In 2010 Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health opened its first Urgent Care location to increase access to care for patients who may not be able to see their primary-care physician or have a pressing need for care but do not need to visit the Emergency Department. Since then, LG Health has continued to expand Urgent Care locations and services to meet the growing need of the community.
LG Health celebrated the opening of a seventh Urgent Care location in Elizabethtown, in November. The Urgent Care was part of a renovation to the Norlanco outpatient facility.
“This is the only facility in Elizabethtown where patients can see a family physician or specialist, have access to care after hours through Urgent Care and immediate access to advanced imaging, physical therapy and lab testing,” said Jan Bergen, president & CEO. “To have a single location that offers these comprehensive, high-quality services increase convenience and improves the health of the Elizabethtown community.”
The LG Health Urgent Care at Norlanco is open 14 hours a day, seven days a week and offers expanded services and treatments not available in a typical urgent care facility, including the ability to administer IV fluid for dehydration, conduct concussion screenings and monitor patients for several hours, as well as increased asthma treatment capabilities and pain diagnostics.
“Urgent care services and treatments at this location provide a convenient option for patients who do not require emergency care, and is ideal when medical attention is needed for sprains, cuts, burns, infections or flu symptoms,” said Stacey Harris, director of Operations. “Extended hours are available to provide care when your family doctor isn’t available, especially nights and weekends, when minor illnesses and injuries often occur.”
In alignment with LG Health’s goals, opening an Urgent Care in Elizabethtown increases patient access to medical care for non-emergent needs, improving the overall experience, all while decreasing patient visits to the Emergency Department, which saw more than 118,000 patients in fiscal year 2019.