CHAPTER 43
Additional Services in Urgent Care
Natasha N. Deonarain
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THE TRADITIONAL SCOPE OF urgent care ranges from ambulatory medical services typified by those provided in a family practitioner’s office to those provided in a hospital emergency department. Since entering the health-care market, urgent care clinics have evolved into much-needed access points for cost-effective health care. In addition to treating problems such as coughs, colds, and urinary tract infections, many urgent care centers now offer additional services such as medical aesthetics, occupational medicine, and substance abuse treatment to generate additional revenue. As cost shifting continued, patients became more consumer-oriented when paying out of pocket, and practices became increasingly cash-based. There are still significant opportunities for urgent care owners to add ancillary services or products to their core business strategy, effectively capitalizing on these trends.
This chapter focuses on the key issues to consider when deciding to add services or products to your urgent care facility, including aligning vision and values, changing outlook, performing research and planning, creating a strong management team, and solidifying financial structure. This chapter offers a few creative suggestions for additional services and products.
Urgent care clinic owners often look first at the financial bottom line when making decisions, but the potential financial upside may distract rather than enhance the core business strategy. Although generating positive cash flow is desirable and necessary, the most important determinant of success will be the degree to which an additional service or product can become integral to the organization. Careful strategizing before implementation protects your financial bottom line and is the best route to reach long-term success.
Successful urgent care centers, just like any other business, require careful planning; unfortunately, many owners fail to plan. According to Jack Welch, former chairman and chief executive officer of General Electric, “Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.”1 Here are a few questions to consider:
Do you know what you want to see as the future for your urgent care center?
How does your choice of services or products align with that vision?
Do you strongly believe in your choices, and why?