WLKM Radio 95.9 FM
Sturgis Hospital announces it will have a FastCare retail health clinic insider of the Sturgis Meijer, 408 W. South St.. The clinic is scheduled to open on Sept. 1.
FastCare clinics offer convenient and economical health care for minor conditions and symptoms. Among those seen and treated are sore throats, fevers, flu and colds, ear and sinus infections, pink eye, skin rashes and allergies.
“Cost, quality and accessibility are extremely important to us at Sturgis Hospital,” said Rob LaBarge, President and CEO. “Meijer shares these same commitments. We are pleased to further a partnership that has allowed our health system to better serve the people of Michiana.”
“Meijer is committed to expanding convenient access to health care providers,” Meijer Health and Wellness Director Jacquelyn DeBruler said. “This clinic will give us an opportunity to meet our customers where they already are.”
FastCare accepts most insurances and office visit co-pays apply. For those with a high deductible plans or no insurance, a FastCare visit is $75 including lab. The clinics are staffed by Sturgis Hospital nurse practitioners and physician assistants; however, you don’t have to be one of their patients to be seen. The clinic is open to anyone. A report following each visit can be sent to a patient’s primary care physician and referrals will be
made to a physician when symptoms exceed the clinic’s scope of services.
FastCare takes walk-in patients only, but waits are expected to be non-existent or minimal. Should there be a wait, silent pagers are available for use in the store that will alert you when the provider is ready.
The clinics will also have convenient hours: Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Saturdays 10:00 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sundays 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. and holidays 8:00 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Sturgis Hospital, built in 1925, is an 84-bed licensed, acute care facility with nearly 40 active medical staff members who serve Sturgis and the surrounding communities offering Medical/Surgical care on an inpatient and outpatient basis.
The Hospital has a three room Surgical Suite; a four-bed Coronary/Intensive Care Unit; and a 12-bed Obstetrical Department with modern Labor/Delivery/Recovery/Postpartum rooms. Emergency services are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with full-time medical staff coverage and the latest diagnostic technology, which includes Angiography, 64-slice CT Scanning, Digital Mammography, Mobile MRI, Spect Imaging and Ultrasound.
Meijer is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer that operates 228 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. As a pioneer of the “one-stop shopping” concept, Meijer stores have evolved through the years to include expanded fresh produce and meat departments, as well as pharmacies, comprehensive apparel departments, garden centers and electronics offerings. Additional information on Meijer can be found at www.meijer.com. Follow Meijer on Twitter @twitter.com/Meijer or become a fan at www.facebook.com/meijer.
The FastCare model of retail health clinics was established by Bellin Health in 2006. Bellin Health is a not-for-profit, integrated health care delivery system that has been servicing Northeast Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula since 1908. Known for its emphasis on population health, Bellin Health is the region’s leader in cardiac, orthopedic, digestive health, mental health and primary care services.
To ensure quality health services, Bellin developed the FastCare model based on best practices for retail health clinics established by the healthcare industry. These include having a well-defined and limited scope of clinical services, treatment plans that
are evidence-based, having a system for referring patients to physicians when symptoms exceed the clinic’s scope of services, and integration of electronic medical records. Treatments may include minor conditions and symptoms, sore throats, fevers, flu and colds, ear and sinus infections, pink eye, skin rashes, allergies and other conditions. FastCare partners with health systems and retailers across the country to create affordable and convenient patient access to healthcare.
More information about FastCare is available at www.FastCare.com. For more information on Bellin Health see www.bellin.org.
