As More Hospitals Enter the Urgent Care Market, Will Staffing Shortages Challenge Growth?
April 10, 2015
Urgent care centers expected to grow nearly 6% per year through 2018
April 10, 2015 - Akron Children’s Hospital in Akron, Ohio, recently converted one of its emergency departments into a pediatric urgent care center to meet a growing demand: families are increasingly seeking lower cost options for treating non-emergency illnesses and injuries. In fact, hospitals around the country are opening urgent care centers to better serve patients and increase revenue. But what remains to be seen is whether a shortage of healthcare professionals will inhibit urgent care center growth. Why hospitals are adopting an urgent care strategy
Urgent care centers are growing rapidly in number because they offer lower costs for patients, shorter wait times, fast service and extended hours. According to the Urgent Care Association of America, hospitals are increasingly including urgent care as an integral component of their ambulatory care strategy not only to meet patient demand but also to create new revenue and patients.
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