Make-Believe Care Can Foster Real—and Lasting—Patient Relationships

Urgent care centers are busy places. Clinical staff, in particular, have their work cut out for them when it comes to providing fast, quality care on a moment’s notice. Sometimes, though, making extra time for people who don’t need care can have long-lasting benefits—for that individual, their family, and the urgent care center. eMedical Urgent Care in Berkeley Heights, NJ, for one, seems to have embraced that notion. When the town threw a spring block party recently, eMedical “opened” a pop-up location: a mini-clinic where children under 8 years of age could receive a free plush teddy bear, along with an exam for the bear. Staff were on hand to answer questions about the facility, which was open from 8 to 8 that day as usual, and about urgent care in general. Even neighbors who didn’t attend got the message, though, as local media covered the event, including basic information like location, hours, the range of services offered, physical address, homepage address, and contact information. Parents always notice when people are nice to their kids. If those people are representatives from an urgent care center, it’s likely to be a lasting impression that could bear fruit in the form of loyal customers.