Walk-in urgent care clinic ready to open in Tumwater

Tumwater Family Practice Clinic will open a new walk-in urgent care clinic Monday (Feb. 2) to help relieve the busy emergency room.

The walk-in clinic will be open 3-8 p.m. Monday through Friday at 150 Dennis St. SW. Up to 30 people a day are expected to use the clinic, which is housed in a 800-square-foot suite with three exam rooms.

The main clinic has always accepted patients by appointment only. The new walk-in clinic provides same-day treatment for minor illnesses such as flu and strep throat, for example, or to treat a sprain. The clinic also provides sports physicals.

Patients with life-threatening conditions such as a heart attack will be referred to a local emergency room.

“There is a huge need for urgent care,” said Tammy Morris, one of two physician assistants on site. “It keeps the ER less clogged.”

Clinic manager Jennifer Tyler said patients can pay through health insurance or with cash. She noted that urgent care is a less costly and more convenient option than the emergency room.

“We expect it to be busy,” she said. “We know there’s a need in Tumwater.”

The walk-in clinic is the second of its kind to specifically serve Tumwater area, with the other one located at Littlerock Family Medicine about 1.5 miles away at 6981 Littlerock Road SW. Another nearby urgent care facility is available at Westcare Clinic, 3000 Limited Lane NW, Olympia.

The national average cost for an urgent care visit is $155, according to the Urgent Care Association of America. The average cost for an emergency room visit is about $1,354, according to the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.

This story was originally published January 30, 2015 at 11:21 AM with the headline "Walk-in urgent care clinic ready to open in Tumwater."