CHILLICOTHE — For the past month, Adena Health System's urgent care facilities have been experiencing high numbers of visiting patients each day. And at times, the volume of patients has been comparable if not higher than the emergency department.
The primary reason: COVID-19 testing, according to Jessica Matheny, Adena's director of urgent care services. The health system's Western Avenue urgent care location has been just one of many experiencing high patient volumes. And with the introduction of coronavirus testing at the centers and the quick, convenient access they provide, patients may even opt for these facilities over their primary care physicians.
During a normal summer season, there are typically 120-140 patients a day across all urgent care sites. For peak seasons like the flu, the volume is around 200 a day. At Adena Urgent Care - Western Avenue, staff are used to seeing around 60 patients a day during this time of year. Yet during the pandemic, the number has grown to around 80 to 95.
On one day, in particular, about 100 people came in. Just shy of the single-day record of 116 patients.
"We're seeing that it's essentially equivalent to a really bad flu season. We're not used to seeing this kind of volume in August," Matheny said. "There are fears that when it really is flu season, we may be even busier. But we have a plan in place for a surge."
In the future, if this plan is needed, it would include utilizing primary care physicians to potentially take on more patients as well as refocusing on the original COVID-19 testing clinic at the Adena Regional Medical Center.
But for frontline providers like Ricketta Shoemaker, LPN — who's worked at Adena Health System for 40 years and at the Western Avenue location since it opened — the present days are busy.
Prior to the virus, most patients Shoemaker was seeing came in for acute illnesses, injuries or to receive vaccinations. Now, most patients are receiving pre-operation and regular COVID-19 testing. Shoemaker estimates that anywhere from 20 to 30 patients are tested at the Western Avenue location a day.
To manage the flow, Shoemaker said that there are always three to four nursing staff and two providers. One staff member works with all of the pre-op test patients as the others divide working with regular patients. Those getting tested for COVID-19 are kept separate from the other patients. Staff also wear different masks and more Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when working with testing patients.
"It's to protect the patient and to protect us," Shoemaker said.
When working curbside, Shoemaker administers nasal swabs to patients. She begins by explaining the process and what she is going to do. After, she informs the patient that they may feel some pain and discomfort because the most accurate swabs need to be full.
To get tested in most cases, an individual needs a physician's order. Curbside testing is only available to symptomatic and preoperative patients. And only patients who have been evaluated and fall under the Ohio Department of Health's testing criteria receive free tests.
Otherwise, Adena sends the results to a private lab where the patient is subject to insurance fees. Generally, most people should expect to pay around $300, according to Matheny.
With the expansion of COVID-19 testing into urgent care facilities, Adena is working to funnel patients to those centers. If testing were offered at a primary care physician, Matheny believes it would lead to an increase in the need for PPE. The current model ensures the gear is utilized efficiently.
In the meantime, many primary care doctors are opting for televisits with patients to address their health concerns. They're also working to develop strategies to increase their available hours.
Yet the convenient hours and quick services of urgent care are more enticing to some community members.
Now, Adena offers an option for patients to request an appointment or reserve their spot at any urgent care facility. It also allows them to see different wait times and choose which location they prefer.
Matheny estimates that around 30% of patients schedule appointments at urgent care but the number continues to grow as more information is put out. And while some use urgent care like a primary care office, Matheny doesn't believe a major shift in care will happen any time soon.
"It's a total benefit, a nice tool and convenient for most people," she said.
For more information on getting tested for the coronavirus at Adena, call the COVID-19 screening hotline at 740-542-SAFE (7233). To find an urgent care location or to request an appointment online, visit https://ift.tt/2GA54dm.
Have a story tip or comment? Contact Toria at tbarnhart@gannett.com or 740-349-1106. Follow her on Twitter @ToriaBarnhart.
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