital x-ray and MRI, along with their in-house physical therapy, patients can experience seamless care from diagnosis through rehabilitation.

While Ortho RI Express offers a powerful solution for acute orthopedic injuries, it’s important to remember: patients with life-threatening injuries, open fractures, excessive bleeding, head trauma, or spine injuries should go to the nearest emergency room immediately. Thankfully, these concerns are less common, and for the majority of injuries to bones, muscles, and joints that individuals may encounter this summer, Ortho RI Express represents a formidable first line of care. 

With sunny skies and warm weather here, it’s exciting for Rhode Islanders to return to the activities they enjoy the most. And while we can’t eliminate the risk of injury entirely, Ortho RI Express is a reliable resource for immediate access to timely, specialized orthopedic care that helps patients get back on their feet, and back to doing what they love.