UF Health Jacksonville opens first hybrid emergency/urgent care center in Northeast Florida (Courtesy of UF Health) — UF Health Jacksonville and Intuitive Health cut the ribbon on a groundbreaking health care asset today in Northeast Florida, an emergency room/urgent care concept that gives consumers choices while providing outstanding care to patients throughout the community.
The new facility, located near the intersection of I-295 and Baymeadows Road, is the first of three hybrid centers that UF Health Jacksonville is building in Northeast Florida. Two others are under construction and will open soon on Lane Avenue and New Kings Road.
The project is being developed in collaboration with Dallas-based Intuitive Health. Jacksonville is the third location in the state that will host the hybrid model. Intuitive Health has similarly affiliated facilities in the southeastern and northwestern parts of the state, but the UF Health centers will be the first in the northeast region of Florida.
“This new concept has had tremendous success in other parts of the country because it gives consumers different options in emergency care under one roof,” said Russ Armistead, CEO of UF Health Jacksonville. “The most important thing is a health care professional determines if the patient needs emergency care or urgent care. No matter which option, they will be getting the best possible care from our outstanding physicians and professional staff.”
The centers will feature a full-service ER and urgent care open 24/7. Each facility will be equipped with on-site lab equipment and a radiology suite with X-ray and multi-slice CT scanners, and will be staffed with board-certified emergency medicine physicians. An emergency medicine specialist will examine each patient and determine the appropriate level of care.
“This is just the first step in giving patients throughout Northeast Florida a new option in outstanding care,” said Andy Godwin, M.D., FACEP, chair of the department of emergency medicine for the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville. “These state-of-the-art facilities will help people who are unsure of whether they should go to an emergency department or an urgent care center. Experts will be there from the moment they arrive to determine the best options so patients get the care they need.”
Key features of the hybrid concept are a commitment to billing transparency with no surprise bills. Patients will only pay for the level of care they need. The facilities will also accept most insurance plans, along with Medicare and Medicaid.
“We are excited to open our first UF Health Emergency and Urgent Care Center,” said Thom Herrmann, CEO of Intuitive Health. “Together, we are bringing a totally new health care experience to Jacksonville’s residents — changing how patients access, receive and pay for health care.”
Photo courtesy of UF Health: Dr. Edward Roe III, Greg Miller, executive vice president and chief operating officer of UF Health-Jacksonville, Dr. Andy Godwin and Dr. Jay Woody, founder of Intuitive Health, cut the ribbon Jan. 27 at the UF Health Emergency & Urgent Care Center – Baymeadows.