They are seemingly on every corner of every other intersection in Central Florida, promising to help you in your time of need. Yes, urgent care clinics have seen a rapid boom in popularity, becoming the fastest growing specialty in medicine right now, according to the American Academy of Urgent Care Medicine. But, what is it that has made them so popular and what’s next for urgent care as an industry?

The main reason that urgent care and retail clinics have become so popular is because of the services they offer at a price, and a pace,the average family can accept. “The primary advantage of clinics are their ease of access and lower cost - an urgent clinic can see you on the same day but without the higher cost and longer wait time of an emergency room,” says Dr. Tim Hendrix, M.D., and medical director for Centra Care - Florida Hospital Urgent Care.

Facilities typically offer services that range from treating flu symptoms to ear and eye infections while some even provide X-ray services and treatment for most minor emergencies such as lacerations, fractures and eye injuries.

“Urgent care facilities are designed to bridge the gap between a primary care physician and a hospital emergency room,” says Bea Kochheiser, Central Florida market leader for Solantic Walk-In Urgent Care. “We are not a replacement for either, but, rather, a resource when you either can’t make it to your physician or your medical issue doesn’t warrant a full blown trip to the emergency room.”

In addition, many patients demand fast and convenient care when they are sick and urgent care fills that role. “Many are unwilling, or simply can’t wait, for appointments that may take them out of work during the work week,” says Hendrix. “Today’s families have a lot going on in their lives,” says Hendrix. “They need fast, easy access to medical care they may not be able to get with a traditional practice.” In fact, Hendrix says that the most common reason he hears for patients as to why they haven’t seen their doctor recently is that they can’t take time from work for an appointment with their doctor during the week. “Staying open extended hours has also been a big help to our patients,” says Kochheiser. “Accidents and illnesses can happen late at night too.”

Still, urgent care clinics stress they are not a replacement for a primary care physician. “The one thing we don’t want to do is replace your regular physician,” says Kochheiser. Hendrix agrees: “We take special care to limit the scope of our practice to acute injuries and illnesses.”

In addition, urgent care centers like Centra Care, also offer services to assist businesses with compliance of federal and state regulations such as drug testing, breath and blood alcohol testing, pre-employment exams and even commercial driver medical certifications.

The key to their rise in popularity has been the ability to understand their core client’s needs. The convenience and cost factor have helped the industry see tremendous growth over the past four years with the number of urgent care clinics doubling nationally. Retail urgent care clinics, generally found inside a pharmacy, grocery store o big-box retailer, have also increased more than tenfold from 2006 to 2008.

As for the future of urgent care clinics, popularity continues to rise. Both Solantic and Centra Care will open several new Central Florida locations in 2010 to better serve the community. As they do so, technology will play an even larger role. “We have made the transition to electronic medical records and we are continuing to make the digital transition in other areas of our practice with X-rays, EKGs and other various tests at our centers,” says Hendrix. “We are constantly asking how else we can use technology to expand our services to improve patient care.”

“Our goal moving forward is to continue to educate and evolve in the ways we support the healthcare field and, most importantly, our patients,” says Kochheiser.

Article by Corey Gehrold