ELKO — A+ Urgent Care is celebrating its first year of business serving local communities and out-of-town visitors with their minor but urgent medical issues.
When asked what the response to the clinic’s opening has been from the community over the past year, owner Lori Ayala said, “We hear on a daily basis that A+ is one of the best things to have happened to Elko.”
A read of the many 5-star reviews posted from local customers on the A+ Urgent Care Facebook fanpage will confirm this sentiment.
Since opening for business in May of 2014, A+ Urgent Care has helped more than 11,600 customers and doubled its front office and clinical staff. A+ currently employs two medical doctors, a physician’s assistant, and three nurse practitioners with two medical assistants per provider. The clinic also has a full-time occupational healthcare director to serve local businesses and their employees.
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“Our clinic filled the healthcare gap that existed in our community in addressing non-emergency health concerns with affordable, same-day care,” Ayala said.
The clinic is open seven days a week and offers a choice for uninsured customers and those who can’t see their primary care provider right away. It also presents an option for people who otherwise would have to make an unnecessary and costly trip to the emergency room.
A+ Urgent Care’s clean, comfortable lobby features a beverage bar for customers, television, an activity area for kids, and interesting reads from the “take-a-book, leave-a-book” bookshelves. The clinic’s on-site lab and X-ray services allow for greater efficiency in treating A+ customers and patients of referring physicians.
As with any new business, Ayala and her medical staff have experienced challenges along the way.
“Being a walk-in, same-day service provider, we’ve had to manage people’s expectations when it comes to speed of treatment,” she said. “Seeing customers on a first-come, first-served basis means there may be a wait, but we do our best to avoid turning anyone away.”
A few months after opening, A+ Urgent Care announced their “We Care” medical discount program for repeat customers, and the center’s occupational medicine division started performing on-site employee services for local businesses. A+ has recently reached out to assist seniors in the community with free blood-pressure checks that are held the second Thursday of each month at the Elko Senior Citizen’s Center.
Further improvements are planned for A+ Urgent Care.
“We would like to add more providers and possibly offer primary care services,” Ayala said. “We’ll soon have a specialty group from Salt Lake City, Utah, providing orthopedic services at our clinic.”
In celebration of a successful first year of business, A+ Urgent Care will be hosting a one-year anniversary barbecue today. This event is free and open to the public and will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the A+ Urgent Care clinic located at 976 Mountain City Highway.
Hamburgers, hot dogs, and ice cream will be served. Attendees will enjoy games, prizes, and giveaways, along with live music performed by Dave Lockie and A+ Physician Assistant Troy Eden. Children will get a chance to meet the official A+ Urgent Care mascot, Nurse Boo Boo Bug. For information, call 777-7587, or follow A+ Urgent Care on Facebook at Elko Urgent Care.
