When you walk into the new Hartford HealthCare-GoHealth Urgent Care center in Meriden, the first things you will notice are the warm tones and the modern feel. A reception/nurses station is front and center; a tea and water station is to the left situated below a large monitor that displays the current wait time; and to the right is a row of seats, large windows and the provider station. That’s right, the doctors are out in the same area as the patients!
A kiosk is directly in front of the door for easy check-in. The system also allows patients to check-in and save their spot online. Once a time has been selected, you will receive text reminders of your upcoming saved spot. If you hit traffic or realize you are running late, you can simply reply to one of the texts and adjust your time. As a mom of two small children, I view this as a major plus. Even better, if you walk in and see the wait is over 30 minutes, you can put your name in and then go grab a coffee or run a quick errand while you wait. When you walk in staff greets you right away and directs you to the kiosk before beginning the paperless information collection. The whole check-in process averages 3-4 minutes. There are four exam rooms and one procedure room. The procedure room is equipped with transparent smart glass, a hospital grade stretcher and a procedure light. When you are taken back to one of the exam rooms, you will notice they are larger than typical exam rooms. Hartford HealthCare-GoHealth wanted to allow enough space for times when a family needs to be in the room altogether. They realize that it doesn’t do anyone any good to have half of the family in the exam room and half the family in the waiting room with each group worrying about the other. Pictured below is one of the exam rooms with a hydraulic exam table allowing it to be raised and lowered as needed. This is beneficial to small children, the elderly and people who might otherwise have difficulty getting on or off of the table. On the wall, each exam room has a large monitor that projects what the provider has on his/her work station. Being able to see what the provider is inputting into the system allows for patient verification, as well as more patient involvement throughout the process. Everything is thoroughly explained and all questions are answered. Hartford HealthCare-GoHealth strives to ensure that patients fully understand their treatment, medications and follow-up procedures.
In addition to the rooms for traditional urgent Hartford HealthCare-GoHealth Urgent Care center also has 3 rooms for occupational health. On the occupational health side, Hartford HealthCare-GoHealth is able to provide specific care for on-the-job injuries, employment physicals and workers compensation related treatment.
Hartford HealthCare-GoHealth Urgent Care pride themselves on being patient and community centric. They have spacious, ecoconcious bathrooms with touchless lights, toilets, faucets and hand dryers; tea stations in the waiting rooms; and, as necessary, each center adapts to the needs of the community. By partnering with area health care providers and labs, Hartford HealthCare-GoHealth is able to get results and have x-rays read fast and efficiently. Their partnership with Hartford Healthcare allows for the GoHealth team to connect patients with a specialized provider for follow-up as quickly as possible. Hartford HealthCare-GoHealth wants patients to leave with the treatment they require and has made it a priority to help the patients who do not have a primary care physician (PCP) find one. Although Hartford HealthCare-GoHealth Urgent Care centers are happy to help people without a PCP, they feel it is to each patient’s benefit to have that close connection that a primary doctor can provide.
Each GoHealth Urgent Care center is set up exactly the same. This way a provider filling in from a different center can easily jump in and know where to find all the supplies and equipment they need to examine and treat their patients. At Hartford HealthCare-GoHealth Urgent Care, they see patients 6 months and older. One of the benefits for children is the mobile x-ray machine. A child will feel more comfortable getting a needed x-ray in the room they have already been receiving care in rather than in a dark room at the end of a long hallway. The machine is wheeled into the room, the lights are turned off and an x-ray is taken right there. Now that school is back in session, sports will be in full swing and on the field/court injuries may occur. With Hartford HealthCare-GoHealth Urgent Care centers being open until 8pm during the week and from 9am to 5pm on weekends, they can offer an alternative to going to the ER. Once the x-ray is read and it is discovered that there is a break, the injury is soft splinted, digital x-rays are provided and an orthopedic appointment is scheduled. Other benefits for children include the ability to complete rapid strep tests, large bathrooms with baby changing stations and the typically short wait times.
Hartford HealthCare-GoHealth has made it a priority to save time. The average check-in time is 3-4 minutes. The average wait time is 6 minutes and the average door to door time is 31 minutes. They know that patients are less likely to seek treatment if they know they will be stuck in waiting rooms for hours and that your time is important. Through the online system and their efficient set-up, Hartford HealthCare-GoHealth is giving you your time back!
For more information or to save your spot at the Meriden Hartford HealthCare-GoHealth Urgent Care center visit their website or find them on Facebook.
