If the Patients Can’t Come to Urgent Care, This Operator Brings Urgent Care to the Patients

Too many urgent care centers have suffered financial and personnel losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. From being overlooked as viable participants in widespread testing efforts to patients who were too afraid to leave their homes even for medical care, the industry has taken a major hit. Some businesses may even go under. Others, however, are finding a way to adapt by offering telemedicine services or channeling patients to different locations for different needs. Merion Health Partners took another approach by offering to send staff to nursing homes to provide testing services for residents and staff in the Philadelphia area. To date, they’ve visiting around 10 nursing homes, with each having between 100 and 700 staffers and residents. More will follow, but they’re fully booked through July (coinciding with the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s mandate to have all long-term care employees tested by the end of this month). It took a little time—the company’s business suffered with the rest of the industry at first—but thanks to the additional business, they’re now operating at pre-pandemic levels. While the pandemic and its consequences are unavoidable, try to recognize what needs exist in your surrounding communities, and what services you may be able to offer. The outcome could be broader patient appeal, the ability to keep team members employed, and fulfilling urgent care’s core mandate to provide quality care that’s convenient to the community.