NMC Commentary
12.04.2018

Can I Choose a Good Time to Visit Urgent Care?

Yes, it easy to go on our website and choose your time.  Here’s how. You can choose times when our Northwestern Urgent Care offices in both St. Albans and Georgia tend to have more capacity informally by following general trends and formally by using a convenient tool on our website. While emergent medical needs should be addressed immediately at our Emergency Department, patients seeking the timely attention from one our urgent care practices have more flexibility.

Both offices of Northwestern Urgent Care are now open Monday through Friday, 8am to 8pm; Saturday, 8am to 5pm; and Sunday, 9am to 3pm.  Did you know that 5pm to 7pm on weekdays tends to be one of the quieter times at Northwestern Urgent Care?  Those are prime ‘coming home from work’ hours for many people and can be good for the ‘need to follow up after school’ for youth.  Our Georgia location on Route 7 just south of Exit 18 of Interstate 89 provides great convenience for commuters coming back from working in Chittenden County. If you need to be seen as you are driving home from work and are approaching Exit 18, it may be a good time to stop in. Or, if you are already in the St. Albans area, Northwestern Urgent Care’s office in the new Medical Office Building at the front of NMC’s campus on Fairfield Street (convenient from Exit 19 of I-89, with plenty of parking), is an easy option as well.

Would you like to check the estimated time to be seen at both offices? That is easy to do. Visit our website at NorthwesternUrgentCare.Org and you will see those estimated times right at the top of the page. This is one of the most popular features of our website!  We are finding that patients are looking at the times and deciding which office to go to, as the drive time between the two is not an issue for many people.  For example, patterns are currently showing that the Georgia office seems to be quieter on Sunday mornings, so some people in St. Albans are opting for a short drive to be seen more quickly.  You can even use the tool on our website to ‘reserve a spot in line’.  Expecting to arrive at urgent care at 1pm?  Go online and put yourself in as arriving at 1pm and our staff will add you to the queue so when you arrive, you will already have a slot to be seen.  That way, you are ‘waiting’ on your way to be seen!

Accessing the right care at the right time in the right location is key to wise use of the healthcare system. NMC provides urgent care in our community as a complement to your relationship with your Primary Care provider, who are your first and strongest partners in your healthcare journey.  If you need assistance finding a Primary Care provider, call NMC’s Community Relations office at 524-1280. It is our pleasure to care for you and your family. We are here when you need us!

— Jill Berry Bowen, RN, NMC’s Chief Executive Officer