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Thursday, January 5, 2017

By Eric Brooks


AACUM has produced statistical data that shows a 14 percent growth in the number of urgent care centers in the United States. This growth has been steady since 2008 and is likely to continue into the foreseeable future. Currently, there are over 9300 centers in the whole of the United States and the number continues to grow steadily at the rate of 300 centers every year. Over 300 centers are being established annually since 2011. Mobile Alabama urgent care centers experience one of the most rapid growth rates.

The current economy is in line with urgent care centers. About 83 percent of all facilities in the country experienced some kind of growth. In addition to that, 88 percent of all centers expanded their operations so that they set up a new facility in a new location. To set up a successful facility, there are several factors that one must consider. Some of those factors are discussed in the paragraphs that follow.

The first step in establishing a facility of this kind is to choose the specialty one wants. Most practitioners in these facilities are usually trained in emergency, family, or internal medicine in most cases. However, it is important to consider offering some kind of specialized care too. One should determine the kind of health care services the facility will provide to patients. After making this choice, the next step should involve equipping the facility with the right equipment and staff to deliver the services.

The next decision to make after settling for a given specialty is to choose a location. The choice of location should be in that the number of competing firms is low. The population should be high too. Residents should be employed with a reliable source of income. People with income can satisfactorily pay for medical services they receive.

When making a choice of a location, its demographics must be analyzed in addition to the market. Population characteristics and other pieces of information relating to the population can be obtained from local census agencies. If the demographics prove to be suitable, next one should find a building with suitable space to set up the business inside.

When selecting space, it is important to ensure that it is only enough for the operations it is intended for. Choosing space that is too big for the facility will obviously result in cost overruns, lost profits, and underutilized space. Common recommendation is to plan for 1500 square feet for every physician in the center. This would allow each physician to have three exam rooms.

In addition to the area set apart for physicians, a sizeable area also needs to be set apart for laboratories, radiology rooms, and the reception. The space should be designed so as to minimize the movement of physicians and the staff while maximizing the flow of patients. Effort should also be made to minimize clutter.

The design should prioritize patient convenience, peace of mind, and comfort. The environment should be less clinical, welcoming, and warm. Facilities that maximize patient experience such as coffee stations, accessible electrical outlets, free Wi-Fi, fish tanks, and flat-screens. Incorporating signage and large windows to the facility will help to attract more people to the facility. One may also need to consider advertising the business to create awareness.




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