Though the urgent care movement came to life nearly 40 years ago in the U.S., it wasn’t until the last decade or so that the movement finally gained the attention and respect it so rightfully deserved. Now, it seems urgent care centers are popping up all over the country — even in national parks.
Most recently, Glacier National Park in Montana opened a small, seasonal local urgent care express center right in the park in order to cater to the medical needs of the park’s patrons. The center is only open during the summer months, and is staffed by nearby North Valley Hospital.
The opening of the park’s new local urgent care centers spells relief for so many of the park’s visitors, who typically have to make the trek into town for any kind of medical care or treatment. This can lead to an entire day of vacation spent in a waiting room and driving to and from town.
The new center is equipped with medication to treat common ailments, such as sinus infections, strep throat, and urinary tract infections, however more of the center’s conditions treated at the center are injuries relating to outdoor activities. Fractures, torn ligaments, and dislocated shoulders are among some of the most common injuries treated at the center, though the clinic has also treated a few cardiac cases in the past.
The opening of this mountainside clinic highlights the prominence of urgent care centers across the country, as more continue to open in retail areas, strip malls, rural communities, and metropolitan centers across the country. Early in the urgent care movement, these centers were often looked down upon and considered “Doc-in-a-box” clinics in order to denote their perceived inferiority.
In the present day, however, the necessity of urgent care centers in the U.S. healthcare industry has been proven time and time again, especially after the passing of the Affordable Care Act which saw hordes of newly insured patients eagerly seeking medical care.
