How Adding Walk-In Clinics Can Cost-Effectively Expand Your Hospital Brand

Imagine if you could expand your hospital brand while simultaneously boosting patient satisfaction, reducing emergency room visits and saving money and time for everyone. 

Care settings are shifting rapidly in today’s health care industry. From 2011 to 2018, hospital outpatient revenue grew at a higher annual rate of 9 percent compared to inpatient revenue growth of 6 percent, according to Deloitte research. The same research showed that outpatient share of hospital revenue grew from 28 percent in 1994 to 48 percent in 2018. 

And that was before the impact of the COVID pandemic.

Hospitals are increasingly focused on intensive care plus complex surgeries and diagnostic testing, funneling more care to outpatient options like ambulatory surgery centers and walk-in clinics. These options are better able to meet patient priorities like customer service, quality care and efficiency.

“For some years now, urgent care has been emerging into communities with convenient hours and a nice, friendly setting where the cost is appropriate,” says Allen Bible, DPT, FACHE, President, Noon Health. 

In fact, many U.S. emergency room visits could be safely handled in a walk-in clinic setting instead. These clinics are both cost-effective and time-saving for patients and hospitals alike, creating an ideal opportunity for hospitals to expand their brands and community footprints.

Patients get the convenience they want with more location options, faster service and easy parking.

“The convenience aspect is huge - patients are after cost-effective, convenient options easily accessible for them,” Bible says. “To work well for you, the clinics must be a vehicle that’s easy to use. For example, appointment-only won’t typically work well versus true walk-in.”

Halifax Health, a major hospital system in Daytona Beach, Florida, included three new walk-in clinics as part of a recent expansion, as well as a rebrand of all the current clinic as Halifax Health ExpressCare. The clinics are spread out within the Halifax Health region, broadening access to care for residents and expanding the Halifax Health brand. Noon Health manages the walk-in clinics in a partnership using its health care expertise to scale the brand and focus on positive patient outcomes.

Similarly, a major hospital system in the Southeast operates multiple walk-in clinics. Also managed by Noon, these facilities are dispersed throughout the surrounding area to improve continuity of care for current and new patients alike.

Your existing brand recognition will draw patients to your clinics as they prioritize quality of care from a brand they know. And vice versa, you may capture new patients with a walk-in clinic offering.

“Patient retention is huge as is bringing in new patients - that’s why this is a necessary approach to your health care and ambulatory strategy,” Bible says.

Some national walk-in clinic chains market themselves as offering primary care, competing with physician and hospital groups. This is not the case with a joint hospital and Noon Health-managed facility. Instead, these clinics focus on quickly treating medical needs that can’t wait for a regular doctor’s appointment.

As more care is delivered in non-hospital settings, organizations investing in other options like walk-in clinics will be better positioned for the future of health care.

Ready to make walk-in clinics part of your strategy? We can help - whether you need comprehensive management through Noon Health or real estate support through Noon Development.