Great Bend Regional Hospital’s Urgent Care will be moving beginning at 8 a.m. on July 31. The Urgent Care clinic will become an extension of Heartland Regional Health Clinic, located on the second floor of GBRH.
Beginning Monday, the hours will change to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week.
According to Kelly Bachar, current ER/Urgent Care/ICU nurse manager, the move comes as a result of recognizing the need for a walk-in clinic where patients can be treated in a more cost efficient manner. “Patients who come to the Urgent Care Walk In Clinic will continue to have their minor illnesses and injuries treated without the high cost of an Emergency Room visit.” The staff who have been working in Urgent Care will move upstairs as well, including the Advanced Practice Providers Ashley Vonada, PA, Hayley Zink, APRN, Maggie Myers, APRN and Diane Haines, APRN. Nursing staff familiar with the needs of patients in the Urgent Care will also transition to the new location.
Patients will access the Urgent Care through the northeast door of the hospital, under the awning. The clinic will be located on the second floor. Patients will register with the Heartland Regional Health Clinic front desk staff and the Urgent Care staff will be available to care for those patients.
If patients require additional services such as lab or X-ray, they will be registered before they leave the clinic to go downstairs for testing to be completed. According to MaryAnn Keener, CNO at GBRH, “Staff will assist with transport of patients to receive any testing needed at the hospital level. These tests could include lab, imaging studies, IV therapy, injections, or cardiorespiratory testing.” Prompt test results will be available to the Urgent Care Clinic providers in the new location as well.
Keener and Bachar, along with Ann Hatesohl, Heartland Regional Health Clinic supervisor, emphasize that if a patient arrives in Urgent Care and it is determined that a higher level of care is needed, staff will immediately assist that patient to the Emergency Department for further evaluation and treatment. In addition, if a patient arrives at the front desk of GBRH, triage personnel will be available to assess if the patient needs seen in the ER or can be given the option to proceed upstairs to the Heartland Regional Health Clinic.
Patients can access the Urgent Care by taking the elevator to the second floor. Once off the elevator, proceed left to the Heartland Regional Health Clinic to be registered.