We’re thrilled to share that HealthPoint will open an Urgent Care Clinic in Kent on January 22. The clinic is co-located with MultiCare at 219 State Ave N – just down the street from HealthPoint Kent. While it’s always exciting to open a clinic, this one is special for a few reasons:
- Better access to care for our patients & community.
- HealthPoint’s new clinic will be the only Urgent Care provider in Kent that accepts everyone and offers a sliding scale discount based on income. This is a big deal for our patients because more than half have a form of Medicaid insurance (not accepted by all Urgent Care Clinics) and 16% are simply uninsured (insurance is required at most other Urgent Care Clinics).This openness to all, regardless of income or insurance, is also important for the nearly 15% of Kent’s population who live at or below the federal poverty level.
- Kent recently lost one of its urgent care clinics which closed in 2018. Without access to urgent care, a patient might feel they have no choice except going to the Emergency Room. This hurts the patient (ER visits cost around six times as much as Urgent Care visits) and can be a drain on Emergency Rooms’ limited space and resources.
- When patients come to our Urgent Care clinic and do not have primary care, we will connect them to a health care home at HealthPoint.
- Our clinics are busy. Sometimes there is a wait for an open appointment. This can be inconvenient and frustrating for patients. Urgent Care helps put the patient at the top by providing an option for high quality, affordable, same-day care – no appointment needed. We expect to provide around 19,000 visits during our first year.
- A new service area for HealthPoint.
Primary care is our organization’s comfort zone: we have nearly 50 years of experience with it. Stepping outside your comfort zone can be daunting, but it’s also the only way to learn and grow. We know that urgent care services support healthier people and communities, and we are excited to tackle the challenges and opportunities that come with this new type of HealthPoint clinic.
Ready to celebrate healthy communities and access to health care for all? Join us on Saturday, January 12 from 11AM-2PM for a Community Open House. There will be tours, free food, kids activities, live music, giveaways, and remarks from Kent Mayor Dana Ralph, MultiCare President & CEO Bill Robertson, and our own HealthPoint CEO Tom Trompeter.
