Saint Francis moving Convenient Care out of hospital's ER

Beginning March 1, Convenient Care, the walk-in facility within the emergency department at Saint Francis Medical Center, will consolidate with and become part of Immediate Convenient Care (ICC), an urgent-care facility with locations in Cape Girardeau and Jackson.

Emily Sikes Blattel, marketing communications specialist for Saint Francis, said the merger will allow the emergency department full-time access to the space currently used by the walk-in clinic.

“This consolidation will allow our emergency department to more effectively treat a higher volume of emergency and trauma patients this year and going forward,” Steven C. Bjelich, president and chief executive officer at Saint Francis Healthcare System, said in a news release.

Nearly one-quarter of the hospital’s emergency patients are treated in Convenient Care, according to the Saint Francis Medical Center website. However, there is no concern the redirection of patients to ICC will increase wait times or create a need for immediate staff changes at the urgent-care facilities, said Gerry Salter, vice president of professional services at Saint Francis.

“There is no indication that the urgent-care locations will be immediately overwhelmed. We have capacity at ICC and will assess the need for additional staff at those locations as needed, following our standard process,” Salter said.

The change doesn’t reduce the number of hours available for patients to receive walk-in care, Blattel said. ICC offers extended weekday and weekend hours with no appointment necessary. And, according to the news release, Saint Francis also has teamed up with Doctors Express to provide additional urgent-care services in Cape Girardeau.

“Additionally, the emergency department is open 24/7, 365 days a year,” Blattel said.

bbrown@semissourian.com

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Pertinent address:

211 St. Francis Drive, Cape Girardeau, Mo.

1702 N. Kingshighway, Cape Girardeau, Mo.

2130 E. Jackson Blvd., Jackson, Mo.

465 S. Mount Auburn Road, Suite 103, Cape Girardeau, Mo.