If your community is like many in the United States, you have likely noticed that a new form of medical walk in clinic has appeared in your area in the last few years: an urgent care center. There are an estimated 7,164 of these urgent care clinics scattered across the U.S. in rural, suburban and urban areas, offering a number of benefits to patients who seek out their services. As a result, the healthcare industry in many places is shifting to take advantage of this new form of medical care and better distribute resources. In Bremerton, Washington, for example, a naval hospital is changing its emergency room to an urgent care facility.

Naval Hospital Bremerton reportedly based their decision on the fact that many patients require urgent care medical services rather than emergency room care: studies show that an estimated 35% of ER visits in the U.S. could have been resolved faster and more affordably at urgent care centers, which are designed to treat non-life-threatening conditions. Urgent care clinics have a reputation for being both quick and cost-effective: because they see patients in the order they arrived, an estimated 80% of visitors complete their appointments within 60 minutes or less. This fast service will help Naval Hospital Bremerton better meet the needs of the more than 29,000 active duty servicemen, retirees and family members who are enrolled at the hospital.

One of the only limitations of this new urgent care clinic is that seriously injured or ill patients will need to be sent via ambulance to a nearby emergency room instead of immediately receiving treatment. However, because urgent care clinics typically provide X-ray services, evaluate patient needs, and prescribe antibiotics and pain medication, many patients will likely find that their medical condition is properly treated at the new clinic. Interestingly, Naval Hospital Bremerton also plans to continue the hospital’s obstetrics program through the urgent care center, and will also retain their 24/7 hours. With the variety of services and convenient benefits, it seems likely that this facility, like the thousands of other urgent care clinics in the U.S., will greatly benefit this Washington community. See this link for more.