Sault health services now offer urgent care clinic
By Brenda Austin
The Sault Tribe Health Center (STHC) Medical Clinic in Sault Ste. Marie expanded its hours of operation, offering tribal members 12-hours a day access to a tribal Urgent Care Walk-In Clinic, which opened Jan. 4th.
The newly expanded hours allows members access to medical services Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with the last patient able to walk in at 7:30 p.m.
The walk-in clinic is located on the second floor of the health center, next to the appointment desk. The new clinic space required only minor alterations to the existing floor plan to be fully functional.
No appointment is necessary for the walk-in clinic, but if a patient wishes to see their primary care provider they should call for an appointment at 632-5230 between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Walk-in clinic patients will be seen in the order in which they registered.
The walk-in clinic will provide basic medical services, such as routine medical care and vaccinations, evaluation and treatment of cold and flu symptoms, minor ailments or illnesses, and treatment for less severe physical injuries, such as minor cuts requiring stitches, broken toes or fingers, minor burns, minor animal bites, ear or nose, sore throats, earaches and other minor ailments for children and adults, insect bites, simple rashes, skin infections and sprains and strains. Lab testing will be available and x-ray testing for suspected medical problems or broken bones is available, or will be arranged.
For patient care exceeding the clinics scope of care to include emergency care services, lab and x-ray services for complex or acutely ill patients, and transportation to these services patients may be transferred to WMH Emergency Room.
Urgent care patients can still be seen at War Memorial Hospital’s Community Care Clinic on weekends and holidays when the Tribal Walk-in clinic is closed, or use the after hour’s nurse triage line that will soon be available.
Sault Tribe Health Center Clinic Manager Tony Abramson, Sr., said, “The clinic will be staffed primarily by Rae Ann Brand, FNP and Andrew Rife, PA and will be supported by an outstanding nurse and patient registration staff.
“The addition of the walk-in clinic at STHC is one part of the Health Programs goal to establish urgent care access points for tribal patients at various sites across our seven county service area. In other rural locations we are working to establish contractual arrangements with existing urgent care service providers in St. Ignace, Newberry Munising, Manistique, Escanaba and Marquette.
“Tribal members are asked to utilize STHC rather than CCC if they wish to receive any assistance with payment for services thru Purchased and Referred Care. Eventually, the tribe will
no longer cover any visits at CCC during STHC Walk-in Clinic hours. We will maintain our relationship with CCC to allow members to utilize CCC when our walk-in clinic is closed on holidays and weekends,” he said.
The tribe has successfully operated the Community Care Clinic thru a partnership with WMH over the past 20 years. Based on economics, that partnership arrangement changed to allow both parties the opportunity to take advantage of new structural, billing and revenue sources. Abramson said the most cost effective method of meeting the urgent and routine medical needs of tribal patients was to establish the walk-in clinic at the STHC while exploring other cost effective arrangements for the outlying clinic areas.
Other Sault Tribe Health Center departments such as Dental, Optical, Community Health, Pharmacy, Lab and X-ray hours will remain the same.
