Central Jersey Urgent Care

By Paul Goldfinger, MD, FACC  (Editor @Blogfinger)

You may have noticed urgent care centers in strip malls around the state. These facilities, which specialize in treating non-life- threatening ailments such as minor accidents, flu, rashes etc., are increasing in numbers around the country and will play a significant roll in the new healthcare system. They already are an important cog in healthcare in countries like England, Israel, New Zealand and Canada.

The idea first developed in the 1970’s in the U.S.. We had one in Morris County (Budd Lake) which was run by ER doctors and ER RNs. At first they didn’t do so well because their roll in the delivery of healthcare was unclear, and some insurance companies wouldn’t reimburse their care. But the prospects for urgent care facilities have brightened in recent years, with over 10,000 across the country, and 64 in New Jersey.   There is now a specialty of Urgent Care Medicine, and many new centers open each year.

With an impending shortage of family doctors and increased numbers of insured patients, the urgent care centers are looking good as a practical  offering on the medical buffet table. Did you ever get sick, such as with a pain in the abdomen, and wonder where you should go to be evaluated?  Most of us would rather walk on fire than go to an ER where you are guaranteed a long and even dangerous wait.

You could call your family doctor, if you have one, but you might be told that you can be seen next week. And you can’t find a doctor who will see you on weekends, evenings or holidays.  Well, a good solution is to go to an urgent care center where you can be seen that day, by just walking in, and you can be evaluated by a board certified physician. Clearly, this is looking more and more attractive each day.

The economics are changing in a way that makes it feasible for good doctors to choose urgent care medicine for a career. The cost of care in such a facility is much less than that in an ER, and without the risks, time lost, discomfort and psychologic side effects.

Yesterday I visited the Central Jersey Urgent Care which is in the new strip mall  (732 Rt 35, Unit G) on the Asbury Circle  (right before you get onto Rt. 66)   There I met with Markintosh Berthelemy, MD, Chirag Patel, MD and Larry Desrochers, MD. These doctors are all American university trained,  board certified ER physicians who are highly qualified for the kind of work  they do at the Urgent Care Center. Their facility is modern, gleaming and spacious. It includes a lab and X-Ray. They opened one year ago. Phone 732 455 8444.

Dr. Barthelemy explained that there is rarely a wait at their facility. They are open 365 days per year, and you can find details at their web site ( CJUC link).   He said that they are “an alternative to the ER.” They see adults and children. But he pointed out that significant acute conditions such as heart attacks should go to an ER, and if such a patient comes into their center, they will stabilize the situation and call 911.

Dr. Patel, who also works part time in a hospital ER, agreed that the future of urgicenters seems bright, but that there is considerable uncertainty regarding how it will work out under Obamacare and if mega-corporations such as Barnabas Health might try to undercut them.

For the patients that they do see, they can save a lot of time by setting bones, suturing wounds and running some labs. There are about six urgent care centers around here, but they are not all the same. For example some use nurse practitioners or primary care doctors instead of board certified ER docs, of which there are 4 at CJUC.

This urgi center does not also function as a primary care facility, so they don’t follow patients with chronic issues, but they will fill in if your regular doctor cannot see you, even if the problem is not so acute, such as you are about to run out of blood pressure medication and need a prescription. The Center calls all their patients back two days later, and once a patient leaves, he can call the Center if things aren’t going well or if there are questions. These doctors communicate routinely with primary docs, and they can be a huge help to patients by arranging referrals, if needed,  to the best specialists in the community.

I enjoyed meeting these doctors and their staff. They are personable, knowledgable and caring. Don’t hesitate to go there if you are having a problem, and it is about 10 minutes away. If you research urgi-centers in the area, make sure that you will be seen by board certified doctors.  Nurses and PA’s are not the same. Similarly, don’t confuse the advantages of urgent care centers with the “doc-in-a box” services provided by a growing number of pharmacies.