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Explosive Retail Health ClinicGrowth ExpectedMore Patients Seeking Affordable After-HoursCare, According to NCPA ScholarThe number of walk-inclinics is expected tonearly triple in thenext four years inresponse to increasedpatient demand, accordingto a new report from theNational Center for PolicyAnalysis (NCPA).“These retail health careclinics offer evening andweekend care solutionsat a fraction of the cost ofemergency rooms and oftencharge less than a physicianoffice visit,” said NCPASenior Fellow Devon Herrick.He points that emergencyroom care is amongthe most expensive type ofpatient care, and said “of the119 million annual visits tohospital ERs, 55% are fornon-emergencies.”Herrick said that thecurrent 1,100 to 1,200 walkinclinics are expected toincrease to 3,200 by 2014.Patients and FamilyMembers Needed forSchizophrenia and BipolarDisorder ResearchIf <strong>you</strong> are between ages 15-65, diagnosed withSchizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder orBipolar Disorder with Psychosis, <strong>you</strong> and <strong>you</strong>rfamily members may be eligible to participatein a research study aiming to identify genes thatare related to the cause of these illnesses.Please call Beth Vayshenker at(410)-402-6822 or email us atSRD_Recruitment@mprc.umaryland.edu.Monetary compensation provided.Transportation available if needed.“They are well-suited topatients wanting affordable,convenient care, especiallyafter-hours and on weekends,”he said. “And, theseclinics are an easy option forsome people without coverageor a primary care physicianto <strong>get</strong> routine medicalcare without cost surprises.The prices are competitiveand posted.”Urgent care clinics area<strong>not</strong><strong>her</strong> emergency room alternativefor more serious injuriesand illness, requiringstitches, x-rays or more thana nurse practitioner’s care.Also increasing in numbers,urgent care centers are usuallystand-alone operations.“Use of health informationtechnology has helped clinicsstreamline operations andcosts,” said Herrick. ‘Theseoperations could serve asmodels for hospitals and physicians’offices, which havebeen slower to switch over toelectronic medical records.”The NCPA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit,nonpartisan public policy researchorganization headquartered in Dallaswith offices in Washington, D.C. TheNCPA depends solely on the contributionsof individuals, corporations andfoundations that advocate private sectorsolutions to public policy problems. Allcontributions are tax-deductible, andthe NCPA accepts no governmentgrants or contracts18 <strong>Focus</strong> on Women Magazine