Urgent care center opens fifth location in Brooklyn

Bushwick is the latest neighborhood to be served by an urgent care center. The new location opened in the underserved area on Sept. 21.

ModernMD Urgent Care has four other locations throughout the borough, providing quick and convenient care to neighborhoods that lack doctors. The new location on Knickerbocker Avenue is the result of directors noting the success of another ModernMD Urgent Care center in Williamsburg.

“As it is ModernMD’s mission to equalize access to high quality, affordable medical care, all of our centers are purposely located in federally designated primary care physician shortage areas.” said Melissa Cohen, vice president of marketing for ModernMD Urgent Care. “We choose to place our centers in areas that lack convenient and affordable care, where people are often forced to rely heavily on the emergency room for non-life threatening treatment, to offer the community a better option.”

Happy staff: Medical staff and representatives stand outside the new location before the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Photo by Caleb Caldwell

The location has five patient rooms, a waiting room, and will be served by a doctor that also specializes in pediatrics and emergencies. Several other medical personnel that can conduct immediate care, blood testing, blood pressure, and x-rays will be on site also. The medical costs are cheaper than emergency room visits. An urgent care visit for an allergic reaction can cost just under $100, whereas a hospital visit can foot a bill of $345. Patients seeking care for non-emergency illnesses, should opt for these centers rather than hospital emergency rooms for affordability and faster care, says Cohen.

The emergency room is usually not the best option for patients who are looking for general day to day care. When a person visits the emergency room for non-emergencies, they will likely wait a long time to be seen by a doctor, will definitely pay more for the services they received and may not even be covered by their insurance, as their care could have been provided in a more cost conscious setting such as an urgent care center.

Open seven days a week, Cohen says the center’s hours of availability benefits and accommodates locals in ways that a usual doctors office visit cannot.

Waiting room: The interior of the urgent care center has a spacious waiting area, equipped with a children’s play station.

Photo by Caleb Caldwell

“ModernMD offers medical care in the evening, on weekends and holidays, when primary care doctors are generally not practicing,” said Cohen. “We’re Brooklynites, we’re New Yorkers, and we understand that our patients lead busy lives. That’s why we’re open late seven days a week, to make medical care available when people need it most.”

Insured and noninsured patients can make walk-ins without appointments, and also choose the center for non-illness services, such as pre-employment physicals and tests, and testing for sexually transmitted diseases or infections. With brisker temperatures approaching, Cohen says the center is looking forward to treating many people.

“During sick season, we generally see around 60 patients a day in each of our centers. We can accommodate at least 75 patients daily, while keeping wait times short,” said Cohen.