Are You Open for Patients on Thanksgiving—and More Importantly, Do They Know That?

Most Americans with typical jobs will be at home or visiting loved ones (possibly for the first time in years) over Thanksgiving weekend. Urgent care professionals do not have typical jobs, of course, so it’s possible that many will be reporting to work ready to care for patients who can’t wait for other medical practices to open and really don’t need to go to the hassle and expense of going to the emergency room for something that’s not actually an emergency. Other practices will be closed, however, at some point over the weekend. The important question is, Do your patients and prospective patients know your status? Picture a patient who just sliced their finger while carving a turkey consulting your website and seeing that you’re open from 7 am until 10 pm on Thursdays—except this Thursday, so your team can enjoy the holiday. If the website, or Facebook page, or other social media haven’t been updated the patient may show up expecting to get the excellent care you’re known for but leave immediately, irate that they wasted a trip and still have to find a place to get stitches. With that experience as a first impression, don’t expect them to give you another chance. If you haven’t posted holiday hours, now would be the ideal time to do so. And bear this in mind as the rest of the holiday season unfolds.