New Urgent Care Location Opens in Golden Valley
A group of emergency physicians is launching its urgent care-plus model in the west metro area, building on its successful track record in the east metro, even after navigating some challenges during the pandemic.
The Urgency Room has opened its fourth location in Golden Valley, but the start has been modest, with fewer than 100 patients treated in the first week. A visit on Monday showed a blank whiteboard with zero patients noted. However, clinic leaders are optimistic that, much like their other sites in Eagan, Vadnais Heights, and Woodbury—each staffed with emergency room doctors—the Golden Valley location will eventually flourish.
While this advanced approach might seem excessive for common urgent care issues like strep throat or a lingering cough, it proves beneficial for patients with more complicated conditions. According to Dr. Craig Matticks, the Urgency Room’s medical director, this model can be a time and cost saver for those who usually end up in overcrowded hospitals.
“In emergency medicine, we excel at diagnosing what’s wrong and determining the necessary care,” he explained. “We’re just translating that expertise into an outpatient environment for patients who don’t need immediate, critical care.”
Despite being a smaller, doctor-owned practice amid larger health systems like Allina Health, HealthPartners, and M Health Fairview, the Urgency Room has thrived. Each location in the east metro serves over 30,000 patients annually, as noted by Matticks.
All four locations are owned and operated by Emergency Physicians P.A. (EPPA), which initially focused on the east metro to avoid competition with hospital ERs where their physicians work on contract. Hospitals include Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, Southdale Hospital in Edina, and North Memorial in Robbinsdale. However, Matticks mentioned they’ve been planning to expand into the west metro for several years.
Physician-owned treatment centers have drawn some criticism from community hospitals for often situating themselves in affluent suburbs and sometimes limiting their services to low-income or uninsured patients. The Urgency Room accepts patients covered by Minnesota’s Medical Assistance and also types of uninsured patients, although these individuals must provide a $350 deposit prior to receiving care.
The EPPA’s urgent care concept is somewhat unique, but it aligns with the broader consumer trends that have led to a surge in urgent care clinics and standalone emergency rooms across the country. In Wisconsin, for instance, several “micro-hospitals” that include ER services and limited inpatient care have recently been established.
