A huge gap exists in the typical care continuum, according to an article on the NEJM Catalyst website.
Patients with immediate problems that are too complex for a doctor’s office but don’t require a multiple-day hospitalization often go to emergency rooms.
New alternatives, such as urgent care centers, retail clinics and freestanding EDs, do not offer broad availability of specialists or advanced lab and imaging facilities.
Five hubs currently operated by Kaiser Permanente, Mid-Atlantic States solve these problems, providing complex and urgent care 24/7. Specialty care hubs cost less to build and to operate than a hospital and serve as part of a more traditional, large outpatient multi-specialty center during regular business hours.
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