New ExpressCare Clinic Opens at NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull
ExpressCare will provide patients with fast access to walk-in, urgent care seven days a week The clinic is the public health system's first location in Brooklyn
Mar 02, 2020
NYC Health + Hospitals today announced the opening of an ExpressCare Clinic at NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull. The clinic will be the public health system’s first location in Brooklyn, building on the system’s vision to transform care for New Yorkers in all five boroughs. Providing faster access to medical care for patients with non-life-threatening conditions, the new clinic will be open seven days a week operating from 6pm to midnight on weekdays, and from 8am to 10pm on weekends. The clinic will offer walk-in services for conditions — such as colds, flu, sprains, skin rashes, minor cuts and lacerations, and certain types of infections. Patients who typically use the emergency department for these conditions will find shorter wait times and faster service at the ExpressCare clinic.
“We are excited to have a high-quality, walk-in, urgent care clinic that allows us to expand upon our ability to offer the North Brooklyn community resources to better manage their healthcare needs,” said Gregory Calliste, CEO, NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull. “The new ExpressCare clinic supports our efforts and firm commitment to delivering care in an effective and efficient manner by providing affordable, accessible, and comprehensive services to patients who wish to see a doctor right away while reducing avoidable emergency room visits.”
Shifting patients with non-life-threatening conditions to the ExpressCare clinic will shorten their wait times. The clinic will also differ from stand-alone urgent care centers by offering a closer connection to primary care providers. The emergency-trained physicians at the ExpressCare clinic will help ensure patients receive the appropriate follow-up care by connecting them with primary care doctors in the NYC Health + Hospitals system.
The ExpressCare Clinic at NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull began treating patients in December 2019. Most commonly, patients are treated for colds, flu-like symptoms, back pains, ear pains, headaches, and sore throats.
Patients visiting the ExpressCare at NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull who are assessed as having serious medical conditions that cannot be treated in an urgent care setting or who may require hospital admission will be fast-tracked to the Emergency Department for further treatment.
NYC Health + Hospitals worked with OneCity Health, the State’s largest Performing Provider System, part of the Medicaid Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program, to create the clinical model for the ExpressCare clinics, which are designed to support the DSRIP goal to reduce avoidable hospital use by 25 percent by 2020.
“New Yorkers deserve access to immediate and quality health care. We often see many patients relying on the emergency room for preventative care or non-life-threatening conditions, which can be costly with long wait times. I applaud NYC Health + Hospitals for opening the new ExpressCare Clinic at NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull to help ensure that patients have access to immediate and quality healthcare. Providing faster access to medical care means more New Yorkers leading healthier lives,” said Assembly Member Joseph R. Lentol (D-North Brooklyn).
“Increasing access to medical resources for hardworking New Yorkers should be the city’s top priority, and I want to commend NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull on the opening of the new ExpressCare clinic to meet the growing needs of the community. Residents who require urgent medical care should not be burdened by long wait times and high costs at emergency rooms,” said Council Member Eugene Mathieu. “The new ExpressCare clinic will support and improve the efforts of New York City to provide affordable and accessible services to those most in need. By continuing to build these partnerships in the medical sector, we will expand our ability to provide quality healthcare to all New Yorkers.”
ExpressCare clinics will accept most insurance plans; walk-ins are welcome and no appointments are necessary. Patients should bring photo identification and an insurance card to the clinic. Patients without insurance will be directed to the health system’s reduced fee-scale payment program or receive assistance with insurance enrollment if eligible.
NYC Health + Hospitals plans to expand the ExpressCare model to other public health system facilities in the coming months. Thus far, ExpressCare locations include NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull, NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem, NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan, NYC Health + Hospitals/ Lincoln, NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, and NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens.
To get more information on ExpressCare or to make an appointment with a primary care physician or other specialists at NYC Health + Hospitals, please call 1-844-NYC-4NYC (1-844-692-4692).
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