San Antonio urgent care pioneer Texas MedClinic opens 19th clinic in Spring Branch
September 4, 2018
Open 8 a.m.- 11 p.m. every day, clinic offers quality care, affordable price
San Antonio, TX San Antonio urgent care pioneer Texas MedClinic continues growth in South Central Texas with the opening of its Spring Branch location, the 19th clinic in the urgent care chain. Located on US 281 South, a half mile north of the SH46 intersection, Texas MedClinic’s Spring Branch location is open 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. everyday.
“As population growth continues in the area and more people and businesses move further north along the US 281 corridor, the demand is increasing for after-hours medical care that is close to the home or office. Currently, clinics in the area are only open until 8 p.m.,” said Texas MedClinic Founder Dr.Bernard Swift, Jr.
Texas MedClinic is a walk-in clinic, no appointments are necessary. With diagnostic computerized x-ray machines, the clinic is prepared to treat breaks, bruises, sprains and strains, as well as minor surgical procedures including stitching. Common illnesses treated include colds and flu, allergies and asthma, earaches, sore throat and abdominal pain. Clinics also provide personal and court ordered drug tests, lab tests for strep throat, mononucleosis and urinary tract infections, as well as immunizations and immigration exams (INS). Their occupational medicine clinic serves work-related injuries, employer exams, drug testing and DOT exams.
Through their unique Check-In Online feature, patients can choose their Texas MedClinic location, see how long it will take to see a provider, make a reservation, and receive alerts via email, text or phone when the visit time nears. They can fill out registration information in the comfort of their home or office, skip the waiting room and arrive just a few minutes before their visit time.
“Texas MedClinic is there ‘for life’s little emergencies,’ providing care after doctor’s offices are closed, offering an alternative to hospital emergency rooms where the wait can be 5-6 hours due to physicians caring for life threatening conditions like stroke, heart attack, head injuries, wounds and dismemberment,” said Swift. “Plus, urgent care is significantly less expensive than a freestanding emergency room.”
Swift cautions consumers to understand the difference between the need for critical emergency care and urgent care. “If you don’t need an ambulance, you probably do not need to go to an emergency room or hospital.”
He added that freestanding emergency rooms provide the same services as urgent care clinics like Texas MedClinic, but charge hospital emergency room prices.
“It’s wise to understand your choices in urgent and emergency care before you need them,” said Swift. “Because I am pretty sure most don’t want to pay $2,000 for a flu diagnosis.”
In the last decade, Texas has seen a proliferation of freestanding emergency rooms that market themselves as true emergency rooms, but do not have the medical staff or equipment to care for life threatening illnesses or trauma like a hospital-based emergency room.
“Full-service hospitals invest in specialty equipment and staff that can care for life-threatening illnesses or trauma and can move patients rapidly and seamlessly towards definitive care. A large facility fee is charged to all patients, regardless of the severity of the problem,” said Swift.
According to Swift, most freestanding emergency rooms are not connected to or located within a full-service hospital, and suffer from a lack of proximity to state-of-the-art definitive care services for problems like stroke, heart attack, or trauma requiring immediate surgery. “All those more serious patients must be transported to a hospital with the attendant, thereby generating additional cost and medical risk,” said Swift.
Texas MedClinic was established in 1982 by Dr. Bernard T. Swift, Jr., as a group medical practice that specializes in urgent care and occupational medicine. Texas MedClinic has grown to 13 locations in San Antonio, two in New Braunfels, one in Spring Branch, two in Austin and one in Round Rock. Texas MedClinic is staffed with 82 medical providers including physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners and over 450 employees.
Not a primary care practice, Texas MedClinic is not intended to replace a patient’s primary care physician. The privately-owned clinics offer patients who have urgent medical problems an alternative to the long waiting times at hospital emergency rooms, the new free-standing emergency rooms, and traditional family doctor offices when appointment times may be filled.
