New Services at Our Clinic
As healthcare continues to present challenges for the United States, I am excited to work for a retail organization that is so attentive to the needs of both patients and providers.
In late June, 2009 we will be expanding our services to include a wider variety of skin treatments and conditions. We will be able to provide procedures like Dermabond for minor lacerations, skin tag removals and wart treatments! In addition, we will have a broader focus on recognition and treatment for other dermatological issues, while keeping strong ties with the local medical community and referring to specialists, as needed.
These new services were developed with our core strategies in mind - providing high-quality, affordable and accessible care. Prices are affordable and clearly posted at the clinic, and can be provided in a timely fashion where patients can walk-in without and appointment to receive care.
All new services result from provider input -- what we as NPs think we can and should be providing -- as well as patient need and what makes good sense from a business and practice standpoint. I am impressed at the amount of education and support we have been given around these new services prior to their unveiling. The leadership in our organization recognizes the importance of providing proper education and training for the providers prior to offering a new service, something you don't find often in today's clinical practices. The providers in our organization are extremely diverse in their experiences and years of practice, so providing continual professional development when a new service is offered is extremely important not only so the providers all feel confident, but also so we provide a quality service that retail health can be proud of.
Not unlike NPs in the physician-dominated health field, retail health seems to have to prove their worthiness in comparison to the traditional health care settings of primary care. I look at this as an opportunity to shine and prove that we are competent professionals in an innovative setting, and instead of a threat, NPs and retail clinics complement today's current health care options.
I believe that because retail health is responsive to consumers and providers, they have something special, and that has been a key to their initial success. Retail health will continue to expand their locations and their services as they strive to meet the needs of the health care consumer and by doing so continue to secure their place in health care today.