First Choice Emergency Room

I’ve been to this emergency room twice; once for my husband’s ankle injury and once personally for gallstones. Both times we were seen very promptly, with an accurate and thorough diagnosis. There was virtually no wait time, and the staff were friendly and professional. The only small criticism I have is that one of the nurses smelled of cigarette smoke, which while unpleasant, wasn’t of any significance. I would hope to not have to use an ER again any time soon, but if I do I would definitely come back to this one.

This place was a godsend for me after what should have been an easy, outpatient surgery. I’m dreading the bill because it’s considered an emergency room and not urgent care, but sometimes there’s just not time to wait an hour at urgent care. I love that First Choice offers appointments online. I’m not going to go into the nitty gritty here, but I needed an appointment STAT. The doctor and nurse were very kind and didn’t cringe as I basically screamed through the appointment. I wasn’t rushed out the door, and I even received a follow-​up call the next day.
Now I wait for the bill … :/

Unbelievable — had to go here for a sinus infection the week of Thanksgiving bc my GP was closed. Saw the Dr. for 5 minutes and got a prescription for an antibiotic.
Fast forward a month — I just got the bill in the mail: $ 1,211 for the visit, $ 72 for a blood oxygen test (which they must have done magically, because nobody even touched me, let alone took blood, or hooked me up to a machine). Plus another $ 626 to see the Dr!
After insurance I am still looking at almost $ 300 to get a prescription written. STAY AWAY AT ALL COSTS UNLESS YOU ARE LITERALLY GOING TO DIE. Plan on paying through the nose for mediocre medical treatment.
I called the billing office and was told repeatedly that they could not do anything for me — that my insurance had been applied and rest was due out of pocket. But charging $ 1,800!!! for a 15 minute visit is highway robbery. AND for a test they did not even do — which I am going to report to my insurance agency!

Had a terrible case of Bronchitis a few weeks ago that intensified the evening before a big holiday trip. When I googled «urgent care Austin,» First Choice came up with good reviews so I decided to give it a shot. It really was a lifesaver in terms of being the only place open late at night.
I was greeted promptly as I was the only person in the waiting room. My only complaint regarding staff was with a couple of the reception/​RN staff. When I explained the discomfort I was having, the remarks they made seemed to discount it. They seemed annoyed I had chosen an ER (I was under the impression that it was an urgent care clinic — whoops) and maintained a curt and annoyed attitude for the duration of my visit. Thankfully, the doctor was understanding, thorough, and gave me the prescription and instruction I needed for a speedy recovery.
Overall, I got what I needed from First Care but would appreciate better attitudes from the staff in the future.

The service and speed was unbelievably good. What a nice personnel!
The night before I left on a 2 week international trip I had to visit the office. I took altitude sickness pills («diamox») and had severe side-​effects for which they suggest you seek immediate medical care. Since it was late at night, my only option was going to the ER. Although the doctor never saw this problem before and the blood results didn’t show anything, he was able to solve my problem after I went through the on-​site CAT-​scan.
Very professional, yet very friendly doctors and nurses. Next day I received a phone call to check on me. A couple weeks later I even received a little greeting card in the mail.

All of the staff at First Choice were very helpful. I came in with chest and arm pain early one Monday morning because no urgent care nor my doctor were open. I was crying and a mess. Although, everyone working was a man they were very receptive to my feelings and how scared I was.
I would recommend going here if you ever have an emergency and/​or simply need medical care and can’t wait to go to your doctor.
If I ever have an emergency again I will definitely keep them in mind. Thanks for your help gentlemen.

I was seen very quickly and felt comfortable the entire time. The staff was very courteous and even followed up after I had left. I have peace of mind knowing where to go next time I need it. Thanks for your help, First Choice ER.

No one likes to have to go to an Emergency Room, but I had 2^nd and potentially 3^rd degree burns down a large part of my leg and was developing cellulitis so had no choice because it was, of course, a weekend. I was impressed from the moment I walked through the front doors. The waiting room is very nicely furnished and welcoming. They took my information and had me fill out a form and I was seen right away with no wait. The nurse who took my history was friendly and compassionate and was a good listener. The doctor who treated me was courteous, professional and did all the right things. I used to work at Breckenridge ER as a level 2 trauma tech and have had much experience with dealing with burns. They were on it. I received an antibiotic injection, two prescriptions and my wounds were dressed with silvadene and bandages. The part that really got me the most, though, was that the following morning I got a call from the doctor who was taking over the previous night’s doctor’s shift. She called to check and see how my leg was doing and if I was feeling any better. I was shocked! My primary care physician (whom I had seen a couple of days earlier for the burn) didn’t even do that. That is incredible service and attention to detail. I was referred by the treating doctor to see a surgeon the following Monday to see if the wound would need to be surgically addressed, and he turned out to be amazing as well. So even the referral they gave was outstanding. It was the best ER experience I’ve ever had. The only note of caution I have is that this is a full-​fledged ER, not a minor emergency clinic. So your copay will reflect that. I didn’t know and was in a bit of shock when I checked out. But in retrospect, it was worth it.

This place provided great service! They were fast, respectful, and clear. I would highly recommend them.

I was in Austin on a business trip, and, on the evening before the day I was going home, my tooth started to hurt and gum around it began to swell. Initially I thought that Listerine would take care of it, but, by about midnight, I realized that I had to get this taken care of before the flight. I could not find any emergency dentists that were still open, so I started looking for emergency rooms. First Choice ER was the closest to the Westin Domain where I was staying and was highest rated.
The drive there was very quick, the facility looked clean and modern, the staff was attentive and professional. Dr. Daniels was the one who helpped me. He was very professional, he opened the abscess and prescribed antibiotics.
There were no other customers at First Choice ER, so I was admitted right away, which was a pleasant surprise for me because I have been to ERs in CA a few times with family members, and it took hours before we were seen by a nurse to take vitals and hours more for a Dr.
I paid my $ 150 co-​pay at the end, and my Cigna insurance picked up the rest (at least I have not received a bill in almost 2 months).
Including a stop at the pharmacy, I was back at the hotel in about 1.5 hours. This is an ER and as such, I think it is a very good one.

I had a great experience here. Thankfully, very good location, close to home. It’s clean, professional, fast and very kind. I would recommend this facility and it’s staff.

This place was a life saver for me. Recently, I have given birth by c-​section and started noticing some strange things happening all in one day. I started shaking, pretty much like having a seizure, which i have never felt before. By this time i’m starting to worry because i was shaking and shivering so hard.
By now it is about 8pm and the emergency room was jammed packed and could not see a doctor until 12am! Just showed up at First Choice Emergency Room and they discovered it was a UTI and puss was in my pee. I was literally in and out within 45 mins.
I would recommend this place. There open ²⁴⁄₇ and there super friendly, but most of all professional. I thank them for everything and getting me in and out as soon as they could.

I went here because I was in extreme pain and I didn’t want to sit in a hospital ER for 5 million hours.
Immediately, I was greeted by a friendly face and all the staff treated me with dignity, respect, and compassion. It was clear that people at the center actually cared about my comfort and my health.
The doctor who saw me was extremely kind. I was really impressed by him. Unfortunately, I don’t recall his name (sorry!). They gave me a shot for the pain and talked to me about methods for dealing with my situation.
I was really impressed by the staff’s treatment towards me and just how quick i got in! I didn’t even have to wait.

On my way down to Austin from Dallas to move into my new Austin apartment, I was rear ended by not 1, not 2, but 3 cars on I-​35.
A few hours after the accident, I noticed some back pain that had gone undetected during all the hubbub (police reports, tow trucks, etc.) By the time I decided to see a doctor, it was almost 10 P.M. Enter First Choice.
I had never been to an emergency room, but I did have a mental image of long wait times, wailing babies, dim lighting, exhausted staff, etc. Thankfully, FCER is exactly the opposite.
Firstly, the facility is oddly peaceful. Like, it was almost eerie feeling, but I think only because I was anticipating absolute chaos and instead found nice, comfy chairs and a general sense of order.
Secondly, the staff/​nurses/​X-​Ray Guy couldn’t possibly have been nicer or more energized. During my time there, they offered me a phone charger, a remote for the TV, and even some Gatorade. (#Millennial.) This is, of course, in addition to all of the normal duties, which they did with great care and courtesy.
The doctor himself was thorough and knowledgeable. He got the story, ordered X-​Rays (which I did right there in the facility,) read said X-​Rays, sent them off to a radiologist just for a second opinion, explained the issue, gave me tons of literature on the (thankfully minor) injury, prescribed me some meds, and sent me on my way feeling 1,000,000% confident that I had made the right choice for doctors that evening.
Oh yeah, and all of that happened in less than an hour. If only all the other medical providers could be as lovely as these humans.

Unbelievable rip-​off. My husband was charged almost $ 5,000 for 4 stitches on his finger (that equates to over $ 1k per stitch!). The accident happened after his regular clinic was closed, so he went here. The doc recommended he get a tetanus shot and an x-​ray since it was on the knuckle. My husband understood the tetanus shot, but was intrigued by the x-​ray recommendation. When the bill arrived, we were flabbergasted at how they charged us: $ 2130 facility fee (basically the cost to walk through the doors), $ 350 to administer a shot, $ 1200 for the doctor to do 4 stitches, radiology, …and it goes on from there.
Because the clinic is so adept at knowing which diagnosis codes they can get away with, our insurance company accepted the charges, despite our appeal.
PLEASE don’t let these clinics get away with rip-​offs like this. The only reason they have so many good ratings is that they offer a $ 5 Starbucks card to people who rate them on Unilocal.
UPDATE: Corporate office called to negotiate a discount after this post.
Here are my lessons learned:
1. Before receiving any service, I will find out what my charges will be so I can make an informed decision on whether I want to be treated there.
2. If you feel you’ve been overcharged, negotiate, negotiate, and then negotiate some more.
3. Social media works.

After my first visit in May, I was debating whether or not it was worth my time to write a negative review; but after seeing my claim through my insurance I have passed the point of dissatisfaction.
First off, I was having major stomach pains and vomiting, which forced me to take action and find an ER that would accept my insurance. It all seemed good at first. I filled out paperwork and was almost immediately taken back. The front desk woman quoted me $ 100 for my co-​pay with Aetna, and said they will be billing it to the provided address.
Once I was taken to my room, I was greeted by the PA and asked many questions regarding my pelvic pain. He then proceeded to draw my blood, and also requested me to give them a urine sample. A few short minutes later, the doctor awkwardly introduced himself to both me and my partner and notified us that both tests were negative. He was VERY UNHELPFUL. He gave me blank stares, and told me he had no idea what it could be. He then left the room for some time, and left me with little hope that they may be able to do further testing to see what was wrong. He came back and insisted that they inject an IV in my arm to pump a medicine to get me out of pain. I agreed to the doctors order, and the PA injected HCL Ondansetron (medicine that blocks chemicals to prevent nausea) into my IV. About 30 minutes later, I was asked if I was still in pain and yes I was, but it was not nearly as severe as it was when I showed up. After that statement, the doctor still had no answer for me, other than to misdiagnose me with a completely different issue than I originally came in for (not correlated with pelvic pain whatsoever). I was released with hardly any answers, and prescribed medicines that did absolutely nothing for me. It was a complete waste of my time.
The very next few days, the pain became more excruciating and sharp, and decided to call them (They told me to call if the pain persisted)
The woman who answered told me the doctor wrote for me to call a primary doctor, but then she became apologetic as she realized the notes were not thorough enough. No names or referrals were sent home with me. She had to take initiative on his behalf to direct me where to go from there. (which I was so thankful of her for).
I tried to ignore this experience, but at this point I am extremely upset. The doctor didn’t even bother with further diagnostics, and continued to let me stay in pain. I am guessing it is because I am young, but little does this practice know I also work in the healthcare field, and know how important it is to keep your patients happy. Weeks later and more tears shed, it was discovered to be a major issue, yet it was completely ignored by First Choice. Also, this ER sent a $ 3,600 claim to my insurance for not helping with a damn thing. Also the estimation of my copay was inadequate, and I was estimated to pay $ 271 total out of pocket, and not the original $ 100 the woman quoted me for. After speaking with a representative with my insurance, apparently my copay was $ 100, and First Choice decided to add an extra $ 171, which I have yet to know exactly why.
Overall, First Choice ER was very unaccommodating, and a huge rip off. I would recommend to find a more hospitable emergency room of caring and resourceful professionals.
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Just received a THANK YOU card in the mail after a visit to First Choice ER. Who does that? I have never had an ER contact me except to question a bill. How crazy is that?
Remember this isn’t a med clinic and the deductible is definitely more than a med clinic but dang they were good and even gave me a lollipop.

Do not go there unless you are on your death bed!
I went in for 2^nd degree burns. No wait, which I needed since was in severe pain, they gave me a morphine shot, handed me cream and a glove for me to apply. Sent me home with a script. From what I can tell from my insurance statement, the bill is close to $ 2500+ …There should be some sort of law against this but healthcare in our country is a free for all, to take us to the cleaners. I will post more when I get my bill from them. There is a reason there is no wait here!

Came into this facility at 7pm last night after my fiancé was rear ended at full speed in his honda fit, this causing his car to rear end the Kia in front of him at full force and this cause his airbags in the car to deploy, completely burning him in that impact, glasses blown off his face, and pain throughout his body. Given it’s late and 2 days before Christmas-​time, once we squared away insurance information and called the necessary parties to document the incident off we went to get him some help.
Fiancé handed over TX drivers license and insurance information and filled out 4 forms to get in as this was our first visit here as I can recall when it used to be the Blockbuster lol. I will admit when I saw that they were on Unilocal with high rave ratings I was excited, as who would be excited to go to the ER and the impending costs of extra vent health care $$$ to be spent?
After filling out all necessary forms, we were told he had no upfront ER co-​pay but would get an invoice for services rendered. This caused my fiancé to start worrying because he’s the kind of guy that would like an itemized breakdown and not have to worry about the expensive cost of healthcare, sorry we live in America. Nurse came to triage and assess the reason why we came. Went through a series of questions, fiancé got an x-​ray of his wrist, and then a tetanus shot because he answered «no» to not having one in the last 5 years. Fyi: if you want to save money and not get a tetanus shot, probably just lie and say yes you’ve had one within the last 5 years when they go through the series of questions.
One thing I’m concerned with is I can see that there are a multitude of 1 star or low star reviews pertaining to this establishment due to hidden costs or upcharges of medical billing, which I am aware of as I used to do medical billing for my Doctor dad, thanks dad for teaching your 16 year old daughter how to code out ICV-​9 visits and LABCORP test samples, whoo, I’m so cool lol.
The facility is clean, speedy and effective. There was a tv in the room my fiancé was in while we waited.
I have to wonder if there’s any cause of concern for the many many negative reviews that are filtered. Once the invoice is mailed to us, we will be able to see what all is being charged as I truly want to ensure that all details are merely factual and not bias, both service, cost and treatment is how I would want to base my review.

Let me divide this review into 2 parts:
1) The experience — 5 stars. No wait, prompt service, friendly staff… wouldn’t change a thing about this part of the experience.
2) The price — Can I go lower than 1 star??? I had a 5 – 10 minute visit with the doctor to discuss my allergic reaction to an insect sting, got a steroid shot and the bill was…$ 1,700!!! A total visit of less than 20 minutes, 1 cheap injection, and almost $ 2,000??? NO amount of customer service can make up for that kind of a rip off.
If they know their prices are so ungodly expensive (even for an emergency room!) and it is a non life-​threatening situation, they should ask you if you want an estimate before services. If I would have had any idea about the pricing, I would have found an urgent care or just waited until I could see my family doctor again the next day.
I think most of the people with 5 star reviews left them after getting the great customer service but before getting the insane billing.