Virginia Mason Franciscan Health Launches State’s First Hybrid Urgent and Urgent Care Center

Innovative model will streamline patient experience and ease pressure on hospitals

SEATTLE and TACOMA, Wash., August 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH) announced that it will build the state’s first hybrid urgent care/urgent care center in Bremerton, Wash. This will be the first of multiple hybrid facilities VMFH plans to open in the Puget Sound area over the next four years using Intuitive HealthThe innovative care model of offers urgent and urgent care in one place.

The unique nature of the hybrid ER/urgent care model takes the guesswork out of patients who don’t know where to go for care. A patient can simply come to the facility and a board-certified emergency physician will examine and triage them to the appropriate level of care based on their needs. Patients will only be charged for the level of services they actually receive, which helps manage their costs.

“The health sector is experiencing unprecedented challenges including rising costs of care, staffing shortages and capacity issues in our emergency departments which have all been exacerbated by the pandemic,” said Ketul J. Patel, CEO, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health. “To meet these ongoing challenges, health systems have a responsibility to develop new ways to improve the health of all members of the community, including innovative solutions for the delivery of care. We are proud to launch the state’s first hybrid urgent care and urgent care facility.

It is estimated that more than 30% emergency room visits in United States are for non-emergency conditions. These unnecessary emergency room visits divert resources from patients with life-threatening conditions, increase wait times and increase healthcare costs for everyone. The new hybrid ER/urgent care facilities will move non-emergency cases away from hospital emergency rooms and provide additional capacity and access to high-quality emergency care throughout the community.

“Our innovative model of care simplifies the patient experience – patients no longer need to choose between the emergency department and the local urgent care center,” said Thom Hermann, CEO of Intuitive Health. “Virginia Mason Franciscan Health’s new combined urgent care and urgent care facilities will expand the healthcare system’s outpatient footprint across Puget Sound and ultimately allow them to care for more patients, closer to home. .”

The Bremerton The hybrid ER/urgent care center will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, equipped with on-site laboratory equipment and an X-ray room with X-ray and multi-slice CT scanners. Bremerton was chosen as the first location, following the transition of St. Michael Medical Center from Bremerton at Silverdale. Work on the new facility is underway and is expected to be completed in the spring of 2023.

“We are proud that the new hybrid emergency room and urgent care facility will ensure that we deliver on our promise to the community to maintain urgent care services locally in Bremerton. This facility is complemented by the VMFH Family Practice Clinic next door, which offers comprehensive preventive medical care services and St. Michael’s Medical Center in Silverdalewhich is the regional pole of quality health care for Kitsap Peninsula. The hospital provides comprehensive acute care, including a Level III trauma center, specialist care and primary care to kitsap residents close to home,” said Chad Meltonpresident of St. Michael Medical Center.

VMFH, in conjunction with Intuitive Health leaders, is working to identify locations for other hybrid ER/urgent care centers that will best meet the needs of the Puget Sound area.

About Virginia Mason Franciscan Health

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health is a world-class healthcare system serving the Pacific Northwest, providing access to some of the nation’s most prestigious experts and hospitals, recognized internationally for their superior quality. Our vast system draws on the strength of more than 300 care sites, including 11 leading hospitals, 18,000 team members, and 5,400 employed physicians, advanced practice providers (APPs), and community providers to improve health of our communities. Together, we provide patient-centric care that is easily accessible, instantly responsive and digitally connected.

By bringing together the brightest minds in health through the Benaroya Research Institute, a world leader in autoimmune disease and immune system research, we bring the most advanced therapies and technologies to our patients. We are also proud to be home to the Bailey-Boushay House, the premier skilled nursing and outpatient chronic care management program in United States specially designed to meet the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS. We are committed to addressing health care disparities by caring for the most vulnerable people in our communities, including the poor and underserved, providing more $300 million in community benefits – free, subsidized and reduced-cost health care and programs. Learn more about www.vmfh.org.

About Intuitive Health

Founded in 2008, Intuitive Health pioneered the combined emergency room and urgent care model. Intuitive Health partners with established health systems nationwide to build, operate and launch retail health care facilities that provide emergency care and emergency room services under one roof. Intuitive Health works in partnership with major health systems across the country, including in the states of Florida, Indiana, Ohio, Delaware, Arkansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arizona, Texas and Washington. Intuitive’s patient-centric approach to immediate care has saved payers and patients hundreds of millions of dollars in unnecessary emergency care expenses. The Intuitive Health model increases the market share of partnered healthcare systems by expanding their footprint with conveniently located centers. For more information, visit IHERUC.com.

SOURCE Virginia Mason Franciscan Health