(Photos by Chris Boyle)
GoHealth Urgent Care, a new high-tech walk-in medical facility that boasts a partnership with one of the premiere medical providers in New York—North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System—held their grand opening on Dec. 18, and claims to be ushering in a new gold standard for health clinics in the area.
Located at 5165 Merrick Rd. in Massapequa, GoHealth is directly across the street from John J. Burns Park; that situation alone should be enough to supply their physicians with a steady stream of sports-related injuries to treat. However, the very concept of local neighborhood-based healthcare that has boomed as of late is rapidly evolving into a vital aspect of any community, according to Michael J. Dowling, President and CEO of North Shore LIJ Health System, who was present at GoHealth’s grand opening.
“Health care is dramatically changing, and more and more care is being delivered outside of hospitals, so one thing we’re trying to do is provide much more convenient access for people to the care they need when they need it,” he said. “Here you can get quick response provided by technically competent staff, in a location that is very, very visible. One of our strategies is to provide these kinds of access points so that people don’t have to go to the traditional emergency room and get frustrated by a long wait. It’s all about convenience, access and quality.”
Dowling noted that North Shore LIJ has plans to open up to 50 urgent care facilities in partnership with GoHealth across the Long Island/Queens area throughout 2015; several weeks ago, they opened their first facility in Forest Hills, with many more to come, he said.
Gary Weatherford, CEO of GoHealth, spoke about the benefits of his group’s partnership with North Shore LIJ—the largest health care provider on Long Island—and how those benefits in turn can be a tremendous asset to the patients who walk in GoHealth’s front door.
“What makes it so phenomenal is that we not only have the clinical expertise of North Shore LIJ, but we also have the infrastructure of their entire organization to help and support us,” he said. “We know that, thanks to our partnership, we will have the highest level of clinical diagnosis, service, and follow-up, and we know that we have the ability to move people within the continuum of care. If someone needs more urgent care, we can move that person through that continuum in a seamless process.”
The Massapeaua Park GoHealth location certainly lacks the cold, lifeless feel exhibited by some walk-in clinics; instead, patients are greeted by warm colors, wide-screen televisions and plenty of electrical outlets to charge their cell phones and electronic devices while waiting to be seen by a physician. The tech-savvy surroundings include state-of-the-art mobile digital x-ray machines and exam rooms lacking curtains; instead, “smart glass” partitions turn from clear to opaque at the mere push of a button, lending the proceedings the feel of science fiction come to life while preserving the modesty of patients at the same time.
The design and technology of GoHealth’s locations goes hand-in-hand with the advanced care you’d expect to receive there, Weatherford noted.
“All of our facilities are very consistent with their look and feel; we were inspired by Apple stores, and the design is meant to be very open and friendly. When you walk in, there’s a lot of glass, a lot of openness; we wanted to take away the mystery of a medical facility,” he said. “Our exam rooms are much larger than usual, and each one has a TV monitor so we can share medical information with our customers, their records and their diagnosis.”
Weatherford also noted that all patient information is shared back and forth between GoHealth and North Shore LIJ, so if you go to either, they’ll have your records on file, all stored safely and securely.
Robert Korn of North Shore LIJ Health System, who will be heading up the Massapequa Park GoHealth location, said that having health clinics in areas that are somewhat removed from standard medical centers, geographically speaking, is important to the well-being of local residents.
“Having an urgent care facility is important in a community like Massapequa, where the nearest hospital is 10 miles away,” said Korn. “If you’re injured we can help you, but I also want to educate my customers. The easy thing for me to do is to write a prescription, but that does nothing to help people in the long run. If we can educate, we can treat and we can do the things that this community needs without a 10 mile trip to the hospital.”
However, hospitals are needed in some cases and Korn emphasized that he can get a patient there if need be, because GoHealth is streamlining the entire process of patient care.
The grand opening of GoHealth was a huge success, jam-packed with a literal “who’s who” of local dignitaries and politicians, including members of the Massapequa Chamber of Commerce, State Senator-Elect Michael Venditto, Town of Oyster Bay Councilman Joe Pinto and New York State Assemblyman Joseph Saladino, who presented the staff of GoHeath and North Shore LIJ a special citation and applauded their arrival in the neighborhood.
“There is a tremendous need for healthcare that is convenient and that is close by,” said Saladino. “So much attention has been put into the design of this facility, from the smart glass to the mobile x-ray machine—the necessity of urgent healthcare in the community is second to none, and we’re fortunate to have such high-quality healthcare right here in the neighborhood.”
To find out more about GoHealth Urgent Care of Massapequa Park, visit www.gohealthuc.com.
