ExperCARE Leads the Way as On-Demand Service Changes Healthcare 

Urgent care centers like ExperCARE have been popping up across the country as shifting consumer demands drive the healthcare system to adapt to the needs of a more mobile and convenience driven society.

ExperCARE first opened its doors in Richmond Hill in 2009 when the emergence of convenient, on-demand healthcare was just starting to take root.  The Urgent Care Association (UCA) recently reported that the number of Urgent Care centers has grown from 6,100 in 2013 to 9,616 in 2019; a 58% increase. According to the UCA 2019 Benchmark Report, the presence of urgent care centers continues to grow and they recognized almost 10% growth in 2019 vs. the previous year. .

ExperCARE has grown along with the industry,  opening its second location in 2015 and a third location, in downtown Savannah, in 2020. What is driving the growth of urgent care clinics like ours?   Urgent care offers the convenient, efficient, and quality care that consumers want.

Like many urgent care centers, ExperCARE is open seven days a week with extended evening and weekend hours. We allow patients to book ahead if they prefer,  but the majority of our visits are from walk-in, on-demand service. The UCA report found that 92% of patients reported seeing a provider in 30 minutes or less at urgent care centers, with no appointment necessary. Compare that to the average wait time to see a primary care physician in Savannah (61 days) and you can see why urgent care centers now account for 29% of all primary care visits in the country.  ExperCARE is very comfortable and experienced with providing patients with the routine care they need to stay healthy.

Urgent care services are a cost saver for insurers, employers and patients. ExperCARE is in network with all major health insurance and also offers affordable cash rates.  After normal doctor’s office hours patients have two choices: emergency room or urgent care. A 2016 study in the Journal of Emergency Medicine found that ER treatments cost about 10 times more (an average of about $2,200) than treatment for the same diagnosis in an urgent care center (about $168).

Over the last five years, the number of primary care office visits have steadily declined as more patients have sought the convenience and money-saving services of urgent care. The innovation and competition created by urgent care centers has prompted traditional practices to offer more same-day appointments, convenient hours and communication methods. This is creating a future healthcare model that will be more responsive to patient needs.

Currently, one-quarter of patients seeking care at urgent care centers are unaffiliated with a primary care provider or medical home, according to the UCA Benchmark Report. Younger and often healthier patients aren’t looking for long-term relationships with care providers. These consumers, who may be paying out of pocket or paying high deductibles, just want to feel better fast and pay less.

Urgent care centers like ExperCARE are improving patient outcomes while reducing costs and expediting service. We are proud to be a forerunner in providing convenient, efficient and compassionate care.  Make ExperCARE your first choice for on-demand healthcare.

Video

https://www.dropbox.com/s/j63ahuflmm4uwxk/Evolution%20Future%20of%20Urgent%20Care.mp4?dl=0

Transcript of Video

The future of healthcare is going to look a lot like urgent care looks now. People are appreciating the fact they’re able to walk in without an appointment on their own schedule as opposed to working with appointments that are pre-booked weeks and months in advance that may or may not be convenient or based on the time that they need the service. So, we’re excited at ExperCARE to continue to deliver that access to healthcare at a super high level and give people not only want they need but also what they want when they want it.

Now urgent care is really being known as a reliable point of access in our healthcare system. With ERs being overcrowded and primary care physicians having full panels and inability to get in and not having extended hours and weekend availability, people need healthcare when they’re sick or injured. And so, urgent care has been a great solution to that. ExperCARE is really, we’ve responded to that. We’ve evolved with that and being able to both make an appointment while continuing to take walk-in services seven days a week is a huge part of why people continue to embrace urgent care and why urgent care isn’t going anywhere.