How Urgent Care Can Complement Medical Group Services

Wellmont Health System, with seven hospitals and two medical groups serving a 23-county service area in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, has its work cut out in caring for one of the least-healthy populations in the United States.

Not only is the region in the nation's lowest 25th percentile in the incidence of chronic lung disease, obesity, stroke, diabetes, and hypertension, but the population also suffers from high rates of opioid dependence and neonatal abstinence syndrome.

As part of its effort to improve the health of its patients through access to care, Wellmont set a goal to place an urgent care center within 30 minutes of every patient across its region.

To date, the system has opened 12 urgent care centers, with 70% of them adjacent to a Wellmont Medical Associates (WMA) primary care office