January 2007
MedExpress Urgent Care Centers 'Fill Void'By Lois Thomson
"We fill a void," said Erich Lipphardt, giving the simplest explanation of the service MedExpress Urgent Care Centers provide. "We
believe we're the part of the health care network that patients and the community need."
The void the Centers fill is the one between the primary care physician and the Emergency Room. That means people can go to MedExpress for such problems as colds or flu, infections, allergic reactions, animal bites, fractures or dislocations, or minor surgical procedures, and feel confident that they will receive excellent care.
The physicians at the Centers are well-qualified to handle these ailments, but emphasize that true emergencies are best handled in the nearest emergency department.
As Lipphardt, Director of Development and Marketing, explained, "One of the most important things is the definition of where we fit. As I see it, there are three types of care: your primary care physician, urgent care, and emergency care. Your regular physician knows your history and tracks your health. Emergency care is an illness or situation that could be a severe threat to the loss of life or limb, like a heart attack or stroke or gunshot wound.
"We can't be a primary care physician and we don’t treat life-threatening emergencies. But we are credentialed as specialists for urgent care."
Each Center houses a lab, an EKG suite, and an X-ray department. In addition to outstanding care, the Centers offer convenience. They don’t take appointments, and are open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. Lipphardt quoted statistics pointing out that in the United States in 2004, there were between 115 million and 120 million Emergency Room visits, but 75 to 80 percent of them were not true emergencies.
But where else could they go? If, as Lipphardt said, you get bronchitis on a Saturday morning and your doctor's office is closed for the weekend, do you want to wait until Wednesday to get an appointment?
Now there is an alternative, and the answer is MedExpress. "There is overcrowding in all aspects of the medical field," Lipphardt said.
"We’re full service urgent care with multiple examination and treatment rooms, full staff, and board certified physicians always on-site." And he added, "We follow up. Every patient who comes in—we call three days later to see how they are doing, and the patient can let us know if they need anything.
"Our number one focus is customer service. We will never take our finger off the pulse of providing exceptional customer service that
exceeds the expectations of our patients." Lipphardt said MedExpress accepts most forms of insurance, and welcomes un-insured
patients for a flat fee.
Headquartered in West Virginia, MedExpress opened its first office in Morgantown, W.Va. in 2001. "It was started by four founding physicians who wanted to provide great care plus efficiency," Lipphardt said. "When they realized that was a success, they said, 'Let's do another.' So they look for key areas where services are most needed."
Subsequent expansions have been to Washington, Pa., Monroeville, Pa., Parkersburg, W. Va., and most recently to Pleasant
Hills, Pa. Another Center is scheduled to open soon in Cranberry Township.
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For more information, contact Sarah Lewis, Communications Coordinator, at: (304) 225-2500 or slewis@greatcarefast.com.
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