Q: The Badia Hand to Shoulder Center plans to soon open OrthoNow, a walk-in urgent care center for orthopedic injuries. What can you tell me about the center?
Dr. Alejandro Badia: OrthoNow will be the first walk-in urgent care center for orthopedic injuries in south Florida. The closest other similar facility is in Orlando. Urgent care centers for orthopedic injuries are an emerging trend around the country, but there are still relatively few centers open. I met a surgeon in New Jersey who had opened a similar facility with success, even to the point where hospitals and non-orthopedic urgent care centers in the area were referring patients to his center. That is something we hope can happen here as well.
Q: Why would a hospital want to send patients away from their ER to an orthopedic urgent care center?
AB: If a hospital’s ER is at capacity, sending patients to an orthopedic center can free up space for other patients with more serious injuries or who will perhaps will be admitted to the hospital. There is no need for a person with a sprained ankle to wait six hours to be seen. If a patient has a more serious injury, the hospital is responsible for finding an orthopedic specialist to come in, oftentimes paying them to do so, and hospitals may want to avoid the effort of calling around for a physician to come in and take the case.
Q: Will you market your services directly to patients or depend upon referrals from hospitals and other urgent care facilities?
AB: We definitely plan to get out there and let patient know that we will see walk-ins and treat injuries. Because the urgent care facility is in the same building as our surgery center, patients can get comprehensive orthopedic treatment in one place and then be on their way. Patients with minor injuries may be used to waiting 2-3 days to get in to see a physician, but we want to let them know we have physicians who can treat them right away. We’re planning some traditional television ads during cable broadcasts to get the word out as well as using social media, such as Facebook, to reach potential patients.
Learn more about the Badia Hand to Shoulder Center.
