Bronson Healthcare Renames Walk-In Care Locations, Launches Campaign to Educate Patients on Selecting the Best Place for Immediate Care Needs

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Bronson Healthcare today announced the renaming of its walk-in care locations throughout southwest Michigan: Bronson FastCare® is now QuickCare, and Bronson Urgent Care is now QuickCare Plus Patients will begin to see the new names and information at each location, and further guidance on selecting the best walk-in care location to fit specific healthcare needs is available on the Need Care Now page of Bronson’s website.

Previously called FastCare, Bronson QuickCare™ is a convenient walk-in alternative to a primary care visit for patients experiencing minor, common health needs. Bronson QuickCare Plus™ (previously known as Bronson Urgent Care) can also treat minor health needs but is designed for more urgent needs that are not life-threatening, and it is a great alternative to the Emergency Room (ER). According to Bronson officials, the goal of the renaming campaign is to help patients better understand their care options and provide more transparency around what to expect with each level of care.

“As the region’s oldest and largest health system, Bronson has grown to meet our community’s needs as they’ve evolved and remains committed to providing high quality healthcare at the lowest possible cost,” said Kim Hatchel, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Bronson Methodist Hospital. “Our patients tell us they want convenience and choice, and by offering different levels of walk-in care, they can select the best option for any healthcare needs that can’t wait for an appointment.”

Despite the new names, patients can expect the same great care at all Bronson walk-in care locations:

• Bronson QuickCare treats minor, common health needs like colds, allergies, minor infections and rashes. This is a convenient and affordable option for patients 18 months and older when a primary care doctor is not immediately available or on evenings, weekends and holidays. QuickCare offers On My Way, an online reservation system to secure a place in line, as well as On Demand Video Visits. A QuickCare visit is billed at $90 and may be less depending on a patient’s health insurance coverage. There may also be a charge for point-of-care testing.
• Bronson QuickCare Plus treats everything that QuickCare does, plus more urgent needs like broken bones, sprains, strains, wounds and cuts needing stitches. This is a great alternative to the ER for patients three months and older with non-life-threatening needs that require a higher level of care and broader access to services. Unlike most independent urgent care centers, Bronson QuickCare Plus™ is a hospital outpatient department. During a visit, patients may receive point-of-care testing or X-rays if needed to evaluate their illness or injury, with diagnostics processed through Bronson’s hospital system in the same way as in the ER. Services are billed as hospital outpatient visits, and costs are typically less than an ER visit. Actual charges vary depending on a patient’s health insurance coverage.
• Patients should always go to the nearest Emergency Room (ER) or call 9-1-1 for the most serious, life-threatening injuries and illnesses, like chest or abdominal pain, trouble breathing, stroke symptoms, seizures or head injuries.

Since opening last year, the Bronson Urgent Care in Kalamazoo – now QuickCare Plus – has served over 19,000 patients with an average wait time of just eight minutes. It is the only walk-in care location in Kalamazoo that treats patients as young as three months old, with pediatric patients accounting for 28 percent of total visits this past year.

“If you come to either one of our Bronson QuickCare Plus locations for an urgent, non-life-threatening illness or injury, you’ll be seen more quickly than if you went to the Emergency Room,” said Hatchel. “On average, from the time you walk through the door to the time you leave, your visit is 60 minutes or less. This helps to improve the experience for many people and keeps our ER focused on the sickest patients.”

Bronson FastCare – now Bronson QuickCare – has also grown steadily, with an 18% increase in volumes between the two Kalamazoo clinics over the last three years.

For more information, a list of locations and help finding the right care based on symptoms, visit Need Care Now. Bronson also offers the Bronson MyChart Symptom Checker, a self-triage tool to find appropriate care options.

About Bronson Healthcare

Bronson Healthcare is the leading healthcare system and largest employer in southwest Michigan, dedicated to advancing the health of the communities it serves through exceptional care, innovation and accessibility. The system provides care across 70 locations, including four acute care hospitals in Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Paw Paw and South Haven. Bronson is home to the region’s only Level 1 Trauma Center, children’s hospital and high-risk pregnancy and birthing center in southwest Michigan. Bronson is recognized statewide and nationally for quality care, by Healthgrades, Fortune and Premier, Inc., and ranked as a top employer by Forbes, Newsweek and the National Association for Business Resources (NABR).