Urgent care clinic expanding it's hours

Posted: 9:12 AM, Jan 05, 2016
Updated: 2016-01-05 09:12:17-05

Help for a minor emergency whenever you need it.

"We can take care of things like pneumonia, bronchitis, sprains and strains, fractures, laceration repair, you know, your child gets a small cut or something like that," explained Dr. Terry Matthews, the owner and medical director of the Frandor Lansing Urgent Care.

The clinic's waiting room is constantly full.

"During the day we're busy all day, every day. There really isn't a lot of down time," Dr. Matthews explained. "After hours, yeah, we always get calls and emails, letters, asking would you please consider opening later."

So, to make sure help is always available, the doors are now open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - saving you a trip to the emergency room in the middle of the night.

"When families go to the ER, not only are they spending hundreds or thousands more for the same level of care that they could get at an urgent care, they're also spending 3, 4, 5 hours there, when our after hours door-to-door times are expected to be about 30 minutes," Dr. Matthews added.

And, less money spent at the ER is a benefit for everyone.

"For an Urgent Care, that co-pay is usually $30-50. You go to the ER, that same co-pay can be a $100, $200, $300, so a lot more out of pocket when you go that route," he explained.

But, make sure you're not substituting an urgent care clinic for your family doctor.

"They're not necessarily there to coordinate your care among other physicians," said Linda Vail of the Ingham County Health Department. "They're not there to refill your prescriptions for any chronic conditions that you have."

She said a medical home is key.

"A good medical home is there to help you manage your good health, as well as take care of your illnesses as they come along," Vail added.

But, when you can't get into your medical home, urgent care is there.

Another convenience? Lansing Urgent Care also carries many commonly prescribed medications, so you can avoid a second stop at the pharmacy.

Lansing Urgent Care has four other clinics around town, and plans to open another in the next few months.

There aren't plans to extend those hours to 24/7, but Dr. Matthews said it's a possibility.