Visions 2022: Here We Grow

Page 32

Urgent care clinics could be wave of future in Newton County By TOM SPIGOLON

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tspigolon@covnews.com

rgent care clinics have grown in popularity in Newton County and metro Atlanta in recent years amid growing demand for alternatives to emergency rooms and traditional medical clinics. Piedmont, Northside and other healthcare providers have grown their affiliated network of urgent care centers in recent years as consumers seek medical care less expensive than emergency rooms, more convenient than traditional family care clinics and treat more serious conditions than walk-in clinics. Urgent care centers are healthcare clinics that offer on-demand medical services and are equipped to treat ailments ranging from the common cold to fractures and wounds. They also often provide services like blood tests and X-rays. More than 9,000 urgent care centers operate in the U.S., according to a report by the Urgent Care Association. That figure is up 6% from 2018. Software company Experity surveyed half of U.S. clinics and found urgent care clinics saw a 58% increase in visit volumes in 2020 alone due to the demand for COVID-19-related episodic care. Testing and vaccinations accounted for more than 60% of total visits, Healthcare IT News reported. Piedmont Urgent Care by WellStreet is a for-profit entity that is a joint venture with Piedmont Healthcare and the largest in the state by the number of patients it sees, said CEO Ron Lavater. It has acquired or opened numerous urgent cares in recent years and increased its centers to 40 locations in Georgia as of mid-February 2022, according to the healthcare news website Fierce Healthcare. That

32 VISIONS 2022: HERE WE GROW

Piedmont Urgent Care by WellStreet is a for-profit entity that is a joint venture with Piedmont Healthcare and the largest in the state by the number of patients it sees, said CEO Ron Lavater. Special Photo | Piedmont Urgent Care

includes one on U.S. Hwy. 278 in Covington. The health care provider advertises “shorter wait times, lower costs, and more personalized care” at its urgent care centers,. Piedmont Urgent Care is open seven days a week for specific hours each day. It treats “bumps. bruises. coughs. colds” and other “non-life threatening illnesses and injuries, as well as basic healthcare services.” “For other medical events including stitches and broken bones, WellStreet provides shorter wait times, lower costs, and more personalized care.” However, Piedmont says an urgent care center should not be used “if you are experiencing a life-threatening injury or illness” and says to call 911 immediately “or head straight to the emergency room.” Emory Healthcare also has increased its network of affiliated Peachtree Immediate Care centers in recent years and operates one on Brown Bridge Road in Covington. It opened its 39th and 40th centers after acquiring Reddy Urgent Care locations in Loganville and Monroe in mid-2021.

Peachtree Immediate Care has the largest number of urgent care centers in Georgia, Georgia Health News reported. In addition, Walmart also has entered the healthcare market with its rapidly growing its chain of Walmart Health clinics, which are a cross between urgent care and traditional medical clinics with some extra services included. The national retailer opened its first Walmart Health clinic in Paulding County in 2019 and now operates locations attached to 17 stores in Georgia, including Conyers, Loganville and Monroe in the Newton County area. Walmart Health offers services at a flat fee, including primary care, dental care, labs, imaging and sometimes offers mental health service and optometric care, CNBC reported. The clinics often operate in underserved areas because the retailer often serves such areas. They also give patients without broadband access the opportunity to have virtual consultations with a specialist at one of the WalMart Health clinics. THE COVINGTON NEWS


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Articles inside

Unsung Hero: Mike Hopkins

5min
pages 65-68

Unsung Hero: Janet Goodman

3min
pages 63-64

Employer of the Year Award: Snapping Shoals EMC

5min
pages 58-59

Public safety groups talk future as community grows

7min
pages 50-53

Unsung Hero: Duane Ford

5min
pages 61-62

Cities’ location, makeup are factors in how fast they develop

4min
pages 42-45

Housing supply, prices may rise in coming years

3min
pages 48-49

Covington celebrates 200 years of growth

4min
pages 46-47

Urgent care clinics could be wave of future in Newton

3min
pages 32-33

Local chiropractic care facility has become mainstay

3min
pages 34-35

Piedmont Newton ready to serve community into the future

2min
pages 30-31

Oxford College Farm grows produce, student knowledge

6min
pages 12-15

New businesses thriving across Newton

4min
pages 21-22

GPDH wants county better informed of health services

3min
page 29

Private schools foresee growing alongside area’s population

2min
pages 8-9

Industrial growth not draining staff from small businesses

2min
page 18

FFA interest increasing across the county

4min
pages 16-17

Index of Advertisers

5min
pages 4-7

NCSS preparing students for future job opportunities

5min
pages 10-11
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