Eclipse Tourism Sparks Urgent Care Staffing Changes

Citizens from coast to coast will have a rare opportunity to witness a total solar eclipse on August 21. States directly in its 70-mile-wide path—Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina—are bracing for a massive influx of sky watchers intent on witnessing the phenomenon. Urgent care centers are shoring up their staffing in response. For example, Oregon’s St. Charles Health System is bringing in extra staff from other regions it serves and turning its primary care locations into urgent care centers between August 16 and 23 because 200,000-plus visitors are expected in the area. Its Immediate Care unit is going to operate at peak staffing during that time, as well. Its contingency plans include preparing extra pathways for referrals as needed. The plan is a reminder that whenever there’s a special event likely to swell the normal population of an area, medical facilities will be overtaxed. Urgent care centers are likely to see more patients coming in off the street, but also to get extra overflow traffic from local emergency rooms. Proper preparation will ensure standards of care continue to be met regardless.