Cliff Clark | Sentinel & Enterprise January 8, 2015
LEOMINSTER -- HealthAlliance Hospital has opened its second urgent care center in the Twin Cities. And early indications are HealthAlliance has filled a need in the city for the treatment of minor health-care emergencies.
On Monday, when Urgent Care Leominster officially opened its doors at 510 North Main St., beside Marshalls, 28 patients were seen by the staff.
LEOMINSTER -- HealthAlliance Hospital has opened its second urgent care center in the Twin Cities. And early indications are HealthAlliance has filled a need in the city for the treatment of minor health-care emergencies.
On Monday, when Urgent Care Leominster officially opened its doors at 510 North Main St., beside Marshalls, 28 patients were seen by the staff.
"When we passed 10 patients by 1 p.m. we went, 'woo-hoo!' " said site director Michelle Fitzgerald, explaining that when preparing to open the facility she learned that typically on the first day of operation an average of 10 people will seek care.
With six examination rooms, including one dedicated to taking X-rays, and staffed with one nurse practitioner and three medical technicians, Urgent Care Leominster can get the typical patient in and out between one and two hours, said Fitzgerald.
Providing quick and professional health care is the primary focus of the facility, which is apparent as you enter each examination room.
On the door frame, at eye level, is a small digital timer that starts counting down when a patient enters the room.
At 10-minute intervals, a quiet alarm sounds, signaling to the staff to check in with the patient.
"You're not going to be sitting in an examination room for any length of time without someone on our staff checking in," said Fitzgerald.
To enhance the patient experience, having soothing music piped into all of the examination rooms is in the works.
Urgent Care Leominster is not designed to be a traditional hospital emergency room.
Its medical staff treats non-life-threatening illnesses and minor injuries using state-of-the-art medical equipment.
"Any X-rays, broken bones, you need stitches, you need any foreign-body removal, you name pretty much the procedure that doesn't require any CAT scanning, ultrasounding, or MRIs, we can do that," said Bill Carbonneau, the facility's nurse practitioner.
An example of those type of injuries and illnesses are minor burns, joint sprains and strains, coughs, colds, sore throats, ear infections, fever, flu, rashes, skin irritations, mild asthma, animal bites and broken bones.
Included in the 28 patients seen on its first day was a local snowboarder who suffered a fractured wrist, which was diagnosed and treated without a visit to a hospital ER, said Fitzgerald.
"We're going to provide the right care, in the right time and at the right place," said Fitzgerald.
For those without a primary-care physican, the facility will offer some level of care, but it also has the ability to refer patients to physicians who are accepting new patients, said Kelli Rooney, HealthAlliance Hospital's director of marketing and public relations.
The urgent-care facility is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, except on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Of course, no appointment is necessary and most major insurance plans are accepted, including Medicare.
Planning for the approximately 5,500 square foot facility began in June of this year.
While the entire space is not currently being used, there is room for expansion, said Rooney.
HealthAlliance, a member of UMass Memorial Health Care, also operates an urgent care center in Fitchburg on its Burbank campus, which is located on 275 Nichols Road.
For information, visit urgentcareleominster.com or call 978-466-8820.
With six examination rooms, including one dedicated to taking X-rays, and staffed with one nurse practitioner and three medical technicians, Urgent Care Leominster can get the typical patient in and out between one and two hours, said Fitzgerald.
Providing quick and professional health care is the primary focus of the facility, which is apparent as you enter each examination room.
On the door frame, at eye level, is a small digital timer that starts counting down when a patient enters the room.
At 10-minute intervals, a quiet alarm sounds, signaling to the staff to check in with the patient.
"You're not going to be sitting in an examination room for any length of time without someone on our staff checking in," said Fitzgerald.
To enhance the patient experience, having soothing music piped into all of the examination rooms is in the works.
Urgent Care Leominster is not designed to be a traditional hospital emergency room.
Its medical staff treats non-life-threatening illnesses and minor injuries using state-of-the-art medical equipment.
"Any X-rays, broken bones, you need stitches, you need any foreign-body removal, you name pretty much the procedure that doesn't require any CAT scanning, ultrasounding, or MRIs, we can do that," said Bill Carbonneau, the facility's nurse practitioner.
An example of those type of injuries and illnesses are minor burns, joint sprains and strains, coughs, colds, sore throats, ear infections, fever, flu, rashes, skin irritations, mild asthma, animal bites and broken bones.
Included in the 28 patients seen on its first day was a local snowboarder who suffered a fractured wrist, which was diagnosed and treated without a visit to a hospital ER, said Fitzgerald.
"We're going to provide the right care, in the right time and at the right place," said Fitzgerald.
For those without a primary-care physican, the facility will offer some level of care, but it also has the ability to refer patients to physicians who are accepting new patients, said Kelli Rooney, HealthAlliance Hospital's director of marketing and public relations.
The urgent-care facility is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, except on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Of course, no appointment is necessary and most major insurance plans are accepted, including Medicare.
Planning for the approximately 5,500 square foot facility began in June of this year.
While the entire space is not currently being used, there is room for expansion, said Rooney.
HealthAlliance, a member of UMass Memorial Health Care, also operates an urgent care center in Fitchburg on its Burbank campus, which is located on 275 Nichols Road.
For information, visit urgentcareleominster.com or call 978-466-8820.
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