Practice Management
UnitedHealth Group’s Optum division vowed to open 19 new urgent care centers in Minnesota by the end of 2017—starting now, with operations in Eden Prairie and Plymouth commencing September 16. Firm plans for the remaining 15 locations are not confirmed, but a dozen are expected to be in the Twin Cities, ultimately. All the locations will fly the MedExpress banner. It’s a substantial change in the state’s urgent care profile; data from MN Community Measurement …
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Fast Pace Urgent Care has grown fivefold since 2012, making it a valuable asset to its parent company, Shore Capital Partners—and an attractive prospect for Revelstoke Capital Partners, which just bought all 36 of the clinics. Fast Pace had just seven clinics in 2012; most of its growth in the Shore Capital Partners era has been through new construction (it also bought three existing locations along the way). Five more clinics are scheduled to open …
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We’ve all seen the data concerning the “graying” of the population and physician shortages (it’s not good), and within this industry intuited that urgent care will play an important role in providing care when and where it’s needed most. New data now show just how big an opportunity there is for urgent care operators. Looking at estimates of current volumes per urgent care center within the context of population density, demographics, and payer mix, Health …
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Banner Health has acquired 32 urgent care centers in Arizona from Urgent Care Extra. The centers will be rebranded as Banner Urgent Care October 1. Banner says it expects to have 50 urgent care centers in Arizona by the end of 2017. More than 400 Urgent Care Extra employees will join the 40,000 Banner employees in Arizona. The system is the largest private employer in Arizona. Banner also operates hospitals in seven western states.
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Atlanta-based CRH Healthcare is all set to add seven new Florida locations by virtue of acquiring Patient First’s seven locations in Tallahassee, FL. CRH already operates 26 centers across Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. In addition to urgent care, Patient First offers primary care and occupational medicine services. CRH Healthcare plans to “invest significant capital and effort on several key initiatives” involving the deal, including a new electronic medical record system that it expects to go …
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U.S. HealthWorks continues to invest heavily in its Florida occupational medicine business, more than doubling its stake there by buying Lakeside Occupational Medical Centers, which operates 14 centers in the Tampa Bay, Lakeland, and Orlando areas. Once the deal is finalized, U.S. HealthWorks will have 27 locations in Florida; they’ll be among 244 medical offices and onsite clinics in 21 states. That makes it one of the largest occupational health and urgent care operators in …
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There have been nine injuries due to motorcycle crashes related to this year’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, and the event has five more days to go. That’s not exactly news that’s going to impact your day—unless you run an urgent care center in the Rapid City, SD area. Black Hills Urgent Care is one location that’s likely to see increased patient traffic related to the event. Regional Hospitals went so far as to urge bikers and …
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Dignity Health, California’s biggest private hospital network, is pouring resources into the urgent care arena by opening the first of a dozen clinics it will operate with GoHealth Urgent Care in the San Francisco Bay area. Dignity says Americans “pay too much and get too little” for healthcare, and that urgent care can be a conduit to reducing waste. Treating a patient in urgent care vs the emergency room is also cheaper for the hospital, …
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“Convenient location” is a relative term; an address that works for the greatest number of people can still leave many patients outside of your urgent care center’s reach. Oregon’s Samaritan Health Services is trying to bridge that gap by taking its act on the road—Route I-5, to be exact. Pull into the truck plaza just off exit 216 and you’ll see what looks like a semi with SamCare Mobile Medical emblazoned on the outside. Inside, …
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Local media around the country are starting to report people being injured moving down the street—most often on foot, but some drivers, too—while distracted by the game Pokémon Go. Yes, some of them might end up in an urgent care center, but the most important thing for operators to be aware of is that Niantic, the game’s maker, plans to offer local advertising opportunities soon. The location-based game for mobile devices tracks the player’s movements …
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