Currently, there are approximately 20,000 physicians practicing urgent care medicine, and that number is only expected to increase — especially in the West. According to Yourwestvalley.com, Peoria, AZ will be the location of a new multi-specialty medical center opening under Cigna Medical Group. A MedPost Urgent Care center soon-to-be-constructed in Avondale, AZ, as reported by azcentral.com, signifies that the healthcare industry is continuing to move towards the walk-in emergency care style.
The facility designed by the developer Irgens and Cigna will cover 60,000 square feet, have two floors, and a drive-in patients can be dropped off at. The President and General Manager of Cigna in Arizona, Edward Kim, spoke at the initial groundbreaking of the site on Tuesday:
“We could not be more excited. This will be a state-of-the-art facility (that) really symbolizes our mission: to improve the health, well-being and sense of security of the patients and customers we serve,” Kim said.
In addition to the urgent care center the facility will offer lab imaging services, gastroenterology, audiology, neurology, ophthalmology, podiatry, and urology specialties. In addition, there will be a pharmacy, vision, and eye care centers. The project is being praised as the future of healthcare by Jason Meszaros, Irgens’ vice president and market manager.
“It’s what we’re seeing in health care, the efficiency from older buildings to new ones is dramatic,” Meszaros said. “(Now) every doctor has a waiting room and reception. You won’t have those redundant services; everything will be under one roof.”
The Phoenix Children’s Southwest Valley Center being opened by MedPost in Avondale is not quite as extensive, but it does have long term plans to transition into a full service hospital.
If Arizona is any sort of bellwether for the healthcare industry, not only is business booming, but it is also improving and becoming more efficient.