Quote:
Originally Posted by tis
There really should be more walk in clinics. I am surprised Laconia doesn't have one. It IS hard to get an appt. if you don't have a regular doctor and even then, there are weekends and days off when the doctor won't see you.
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Well here you go.......
- Published Date
- Written by Michael Kitch
LACONIA — Next month, LRGHealthcare expects to open Convenience Care at Lakes Region General Hospital, a walk-in clinic providing treatment for common injuries and illnesses as well as shots and preventative services at affordable costs.
Dr. Paul Racicot, who oversees emergency medicine at LRGHealthcare, said yesterday that Convenience Care will serve as a bridge between primary care and emergency services, by offering an alternative to both at less cost than either. Unlike an office visit, no appointment will be necessary and unlike the emergency room, patients will be spared long waits for treatment.
The clinic will operate from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. seven days a week. Treatment will be provided for colds, flu, sore throats, ear aches, allegories, sprains, minor burns, cuts, and aches and pains. aches. Racicot characterized the process as "self-diagnosis" or "self-triage," stressing that because the clinic is part of the hospital, if injuries or illnesses require more intensive treatment than it can provide, patients can be transferred quickly and easily to the appropriate setting.
Health insurance companies, Racicot explained, are increasingly directing patients to the least expensive point of service. Since Convenience Care will qualify, patients will be able to optimize their coverage. He said that the clinic will benefit employers, who will be less likely to exceed the limits of their workers compensation coverage when employees require treatment for injuries suffered on the job.
Meanwhile, the walk-in clinic will reduce congestion in the emergency room, while enabling personnel to concentrate their energies on genuine medical emergencies .
Racicot said that LRGH had planned to open the walk-in clinic in the summer, but was delayed by clearing a number of regulatory hurdles. He said that the renovation and reconfiguration of space adjacent to the main lobby is nearly complete and hopes the new service will be available in November.
Meanwhile, ConvenientMD , LLC, of Portsmouth plans to break ground for a similar, free-standing facility in Concord as soon as next week. According to material provided by Max Puyanic, the company's chief executive officer, patients going to emergency room in New Hampshire waited an average of nearly four hours and paid co-pays of between $100 and $250 for treatment in 2009. The clinic anticipates swerving patients within a 30-mile radius, which would include Laconia.
Racicot acknowledged that private providers have been opening walk-in clinics for some time, especially in affluent communities and neighborhoods and that LRGHealthcare was responding to the trend. He suggested that placing its walk-in clinic in the hospital, with ready access to an extensive range of medical services, gave LRGH an advantage over free-standing counterparts.
