The latest advances in health care don't necessarily involve technology or innovation.
The real wave of the future may be accessibility.
"I think what we're doing here is the front line of medicine," said William O'Neal, a physician assistant at Family Health Clinic at Westwood inside Westwood Pharmacy on Patterson Avenue. The new clinic offers medical services, including immunizations, screenings and physicals.
"It's an extension of the doctor's office. We're reaching out to the patient so they don't have to wait two or three weeks to see their primary-care physician. This is cutting-edge medicine."
Westwood Pharmacy's owner, pharmacist Mark A. Oley, agrees.
"I think it is critical. People do come to pharmacies when they're sick. This is one-stop shopping."
A handful of chain walk-in clinics -- sometimes referred to as doc-in-a-boxes -- have been around for years.
Some are starting to specialize.
Last year, Ortho On-Call opened off Midlothian Turnpike. The clinic treats sports injuries, offers sports physicals and also can address sprains and cuts.
The average visit, with paperwork and treatment, lasts less than an hour, said physician assistant Jeffrey Grant.
"In the emergency room, we see a lot of orthopedic patients sidelined and, of course, with good cause. You don't get put high on the list for triage."
Dr. Paul McDermott, medical director at Ortho On-Call, said, "We can be available to patients a little bit earlier in their treatment. They can save money by decreasing nonessential visits.
"It's a very helpful thing for people who know what's wrong with them. They can get care quickly and to the point. It's making orthopedic care a little easier, rather than the traditional way of going to an emergency room."
Ortho On-Call isn't seeking to replace primary-care physicians, stressed Grant and McDermott, but it makes it easier to skip a step when a patient knows, for example, that he has a sprained ankle from playing soccer.
Ortho On-Call is affiliated with Advanced Orthopedics and can refer patients to those specialists. It also sees post-surgery patients who need dressings changed or other minor treatment.
Contact Lisa Crutchfield at (804) 649-6362 or lcrutchfield@timesdispatch.com.
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