Harrington HealthCare System continues its community expansion with UrgentCare Express at Harrington. Construction is underway, and the new urgent care center is scheduled to open this September in Charlton, Mass.
The center, which will provide walk-in medical care for non-life-threatening injuries and illnesses, will be located on the second level inside the existing Harrington HealthCare at Charlton building at 10 North Main Street. This building also houses diagnostic imaging services, Harrington’s Wound Care Center, and Harrington Physician Services, Harrington’s primary care and multi-specialty physician group.
“We are responding to the growing demand for urgent care centers,” said Kristin Morales, Executive Director of Harrington Physician Services. “This service bridges the gap between primary care and the emergency room. It also gives patients the option of being seen after-hours or on the weekend.”
Morales also differentiated urgent care from retail “minute clinics,” which only treat minor illnesses, such as a cold or sore throat, and do not have access to labs or imaging services.
“We want to accommodate patients with many options, and urgent care is often the most convenient and appropriate solution,” she said.
Harrington currently has emergency departments at its main campus in Southbridge and at the Remillard Family Emergency Department in Webster.
“It’s clear that the trend toward urgent care will continue to grow, as patients value the convenience and personalization the service offers, as well as lower costs compared to the ER,” said Ed Moore, Harrington President & CEO. “But not all urgent care is created equal, and we believe that our doctors will make the difference.”
Dr. Mary-Elise Smith, currently an Attending Physician in the Emergency Department at UMass Memorial Medical Center, and Dr. Kathy Finn, currently an Attending Physician at both Harrington Emergency Departments, will primarily provide the physician staffing, and Dr. Josh Flanagan, also currently a physician at both Harrington’s Emergency Departments, has been named Medical Director.
“It is important that we offer our patients the best quality of care possible,” said Morales. “To do this, we are staffing UrgentCare Express with board-certified emergency physicians, which is often not the case at other urgent care centers where patients are seen by nurses or medical technicians. Additionally, we will provide integrated patient care with primary care physicians and many other services in our system.”
Morales also explained that Harrington will be able to utilize the radiology and lab services that are already present in the Harrington at Charlton building.
“Prior to proceeding with this initiative, we conducted a needs assessment that articulated the need for urgent care in the Charlton area,” said Moore. “By establishing UrgentCare Express in this Charlton building, we will fill this gap and offer this key service to patients in many surrounding areas.”
Moore said he expects the volume to be around 8,000 patients in the first year and that it will increase beyond that in years to come.
He added, “UrgentCare Express is a logical next step for us in our ongoing expansion of services and facilities throughout our area.”
UrgentCare Express will accept all major health insurances and treat non-life-threatening conditions, including but not limited to:
In September, Harrington plans to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony and an open house to provide tours of the facility to the public. Dates for these events will be announced.
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