Some healthcare companies are dedicated to providing urgent care for a range of injuries. But more practices and health systems are capitalizing on in-house orthopedic-specific walk-in services.
This year Durham, N.C.-based EmergeOrtho; The Orthopedic Clinic in Daytona, Fla., and Chillicothe, Ohio-based Adena Orthopedic and Spine Institute opened locations dedicated to walk-in services. Common services across these locations include imaging, casting and bracing.
Hospitals and health systems such as Cleveland-based University Hospitals, Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham have also opened locations with dedicated orthopedic urgent care.
A changing economic landscape has made orthopedic urgent care more desirable, Michael Boblitz, CEO of Tallahassee (Fla.) Orthopedic Clinic, told Becker's.
"The evolution of the High Deductible Plan has changed the traditional patient into a consumer seeking affordable care. At the same time the payers have implemented expansive policy changes in response to employer frustrations to direct patients into lower cost settings of care."
The practice has two orthopedic urgent care clinics — both dubbed TOC Now — in Florida, according to its website. Mr. Boblitz said the clinics have lower patient copays and offer the majority of orthopedic services that an emergency room would.
"It goes without saying the cost of TOC Now is a fraction of the cost compared to a hospital emergency room visit," Mr. Boblitz said. "Looking beyond reducing cost of care, the patient experience of visiting our private TOC Now compared to an ER is night and day difference.
TOC also has plans to open additional urgent care clinics in Florida and Georgia.