Hospital Systems Make Their Urgent Care Presence Known Around Town

Urgent care operators have been making a splash by revamping existing retail spaces and restaurants into urgent care centers. Now hospital systems seeking to make inroads in the industry are doing the same. Around Indiana, for example, Indiana University Health is opening up centers in old bank branches; Community Health Network is setting up shop in a strip mall; and Franciscan ExpressCare is actually clearing some space for a clinic in an apartment-and-retail complex, hoping to get the attention of residents, shoppers, and employees alike. As with the standalone centers that have been multiplying of late, hospital systems seem to be catching on to the idea that “traditional” is not necessarily the only way to go in assessing possible locations for growth. As an official from Indiana University Health noted, healthcare delivery has become more about meeting patients where they are rather than ensuring they know where you are and hoping they make their way there. It all falls in step with the essential value of urgent care to begin with: offer quality care that is as accessible as possible, and patients will take notice and reward you with their trust—and their business.