Department of Emergency Medicine and UT Physicians to Open First Urgent Care Center
UT Physicians will open its first urgent care center for the community this summer, UT Physicians Urgent Care Center – Bayshore.
Utilizing the multispecialty clinic at 11476 Space Center Blvd. in the Clear Lake area, the new after-hours service will maximize the value of the existing multispecialty clinic while serving the public’s need for high-quality urgent care.
“We are thrilled that this will be our first UT Physicians urgent care, and we plan to have easily accessible urgent care centers with top-notch medical care to optimally serve our patients across Houston,” said Bentley J. Bobrow, MD, FACEP, chair of emergency medicine.
The Department of Emergency Medicine, in collaboration with UT Physicians administration, chose the Bayshore multispecialty location for the inaugural launch for the site’s existing personnel and infrastructure. It will be modified to include lab testing, X-ray imaging, and other diagnostic necessities.
“We believe it’s an ideal place for our first urgent care center,” said Bobrow, the John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Distinguished Chair and the Nancy, Clive and Pierce Runnels Distinguished Professor in Emergency Medicine. “We will establish best practices from this model that we will apply at our future UT Physicians urgent care locations.”
According to Bobrow, urgent care centers are essential in the health care system. There is an increasing demand because these centers are open after clinic business hours, charge less than hospital emergency departments, and can serve patients faster and more efficiently.
“Urgent care services are appropriate when medical issues arise outside of routine clinic hours, but the medical issue is not so acute that it requires a full-blown emergency department,” the emergency medicine doctor said.
Urgent care professionals can treat most minor injuries, such as lacerations, wounds, upper respiratory infections, and orthopedic injuries. They can also provide medical services, such as medication refills and work-related physicals. UT Physicians staff will know when to refer people to the emergency department.
“Our certified emergency practitioners are extremely seasoned and compassionate and know when a patient may require a higher level of care,” Bobrow said.
Another major reason for offering this new service is to ensure continuity of care for UTHealth Houston patients.
“A huge benefit to having our own urgent care centers is that our patients won’t have to go outside UTHealth Houston to get after-hours care,” Bobrow said. “Their information and medical records are already housed in our system and immediately available. The urgent care staff will have their medical history, and the details of the patient’s visit will be automatically integrated into their medical record.”
High-quality urgent care gives patients a convenient option and helps lighten the burden on overcrowded clinics and emergency departments.
“Urgent care centers allow clinics and hospitals to better focus on their specific mission, and the experience and outcomes improve for everybody. It just creates a more efficient and quality health care system for everyone,” Bobrow said.
UT Physicians Urgent Care Center – Bayshore will be open 5-9 p.m. Monday-Friday, 1-9 p.m. Saturday , and 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday. The hours may be adjusted in the future to accommodate patient volume and needs.