Doctors Express Englewood Weighs in on Why Hospitals Are Spending Millions on Urgent Care Centers

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - March 3, 2015 - PRLog -- According to an Albany Business Review article published on 02/09/2015, the continued boom experienced by the urgent care industry is now being driven by an end goal of reducing annual healthcare spending by a whopping $4.4 billion. Based on a recent report by the United Hospital Fund detailing a range of issues in the urgent care industry, this shift away from traditional hospital emergency rooms may be a good thing for urgent care centers.

"I think it can only positively impact the business of urgent care. Our overhead costs and facility operational costs are significantly lower than those of an emergency room, hence the cost savings is passed on to the consumer. Urgent care medicine is a win-win for the patient and the business of medicine as the cost savings is significant for both," explained Alison Hare, Practice Administrator at Doctors Express Englewood.

The Affordable Care Act only increased the popularity of urgent care centers as both patients and hospital officials sought savings under its passing.

"One of the largest goals for the ACA was to provide all Americans with affordable access to healthcare by eliminating some of the burdens of obtaining health insurance. With this, it allowed newly insured people access to healthcare; however, our current system cannot realistically bear the burden of these newly insured patients, so urgent care centers have become a popular choice among newly insured because most don't require appointments and patients are able to walk in at any time and receive medical attention," said Hare.

Emergency rooms remain one of the nation's most expensive means of delivering medical treatment. Based on one estimate found in the report, 13 to 27% of all emergency room patients could have received the appropriate medical attention at an urgent care or retail clinic, which amounts to a potential annual cost savings of $4.4 billion for the health care system, the report showed.

The growing shift away from hospital emergency rooms will allow urgent care centers to do what they do best: provide patients with affordable, convenient, and quality care while taking pressure off of overcrowded and short-staffed emergency departments.

"It can only benefit us. Honestly, we are in the business of helping people and providing quality healthcare in a timely and affordable manner. We look forward to the growth of the urgent care industry and are happy that we can be a healthcare resource for our Englewood, CO neighborhood," Hare said.

About Doctors Express Englewood

Doctors Express Englewood in an urgent care clinic that offers a wide variety of health and medical care. The clinic can help treat ear infections, flu symptoms, broken bones and more. Along with a convenient location, Doctors Express Englewood also offers after hour care. To learn more, visit www.doctorsexpressenglewood.com.