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Two cities in rural Ohio are sketching out plans with QUICKmed Urgent Care to open multiple center locations that would offer free visits to residents and employees of the businesses located in town, according to a local news outlet. The cities of Girard and Struthers, Ohio, would own the buildings and equipment, while QUICKmed would be responsible for clinical staffing and care delivery. Estimates from city officials put the cost at $1.5 million annually—which would be funded by grants for 5 years. And it’s not a longshot. The free-visit model is essentially an extension of the school-based clinic models QUICKmed has already built in Ohio. It’s the only for-profit entity—and only urgent care—to receive school-based health-center funding. Ohio’s departments of health and education awarded QUICKmed a $1.8 million grant to operate on-site clinics for students and employees of Youngstown City Schools.
Handing off overhead: “The initiative by Ohio municipalities to fund ‘free’ QUICKmed urgent care visits isn’t a novel concept but a strategic expansion of their proven school-based health-center model,” says Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc, President of Urgent Care Consultants and Senior Editor ofJUCM. “By leveraging public grants for capital expenses and shifting facility overhead to civic partners, operators can transform subsidized healthcare into a municipal economic driver. They are effectively replacing traditional retail anchors with healthcare infrastructure to attract local employers and residents.”