The University of Pennsylvania Health System last week closed its urgent care center in South Philadelphia, citing increased use of telemedicine by patients who might otherwise go to an urgent care center for their ailment.
Penn said it will continue to occupy the urgent care’s space at Constitution Health Plaza, at the intersection of South Broad Street and Passyunk Avenue, but did not specify what services it will offer there. The building is the site of St. Agnes Hospital, which closed in 2004.Lancaster General, which Penn acquired in 2015,Consumers in South Philadelphia have other options for urgent care. American Family Care has a center at 1444 W. Passyunk Ave., a short walk from the former Penn location.
American Family is a franchise operation based in Birmingham, Ala. Vybe and Carbon, which is headquartered in San Francisco, are growing with the help of private equity backing. Other major Philadelphia health systems have not made big pushed into urgent care. Jefferson Health has five of them, including some that it inherited through acquisitions. Temple Health has three centers in Northeast Philadelphia and Port Richmond.