Mary Rutan Hospital’s Urgent Care facility marked its third year serving the community in February, and the seven-day-a-week health care availability has proven a convenient asset for local families and individuals, who might find themselves facing an urgent, but non-lifethreatening illness or injury that can be quickly treated by skilled medical personnel at the clinic.
“We’ve received a great community response,” Urgent Care Director Kristen Yoder said of the full-service facility located at 1134 N. Main St., Bellefontaine, by U.S. Highways 68 N and 33, equipped with a pharmacy, laboratory and X-ray on site.
“People previously were traveling outside of the county to receive this type of care, and that’s not ideal when you have a child or another family member who is ill.
“So many folks work five days a week, too, and it can be difficult to make it to a doctor’s office during regular business hours. It’s nice for them to be able to stop in during the evenings or weekends, and we can get them feeling better again.”
Open every day from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. for walk-in service with no appointment needed, the urgent care provides patients of all ages an affordable alternative to the emergency room, explained Yoder. She has served as the urgent care director since the facility opened in 2018 at Mary Rutan Hospital’s Health Center, which also houses state-of-the-art orthopedics, sports medicine, corporate health and therapy services.
Ailments treated at the urgent care include: cold and cough, sore throat, bronchitis, respiratory infections, eye infections, ear pain, flu-like symptoms, upset stomach, fevers, vomiting and diarrhea, sinus infection, skin rashes, minor back pain, migraine headache, allergies, asthma, urinary burning and insect bites.
Also, patients can receive treatment for injuries on site as well, including those that require stitches, minor lacerations, minor cuts, first- and second-degree burns, small bone fractures, sprains and strains.
Individuals also are able to receive referrals for further treatment, if needed, including to sports medicine and other Mary Rutan Hospital providers, Yoder said.
In addition to the convenience and affordability factor of having these services close to home, the urgent care also has been able to lighten the load of Mary Rutan Hospital’s Emergency Department, located at the hospital’s main campus, 205 E. Palmer Road, so that it can handle more serious cases.
“It has been so helpful in getting some of the pressure off of the emergency department since we’re handling the less emergent cases,” said the former emergency room nurse with 16 years of experience in that field.
Yoder related that having the laboratory and pharmacy on site also are huge benefits for patients.
“People can pick up their medication before they even leave here, so they don’t have one more stop to make on their way home when they’re not feeling well or if their child is sick.
“With the rapid testing available, they leave here with their results.”
For the Urgent Care director and her staff, one of their goals is to be as efficient as possible with their patients’ time and if possible, to have them treated in one hour or less.
“The flow through the urgent care is seamless; we all work as a team,” she said. “We try to have patients taken care of in that hour or less, but sometimes during busy hours or flu season, it can take a little longer.”
With the COVID-19 pandemic faced by the medical professionals and the community during the last year, Yoder said at first, the urgent care saw a dip in patients being treated, but more recently, they are back to normal levels again.
“Everyone has gotten used to wearing masks, and we’re keeping everything as safe as possible,” she said. “We’ve reduced the number of patients in our waiting room as well.”
COVID-19 testing is available at the urgent care, including both the rapid test and the PCR test that provides results in about 24 hours, which are often used for surgical patients and also for people who are planning to travel.
In addition to treating the above related ailments and injuries, the center also provides sports and minor work permit physicals for a $25 fee.
Most all types of insurance are accepted.
A Logan County native and current resident, Yoder said it has been a rewarding experience serving in her hometown community in this capacity.
“I receive texts and messages from people who receive good care with personal touches at the urgent care and they want to tell me about it,” she said. “Having that feedback is a really nice part of my job.
“Our staff takes great pride in maintaining that reputation.”