Urgent care

Several family transitions in life are difficult. Some are difficult for the children in a family. Some transitions are more difficult for the adults. Moving children into college for the first time may be one of the most difficult of all of the transitions. Once a student moves to college they often get less sleep than they need, they do not eat the same healthy foods, and they are exposed to the illnesses of other students living in close quarters together.
While large university campuses may have full fledged health service options on campus, other smaller colleges have little more than a health office that is open a few hours a week during weekdays. If, however, a college student gets sick late at night or on the weekend, they often need to look for other treatment options. In these situations, walk in health clinics may be the very best option. A walk in clinic is affordable, convenient, and professionally staffed.
College Students and Many Others Are Looking for Affordable Care
One of the major advantages to walk in health care clinics is that they often list their prices for the most common services on their website. For example, if you need to get a flu shot and do not think that it will be covered by your insurance, a walk in clinic can be very affordable. Without the extra overhead of a hospital emergency room, urgent care cost is more predictable.
And while fast care clinics offer affordable care to those without insurance, they also accept major insurance plans as well. College students, and other people on limited budgets often appreciate the affordable price of these locations. Whether you are looking for a school sports physical or a flu shot, your most affordable option may indeed be a walk in clinic.
Without an Appointment, Clinics Provide Fast Care Options
In addition to being affordable, walk in clinics also provide care without calling ahead. While family physicians and pediatricians may work well for planned appointments, it is often difficult to get an appointment at the last minute. A fever that develops over night, for example, does not allow the patient to call one or two weeks ahead of time to get one of the few spots in busy doctor’s offices. Instead, walk in clinics pride themselves on serving patients as they come in.
And while hospital emergency rooms are often crowded and require a triage approach to dealing with patients, walk in clinics are able to quickly treat patients as soon as they come through the door. In fact, most health clinics see an average of 342 patients every week. Consider the other statistics about walk in health clinic visits:

  • 69% of urgent care centers have wait times that are shorter than 20 minutes.
  • 28% of urgent care centers have wait times that are between 21 and 40 minutes.
  • 3% of urgent care centers have wait times that are more than 40 minutes.

Health Care Clinics Are Staffed with Doctors and Nurses
Even though they are convenient and affordable, these walk in clinics are also staffed with trained professionals who can administer a full menu of services. For instance, more than 95% of all centers have physicians on staff. Additionally, 70% of these clinics can provide intravenous fluids when they are needed. Many are also able to provide x-rays and other scanning services.
The longevity of many of the health care clinics in the U.S. speaks to their reliability. For example, 61% of urgent care centers have been in operation for more than five years. Another 40% have been open for nine years or more.
Some walk in clinics in larger metropolitan areas specialize in the care that they give. Womens health clinics, pediatric clinics, and sports care clinics are just three examples of the kinds of specialized clinics that are available in some parts of the country. On Friday nights during high school football season, for example, specialized sports clinics are available for quick treatments and x-rays until late into the evenings. These specialized clinics serve a specific group of clients with the immediate services that they need.
Walk in clinics are affordable, reliable, and convenient. For many, the walk in clinic is a way to get a fast answer to a health condition that develops at the most unexpected time.