MIDDLEBURY — Porter Medical Center has begun construction on a new clinic that will serve people requiring immediate medical services, but who do not require the resources of an emergency department.
It’s going to be called “Porter Express Care,” and it is now being built into a 1,600-square-foot space within Porter’s Collins Building.
Porter officials said the new clinic will provide quick health care options for patients who might otherwise go to the emergency room. Porter spokesman Ron Hallman cited earaches, strep throat, lacerations, urinary tract infections, concussions and sports injuries as among the ailments that will appropriately be dealt with at Porter Express Care.
PMC President Dr. Fred Kniffin said the new clinic will give Addison County residents a new — and less expensive — care option that is quite common among other hospitals.
“At every community forum I have led over the past year, someone would invariably ask me when Porter would be opening up a local urgent care center so that they could receive this necessary service here in Addison County and not have to travel out of our community or obtain care in our emergency department for acute medical problems that are, in fact, not emergencies,” he said through a written statement. “We are very excited about this new project and, more important, our community is clearly both very excited and supportive of our new Express Care project.”
With a tentative June opening, Express Care will be open seven days per week — 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays; and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays. It will be a walk-in service that will use the same medical records as Porter Medical Group in order to allow for sharing of clinical information with the patient’s primary care provider for follow-up care.
Construction of the new facility began this month. It will include five exam rooms and a separate entrance into the Collins Building.
Dr. Amanda Young helped plan the project and will serve as the clinic’s medical director.
(From the Addison Independent)