Pocono News Section

Urgent Care Center Opens in Dunmore

Urgent Care Center Opens in Dunmore - Monday, July 20, 2009 at 5:45PM EST

Reported by: Eric Deabill
Monday, Jul 20, 2009 @ 05:45pm EST
DUNMORE, LACKAWANNA COUNTY- People who are sick or in need of medical care have a new place to turn in Lackawanna County. A new urgent care center opened Monday morning in Dunmore.

The phones started ringing just minutes after the doors of the new medical express care facility opened early Monday morning in Dunmore. Dr. Donna Eget said, ÒI got here at 7:00 o'clock and there were two patients already waiting for me."

Eget is the Medical Director of the new facility. She says the office is for people who don't have a family doctor or who get sick or injured after their regular doctor's office closes. ÒWe can do X-rays, we can take care of lacerations, give stitches, drain absents, give medications and give them with you to go," said Eget.

Paramedic Joe Kadlubowski says the urgent care center is a different option than the emergency room, where the wait can be hours. ÒWe're hoping to get the patients in and out as quickly as possible," he told Eyewitness News.

Urgent care facilities like this are common down south but rare up here. ÒOur consultant who we're working with tells us, when we start out, we'll probably see 10 patients a day, but other offices they work with, see between 75 and 100 patients a day," said Eget.

Right now there are four doctors on staff. All are trained "ER" doctors. ÒYou never know what's gonna walk through the door, but we're ready for anything that does walk through the door,Ó said Kadlubowski.

If you need the services here at the Medical Express Walk-In Clinic, this facility is open seven days a week. On Mondays-Fridays, their hours are 7AM to 7PM.

The new medical express care facility is located on the O'Neill Highway near Interstate 81. If it's successful, they may expand other branches in the Pittston area and the Poconos.