SPONSORED: UPMC Urgent Care Clarion Open Daily for All Ages

Ron Wilshire

Ron Wilshire

Published August 29, 2018 4:32 am
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CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — The Clarion UPMC Urgent Care Center at 18 Sportsman Drive in Clarion opened in February and is continuing to offer medical services seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. for all ages.

(Pictured above: Dr. Erin Bowser)

“UPMC Urgent Care provides an outstanding patient experience for their episodic health needs, while facilitating emergent and sub-acute follow up as clinically appropriate,” said Dr. Bret Rosenblum, Chief of UPMC Urgent Care Services. “We accept most insurances and treat patients of all ages.”
  
“The self-pay rate is $115.00 and that includes anything that happens in the clinic. For example, we have x-rays for sprained ankles, wrists, or fingers. We do not have advanced imaging like ultrasound, cat scans, and things like that.”

Rosenblum said if someone needs stitches, an x-ray, or a little splint because of a minor fracture, “It’s a good deal if people don’t have insurance.”

Clarion joined 11 other UPMC Urgent Care Centers; the closest UPMC clinic is in Franklin.

Appointments are not required, and patients of all ages are welcome.
 
“One of the things that we increasingly look at is putting urgent care centers in areas that aren’t flourishing with Primary Care Physicians (PCPs),” said Russell A. Meyers, UPMC Executive Administrator Emergency Medicine.

“Focusing on the continuum of care, the PCP is usually the best place to seek treatment for low acuity illnesses; however, as you move into rural areas further from the city, there is a shortage of PCPs. In those communities, Urgent Care is the next best alternative. We believe providing urgent care services in these communities makes it easier for the patient to seek care.” continued Meyers.

UPMC Urgent Care

According to the UPMC website, urgent care centers typically treat illnesses such as colds and flu, coughs and sore throats, earaches, bronchitis, pneumonia, sinus infections, bronchitis, pneumonia, sinus infections, asthma, if it is not severe, allergies, minor broken bones, sprains and strains, and infections, such as pink eye and urinary tract infections.

“We are not the emergency room, so if somebody is having chest pains, abdominal pains, or something that they feel is a threat to life or limb or potentially serious, they should probably just go to the emergency room, and we are fortunate to have such outstanding partners at NorthWest,” said Rosenblum. “People come to us because they don’t want to wait in the ER having a chest pain or stroke, but that is not what we’re set up for.”

The Clarion Urgent Care Center serves a gap between not-quite emergencies, or if their PCP can’t see a patient, or it is after hours.

The Clarion Urgent Care Center is staffed by Dr. Erin Bowser, originally from New Bethlehem, and two nurse practitioners, Jennifer Cain and Patrick Burke. Bowser was hired as UPMC’s northern regional director, rotating regularly between Clarion, Franklin, and Hermitage sites.

Dr. Erin Bowser

Dr. Erin Bowser

“Erin Bowser saw that last article in exploreClarion and she was working in southwestern Virginia, hoping to get home to the area someday,” said Rosenblum. “After reading the article, she reached out to us.”

The Clarion site also hosts a pilot project where practitioners can tele-consult with another physician if there is a need.

“We have one of the rooms set up with a camera, and if there’s a tricky case or question about a rash, they can shoot the on-call doctor a text and through a secure Skype-like platform, we can do a tele-consult.”

‘We also have a partnership there with the orthopedic practice which is nice. If we see you on Friday with a fracture, we can check you into the same office on Monday for a follow-up.”

For more information, call 814-226-6062, or visit their website at
www.upmc.com/urgent-care.

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