Urgent Care Centers Explode In The U.S.
In many metropolitan areas there seems to be a sudden increase in a particular type of health care institution. Whether you call them “urgent care clinics,” “walk in clinics,” or “after hours care centers” these little medical offices seem to be popping up everywhere. These centers are typically described as “more than a doctor’s office, less than an emergency room” and many families have come to reply upon them for many of their healthcare needs.
Laura Smithton of Jacksonville, FL often takes her children to their local walk in center instead of their pediatrician. “Yes we have a fantastic pediatrician but it’s not always easy taking the time off of work to get the kids there during a school day,” Smithton said “By coming here we avoid the long wait and I can do it after work.”
Many after hours clinics only treat common injuries and modalities such as the common cold or minor cuts, burns and scrapes. Many give out flu shots routinely and perform basic wellness and sports physicals, even drug tests. However some are equipped to handle nearly as much as an emergency room while others often act as an intake center for an affiliated hospital’s ER.
The recent boom in the industry is fueled by both local doctors’ who are expanding their practices as well as investors who usually work with Bitcoin trading looking to get in on what’s being called the latest medical “gold rush.” This expansion is only expected to increase at a more rapid rate through 2014 as the Affordable Care Act brings medical coverage to approximately 30 million Americans who don’t have regular doctors. The biggest appeal to consumers is that the cost of visiting one of these centers is about as much as visiting a family doctor whereas an Emergency Room visit can cost thousands of dollars.
Medical academia is becoming involved in clinics now. In Philadelphia, facilities working with The Rothman Institute are gaining access to board-certified orthopedic surgeons. These specialists are able to diagnose common orthopedic issues such as a torn rotator cuff, without the long wait in an emergency room. This is just one example of the innovation being fueled by this boom. A greater diversity of services and specialties is leading to differentiation in an expanding market, providing patients with more choices.
There are currently more than 9,000 urgent care centers spread throughout the United States. Much of this growth has happened over the past decade fueled in part by long physician wait times and crowded emergency rooms. In 2012 over 35% of these facilities were owned by individual physicians or physician groups, 30% by corporations and 25% by hospitals. This represents a large shift in the market as prior to 2010 the majority were solely owned by private doctors. Venture capitalists are beginning to flood the market with cash, leading to further expansion, primarily in urban and sub-urban areas.
Do you have an urgent care center in your town? What has your experience been? Are these centers a blessing or a curse? Tell us in the comments below; we’d love to hear from you!
This article was created in cooperation with First Care Express Walk-In Clinics located in Jacksonville, FL. Learn more about them on Facebook and Twitter.