Chelsea Hospital to move urgent care to nearby medical office to support patient needs

On May 20, 2024, Chelsea Hospital announced that its Urgent Care (UC) will move from its current location within the Emergency Department (ED), to the nearby Trinity Health IHA Medical Group office, next door on Old US 12. The transition, which is set to occur in September 2024, will help Chelsea Hospital meet the demand of growing patient volumes while enhancing their experience and reducing long wait times.

In coordination with the move, patients will also benefit from Trinity Health IHA Medical Group’s launch of the “Save My Spot” online scheduler, which will allow patients to skip the wait by choosing an appointment time online.

“When the urgent care opened more than two years ago, it was understood a future move would be inevitable due to expected growth,” said Ben Miles, president of Chelsea Hospital. “We have arrived at that point much sooner than anticipated. The combined Emergency Department/Urgent Care has grown in volume substantially since it opened. By making this change now, we are protecting our ability to care for all patients in the near future, while also laying the foundation for growth and ensuring our ability to provide high-quality, timely care for many years to come.”

Capacity to meet the community need is driving this decision. The combined ED and UC volumes have increased by 47 percent, rising from 20,000 visits to more than 31,000.

“As a 20-bed Emergency Department, this volume of growth is not sustainable for providing timely care,” said Matthew Ajluni, DO, medical director of Urgent Care Services at Trinity Health Michigan IHA Medical Group. “Moving our Urgent Care to a separate facility will reduce wait times for both Emergency Department and Urgent Care patients, while still providing the benefits of having Urgent Care closely aligned with our exceptional Emergency Department. This change is really about making sure our patients receive the best care, in the right place, and in a timely manner.”

Under the plan, the UC will transition to Trinity Health IHA Medical Group’s recently-built facility adjacent to the hospital campus. The location will offer patients flexible hours, Monday-Friday, from 8am to 8pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 4pm. The hours of operation were selected intentionally, as they reflect the times patients have been using the hybrid UC. In addition, more seriously ill patients still have the option to quickly transfer care to the Chelsea Hospital ED.

Chelsea Hospital is a not-for-profit joint venture hospital, whose partners are Trinity Health Michigan, a Catholic health care system, and Michigan Medicine, the academic medical center of the University of Michigan. Founded in 1970, SJMC is nationally recognized for both quality of care and patient satisfaction by national ranking organization Press Ganey, and is accredited by the Joint Commission. Chelsea Hospital employs more than 1,200 individuals with a medical staff of approximately 800 physicians. Key services include robust medical and surgical service lines, eight operating rooms, a 24-hour emergency department and senior emergency room, a state-of-the-art cancer center and a physical medicine and rehabilitation department. For additional information about Chelsea Hospital, please visit www.trinityhealthmichigan.org.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.