from FastMed in May, expanding the for-profit care network’s urgent care business to nearly 270 clinics.“[Health companies] have to do this. And, if they’re not doing this, then they’re behind and they’re gonna get woefully behind. They’ll probably get acquired by somebody else,” said Daniel Karnuta, director of the Professional Program in Healthcare Management at UT Dallas’ Naveen Jindal School of Management.
But, for large health systems, such clinics aren’t just about the number of patients urgent care providers can see. Partnering with an existing health system is a new endeavor for NextCare, which operates more than 170 clinics across 12 states. Urgent cares provide convenient care for problems that need immediate attention, but they don’t always have options for follow-up care, said NextCare CEO Derek Newell.
Not much else will change for NextCare’s Texas sites and their patients, as NextCare will continue to staff and manage the facilities. The 41 sites employ 371 people and receive about 500,000 patient visits per year. Branding of the sites will shift in coming months to mark the Baylor and NextCare partnership.