Partners Urgent Care announces opening of first urgent care center in Brookline, Massachusetts

Partners Urgent Care (http://partnersurgentcare.org) today announced the opening of its first urgent care center in the town of Brookline, Massachusetts at 1285 Beacon Street. Partners Urgent Care is a collaboration between Partners HealthCare, an integrated health care system founded by Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital, and MedSpring Urgent Care. Additional locations in the communities of Newton and Watertown are under construction and scheduled to open in late 2015. As many as twelve Partners Urgent Care centers are planned in total.

"Partners Urgent Care will provide a new resource to the people of Eastern Massachusetts who seek convenient and affordable care close to home or work seven days a week," said Gregg S. Meyer, MD, MSc, Chief Clinical Officer at Partners HealthCare. "These centers will offer our community an affordable, quality health care alternative to an emergency room."

"Our priority is to offer exceptional care and convenient access to patients just as we have in MedSpring Urgent Care centers operated in Texas and Illinois," said Jon L. Belsher, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at MedSpring. "Our patients rate us 4.9 out of 5 stars for the quality of care they receive from us and we look forward to providing the same friendly service in our Partners Urgent Care centers in the Boston area."

Partners Urgent Care Brookline will provide convenient and affordable medical care to adults and children older than 12 months of age. The center will have physicians on-site from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day including weekends and holidays. They are able to treat a wide range of illnesses and injuries from coughs and colds to cuts and broken bones. The new center is equipped with digital x-ray and on-site lab capabilities in addition to occupational health services. Unique amenities such as complimentary Wi-Fi and snacks and beverages, children's activities and in-room televisions are also offered.

Walk-ins are welcome and same-day appointments are available. Patients covered by most commercial and public insurance plans can be seen at any Partners Urgent Care location. The center is open to everyone it is not necessary to be an existing patient of Partners HealthCare.

Partners Urgent Care in Brookline is staffed by physicians and operates under the clinical and quality oversight of Partners HealthCare, Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital and MedSpring, assuring the highest quality of care. Patients who require follow-up care can be assisted with access to the Partners HealthCare system, or referred back to their primary care physician, another health practice or community health center, if requested.

For non-life threatening conditions, urgent care centers offer a cost-effective and time-saving alternative to the emergency department. Most visits last less than an hour and co-pays are consistent with that of a routine office visit. For conditions threatening a patient's life, limb or vision, an emergency department is the most appropriate setting for care.