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they're able to sidestep the wait and hassle of the ER in favor of fast and effi-
cient care delivered by bone and joint specialists. For orthopedic practices, out-
patient trauma care is proving to be a great way to capture surgical patients.
Convenience is key
Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Specialists (OSMS) of Green Bay (Wis.),
attached a 6-room acute injury clinic to the practice's surgery center 2 years
ago to offer members of the community an alternative to long waits in the ER.
Patients rarely have to wait more than 30 minutes to be seen at the OSMS
acute injury clinic, says Administrator Sandy Fragale, CPA.
The clinic and surgery center share some equipment and the radiology staff.
Nurses and surgical techs sometimes walk down the hall to work in both loca-
tions. Up to 5 surgeons work in the clinic, which is open Monday through Friday
from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Not surprisingly, Monday mornings and Friday afternoons
are the busiest times as patients want to be seen before or after the weekend.
Ms. Fragale says her surgeons are considering staying open beyond normal busi-
ness hours.
OA Centers for Orthopaedics in Portland, Maine, opened its OrthoAccess
walk-in clinic last February, partly because the group was aware patients will
often seek out care where they can be seen the soonest, says Alison Lee, DO, a
primary care sports medicine physician.
"There are a ton of orthopedic issues that are non-emergent that don't need to
be treated in the ER," says Dr. Lee. "And even if patients do go to the ER, they
often end up being referred to us. Now they see us directly."
OrthoAccess is open 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 2
p.m. Saturday. Ex-tending the clinic's hours into weekday evenings offers
patients convenient after-work access to care, says Dr. Lee.
The wait is often shorter than it would be at the local ER, although there's
sometimes a logjam of patients on Monday afternoons, typically the clinic's
busiest day of the week. The clinic treats 15 to 20 patients per day.
