Urgent centers are gaining in popularity for a number of reasons, experts say.
For one thing, they offer a place other than a hospital emergency room for patients to be treated when they can’t get in to see their own doctor, either because they can’t get an immediate appointment or because it is after hours.
A shortage of more than 20,000 primary care physicians is expected by 2020, according to the federal Health Resources & Services Administration. That could make it tougher for patients to get in to see a doctor.
The kind of no-appointment-necessary availability that walk-in clinics offer, appeals to many millennials, who “aren’t necessarily looking for a long-term relationship with a health care provider,” said Jenny Englerth, CEO of First Family Health in York.
But a lack of a long-term relationship with a provider is seen as a problem by many.