(December 14, 2005 – Bartlett, Tenn.)  Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett is now treating patients in their recently opened Convenient Care Center.  This extension of the Emergency Care Center will be staffed daily by a physician assistant or nurse practitioner between the hours of 3:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.
       The Convenient Care Center will move non-urgent patients out of the main flow of the emergency department.  Quality care for minor medical emergencies will be provided with full access to resources including Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett’s radiology and laboratory departments.
       “As volume continues to increase at Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett, this will allow the hospital staff to continue to provide quality healthcare in a timely manner,” said Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett chief executive officer David Wilson.  “This new space will allow us to treat both our critical care patients and non-urgent patients more efficiently.”
       Patients with sprains, cold symptoms, allergies, minor cuts and other non-life threatening conditions will be treated in the Convenient Care Center.  When the Convenient Care Center is closed, care is always available at Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett’s 24-hour Emergency Care Center.

       Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett, part of Tenet Tennessee, is a 100-bed full-service community hospital in Bartlett, Tenn.  The hospital, located at 2986 Kate Bond Road, opened on June 1, 2004 and is the first full-service medical center in its community.  Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett features a wide range of medical and health care services, including emergency care, an intensive care unit, a family birthing center, cardiology, oncology and diabetes care.  The hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency.  To learn more about Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett, visit www.saintfrancisbartlett.com.