There has never been a better time for urgent-care facilities.

With a global pandemic ravaging cities and small towns alike, there’s a greater need than ever for the services urgent-care centers can provide. Due to their availability, versatility, and affordability compared to hospitals and emergency rooms, urgent-care centers are a trusted bedrock for many Americans to deal with their primary care and emergency needs. To put it bluntly, they are ground zero for any aspiring medical professionals looking to make a difference.

With the demand for urgent-care only growing as convenient healthcare becomes more and more important, you not only see how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the healthcare system but you may also find that as a medical professional in training, urgent-care centers are excellent places to do the kinds of life-changing work you joined the profession for. Let’s talk about some of the reasons why urgent-care options are becoming popular with patients and why you may want to start your medical career at an urgent-care center.

Convenience and Affordability for Patients

With how broken the health insurance system in the U.S. currently is, many Americans are scared that if they run afoul of a dire medical condition and need emergency care, they won’t be able to pay for it. The primary benefit of urgent-care centers is that with or without insurance, they tend to be significantly cheaper than the ER. Urgent-care centers tend to accept most kinds of insurance, which is a relief for patients who can’t afford more expensive insurance options; even if patients are uninsured, however, urgent-care centers are usually able to see them for as low as $150. Compare that with any hospital or emergency room bill in the last 10 or 20 years, and you might begin to understand why urgent-care centers are becoming more popular with patients.

As a result, urgent-care centers draw in a lot of patients with a variety of issues, ranging from treatment of colds like the flu to diagnosing and treating less apparent diseases. Luckily, urgent-care centers have risen to the challenge, and most of them are equipped to deal with a diverse group of non-emergency primary care needs. While immediately life-threatening emergencies are still mostly sent to the local ER, as that is the best place to treat such things, urgent-care centers are great places for most people to get the preventative treatment they need.

Meanwhile, the demand for more urgent-care options has led to these facilities spreading out across the country, making it highly likely that there are urgent-care options available close by for most communities; naturally, this has only cemented urgent-care as one of the most popular, convenient healthcare options.

Treat a Variety of Urgent Maladies

With the variety of people coming in also comes a variety of issues that urgent-cares are equipped to treat. Here are a few examples of the issues you might handle as an urgent-care practitioner:

• Flu or any such similar common colds
• Diagnostic services, like testing for diabetes or heart issues.
• Dizziness, dehydration, diarrhea, and other such symptoms.
• Cuts, broken bones, and infections.
• COVID-19 testing (most locations)
• Sprains, back issues, and the like.

It’s important to remember that most urgent-cares treat issues that are alarming, but not necessarily ones that endanger patient lives. Many patients use urgent-care facilities to seek diagnoses in response to a variety of symptoms that may be plaguing them. That being said, there are urgent-care facilities that do treat emergency issues, and with the variety of job boards with open urgent-care positions available, it’s more than possible to find a facility where you can treat more severe cases.

Urgent-care Options: The Immediate Future of Medicine

Until the healthcare industry works out the problems gatekeeping Americans from affordable healthcare treatment, urgent-care facilities are and will continue to be the most trusted, affordable, and convenient way for Americans to get treated. If you’re looking to make an immediate difference in your community, if you’re looking to be of aid to people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to get treatment, perhaps a position in an urgent care facility would be perfect for you.