NEW YORK, NY – New York City is opening ExpressCare clinics throughout the five boroughs. Health +
Hospitals/Elmhurst – one of three new urgent care centers in operation will provide faster access to medical care for patients who face non-life-threatening conditions. Its expected that these health facilities, open 7 days a week, will ease overcrowding in public hospital emergency rooms.
“Every New Yorker has the right to receive great medical treatment, without waiting hours to be seen by a doctor,” said Mayor de Blasio. “The opening of our ExpressCare clinics will help residents get faster treatment for less serious symptoms while connecting them with follow-up care in the long term.”
The NYC Health + Hospitals ExpressCare clinics are among the latest changes in the NYC public health system. These clinics represent a new business model for public health, with expanded walk-in services for non-emergency situations. Shifting patients with non-life-threatening conditions into ExpressCare clinics will shorten wait times and add health services to the Big Apple.
“Our communities are better served when our public hospital system can quickly and effectively address non-urgent health care needs in our ExpressCare clinics,” said Dr. Herminia Palacio, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services. “Health + Hospital’s new urgent care model demonstrates the City’s ongoing commitment to transform and improve our public healthcare system.”
NYC Health + Hospitals is investing between $1.5 and $2 million to set up each of the three new ExpressCare clinics inside the hospital buildings and within a short distance from the emergency rooms. In addition to the ExpressCare clinic at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, the City has NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, which opened in August, and NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi, slated to open in March 2019.
