Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH) opened Washington state’s first hybrid emergency department (ED) and urgent care facility in collaboration with Intuitive Health. VMFH Emergency and Urgent Care – Bremerton this past March.
“The opening of our new hybrid ED/urgent care center in Bremerton marks a significant step forward in our commitment to providing accessible, high-quality care to the Kitsap Peninsula community,” says Ketul J. Patel, CEO of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health and President of CommonSpirit Health’s Northwest Region. “This innovative model not only improves patient experience by ensuring individuals receive the right level of care, but also addresses the growing need for urgent care services and eases pressure on our busy hospital emergency departments. We’re proud to be at the forefront of developing solutions that improve access and affordability for all.”
The emergency departments at St. Michael Medical Center (Silverdale) and St. Anthony Hospital (Gig Harbor) serve more than 120,000 people each year. St. Michael remains one of the busiest emergency departments in Washington state. It continues to see increased patient volumes as Kitsap County’s population continues to grow and there remains a shortage of primary care and specialty care providers in the community.
The hybrid ED/urgent care model aims to help address emergency departments capacity by offering emergency room and urgent care services under one roof. The model also eliminates the need for patients to guess which level of care is most appropriate and ensures they only pay for the level of care they need.
When a patient comes to the facility, they will be examined and triaged by emergency-trained physicians and nurses. The facility will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and fully equipped like a traditional hospital emergency department, including onsite lab equipment and a radiology suite with X-ray and a multi-slice CT scanner. Emergency medical services can also bring patients directly to the hybrid ED/urgent care facility, which will accommodate ambulances onsite.
More information is available at euc.vmfh.org.
4205 Kitsap Way, Bremerton, WA 98312