University Health Services Introduces Virtual Waiting Room
University Health Services (UHS) has announced a new walk-in clinic virtual waiting room. Patients can now access same-day acute care at UHS, without leaving the comfort of their current location until it’s their turn to be seen by a nurse or provider at UHS.
Join the virtual waiting room via the UHS website or text UMASSUHS to 413-992-3326. Texting into the system will allow two initial options 1) Walk-in Clinic and 2) PCR Covid Testing. Select the option you need and once you enter the virtual waiting room you’ll receive a text message with an estimated wait time. Patients will then receive an additional text message when they reach the front of the line. They will be able to send a text reply to ask for more time or leave the queue by following the prompts that will be listed in the body of the message.
UHS will require all walk-in clinic patients to join the virtual waiting room. Those who go to UHS without joining the queue will be asked to do so by the reception staff. A QR code will be available for patients to scan in the lobby. This means those who do not check in to the virtual waiting room in advance may end up waiting longer than someone who joined the queue before them, even if you arrived at UHS first.
The only exception to this rule is for patients who think they need care immediately. In that case, patients should go to UHS right away and ask to speak to a nurse. Some reasons a patient might need immediate care at UHS include:
- Allergic reaction
- Cuts and minor burns
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Sprains or joint pain (acute)
- Back or muscle pain (acute)
- Skin conditions (acute)
- Sexual assault
- Psychiatric crisis
Patients are reminded that UHS is not an emergency room. In a life-threatening emergency, call 911 for ambulance transportation to a hospital. Signs of a medical emergency are listed on the UHS website.
As always, same-day and future appointments can be scheduled by calling 413-577-5101. The UHS Shuttle offers free rides from residence halls to UHS; to schedule a ride, call UMass Transit at 413-577-7425.