These data from the 2010 Urgent Care Benchmarking Survey are based on responses of 1,691 US urgent care centers; 32% were UCA members. The survey was limited to “full-fledged urgent care centers” accepting walk-ins during all hours of operation; having a licensed provider and x-ray and lab equipment onsite; the ability to administer IV fluids and perform minor procedures; and having minimal business hours of seven days per week, four hours per day.
In this issue: What changes do you anticipate in your hours of operation?
Only one-third of urgent cares expect to increase their hours of operation in the foreseeable future. Of those, only 13% foresee increasing their hours of operation to times that would maximize the value proposition of urgent care access: 24/7 and weekends. However, as urgent cares see more competition not only from other urgent cares but also from hospitals, pharmacy chains like CVS/Caremark, and retailers like Walmart seeking urgent care business, it is likely that more centers will offer expanded hours of operation.
Acknowledgement: The 2010 Urgent Care Benchmarking Study was funded by the Urgent Care Association and administered by Professional Research Associates, based in Omaha, NE. The full 40-page report can be purchased at www.ucaoa.org/benchmarking.