Wedding Season Approaches. Could Your Urgent Care Team Be Greeting Guests with a COVID-19 Test?

It looks like it will be summer before the majority of Americans will have had a chance to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. By then, we’ll be nearing the end of celebration season, when families gather en masse to celebrate weddings, graduations, and other milestones. Last year’s galas were hampered by watered-down guest lists as responsible party planners sought to reduce the risk of hosting a super spreader event. Some urgent care centers see this challenge as an opportunity to support their communities and to get their name out there in a very positive light. My Doc Urgent Care in northern New Jersey, for one, is using social media and local advertising to promote its capability to administer rapid COVID-19 to guests when they arrive at a gathering. The Facebook post, for one, is light on details but features a link through which management can be contacted for more information—thereby encouraging a low-pressure first point of contact. While such an opportunity won’t apply to all (or even most) people who see the promotions, they’re likely to recognize that My Doc is responsive to the community’s needs in the midst of the pandemic and visit if they themselves do need a test—or need same-day care for any complaint.