30 top urgent care center chains

Urgent care utilization is on the rise

With a push from value-based care, consumers and provider organizations are looking for lower cost approaches for getting care. Urgent care centers continue to be on the fast track for growth, as they report advantages in both the cost of care and the ability to access it quickly. The nation has more than 7,000 urgent care centers, according to the Urgent Care Association of America (UCAOA). While the market is fragmented, there are some major players operating multiple care centers. The use of IT is growing among these centers, as they aim to fit into the care continuum and communicate treatment with other providers in the community.

Here, we list some of the largest operators of centers in the U.S., with help from Merchant Medicine, which regularly reports on growth among care center chains. This listing excludes retail clinics, specifically those that operate within drug stores. Instead, we focus on clinics that operate separately from a retail outlet.

Concentra

300+ clinics in 38 states

Concentra, a division of Select Medical, is a national healthcare company focused on improving the health of America’s workforce, one patient at a time. Through its affiliated clinicians, the company provides occupational medicine, urgent care, physical therapy, and wellness services. In addition to these medical center locations, Concentra serves employers by providing a broad range of health services and operating more than 140 onsite medical facilities.

https://www.concentra.com

MedExpress Urgent Care

180 sites in 16 states

MedExpress was acquired in April 2015 by Optum, a division of United HealthGroup.

https://medexpress.com

U.S. HealthWorks

174 sites in 21 states

U.S. HealthWorks, a subsidiary of Dignity Health. In addition to urgent care, U.S. HealthWorks also offers occupational medicine, therapy care and specialty services, operating in excess of 200 total locations. It is the largest chain operated by a hospital or multispecialty group, according to data from Merchant Medicine.

www.ushealthworks.com

American Family Care and Doctors Express

163 sites in 25 states

American Family Care opened its first family care/urgent care clinic in Birmingham, Ala., in 1982. American Family Care acquired Doctors Express in 2013. The chain predicts it will operate nearly 200 clinics by the end of 2016.

https://www.afcurgentcare.com

NextCare Urgent Care

137 sites in 10 states

The urgent care chain is operated by NextCare Holdings, which also offers occupational medical services. There is an emphasis on a comprehensive approach called Full Circle Care, which is intended to ensure that patients experience the highest level of care, from reception to recovery.

http://Nextcare.com

FastMed Urgent Care

109 sites in three states

FastMed Urgent Care is an owner and operator of urgent care facilities with locations throughout Arizona, North Carolina and Texas. FastMed is managed by an affiliated entity of one of the investment funds of ABRY Partners.

www.fastmed.com

Patient First

67 sites in four states

Patient First opened its first center in 1981; it’s based in King of Prussia, Pa. It’s open every day of the year, including weekends and holidays.

https://www.patientfirst.com

HCA CareNow

64 sites in five states

The chain, operated by HCA, the Nashville, Tenn.-based operator of acute care hospitals, had its beginning in October 2014, when HCA entered an agreement to acquire CareNow, a privately held company.

http://www.carenow.com/

CityMD/Premier Care

57 sites in three states

The chain operates in the metropolitan area surrounding New York City, and it is expanding operations in Washington state, where it is partnering with CHI Franciscan Health.

http://www.citymd.com/

CareSpot Express Healthcare

54 sites in four states

CareSpot is operated and managed together with MedPost Urgent Care, with both brands expanding together across the United States to provide immediate medical attention and treatment. CareSpot has affiliations with integrated delivery systems, particularly Baptist Health and UFHealth in Florida; HCA Midwest Health in Kansas and Missouri; and TriStar Health in Tennessee.

https://www.carespot.com/

Doctors Care

51 sites in four states

Doctors Care opened in 1981 as the first minor emergency medical center in Columbia, S.C. The chain offers urgent care, family care, occupational medicine and employee wellness services. The chain also offers online urgent care.

https://doctorscare.com/

MedPost Urgent Care

51 sites in nine states

In addition to urgent care, MedPost offers occupational health, pediatrics, seasonal care and wellness services.

https://medpost.com/

GoHealth Urgent Care

45 sites in three states

GoHealth Urgent Care partners with larger healthcare organizations to provide urgent care services. It boasts of seamless integration with market-leading health systems and the communities we serve. GoHealth Urgent Care operates urgent care centers in the New York, Portland, OR, metropolitan areas and San Francisco Bay Area. Current partners include Northwell Health, New York's largest health system; Legacy Health, the largest nonprofit, locally owned health system in the Portland-Vancouver area; and Dignity Health, the fifth largest health system in the nation and the largest hospital provider in California.

https://www.gohealthuc.com/

Fast Pace Urgent Care

37 locations in two states

The chain is growing, and has clinics primarily in Tennessee, with a few located in Kentucky. The chain opened with a single facility in October 2009.

http://www.fastpaceurgentcare.com/

Physicians Immediate Care

37 sites in three states

Physicians Immediate Care, also known as Physicians Urgent Care, recently formed a joint venture with Presence Health that will operate urgent care and occupational medicine facilities in the Chicago area.

https://physiciansimmediatecare.com/

Centra Care

36 sites in three states

With Centra Care, patients get urgent care, everywhere. It offers non-life-threatening, corporate emergency medical clinic and onsite services. It has affiliations with integrated delivery systems in the states in which it operates.

https://centracare.org/

Aurora Health

34 sites in two states

The chain is operated by Aurora Health Care, based in Wisconsin. About half of the centers are located in the Milwaukee metropolitan area.

https://www.aurorahealthcare.org/services/urgent-care

Intermountain Health (InstaCare and KidsCare Clinics)

32 sites in one state

The centers are operated by Intermountain Healthcare, and they provide care for urgent but non-life-threatening conditions for patients of all ages at InstaCare and KidsCare locations, all in Utah. Providers in the clinics have access to imaging equipment and lab services to quickly diagnose and treat conditions.

https://intermountainhealthcare.org/services/urgent-care/

MedSpring Urgent Care

32 sites in three states

The chain operates centers in Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston; and Chicago. It operates in Boston under the name Partners Urgent Care, in affiliation with Mass General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

http://medspring.com/

Premier Health

31 sites in three states

The Baton Rouge, La.-based company owns and operates urgent care centers utilizing a health system, joint-venture model. Premier Health currently manages urgent care clinics in partnership with 10 health systems representing 28 hospitals. Its centers are in Alabama, and Indiana Louisiana.

http://www.premierhealthurgentcare.com/

Carolinas Health Care

29 sites in one state

The centers are operated by Carolinas HealthCare System, based in Charlotte, N.C.

http://www.carolinashealthcare.org/medical-services/get-care-now/urgent-care-emergency-care

ProHEALTH Care

29 sites

The chain operates primarily in the New York metropolitan area. It offers urgent care, primary care and specialty care.

https://www.prohealthcare.com/

Providence Health & Services

29 sites in one state

Urgent and immediate care clinics are operated by Providence Health & Services of Oregon and Southwest Washington.

http://oregon.providence.org/our-services/i/immediate-care-clinics/

Urgent Team

29 sites in two states

The Nashville, Tenn.-based company began in 2011 after recognizing a gap in many communities for high-quality walk-in medical centers to care for mid-level illness and injuries.

http://www.urgentteam.com/

Express Care of MD

28 sites in three states

ExpressCare Urgent Care Centers offer urgent medical treatment for common illnesses and injuries, physical therapy following an auto accident, flu shots, work-related injury services, and much more.

http://www.whywaitintheer.com/

MD Now

28 locations in one state

MD Now Urgent Care Centers' clinics are located throughout South Florida, located across Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties

http://www.mymdnow.com/

ZoomCare

28 sites in one state

ZOOM+Care Neighborhood Clinics provide On-Demand urgent, primary, and specialist care, with on-site Rx and labs.

https://www.zoomcare.com/clinics/in/portland

Sutter Urgent Care

27 sites in one state

Sutter Health’s various regions offer urgent care clinics in connection with its broad range of healthcare services.

http://www.suttermedicalfoundation.org/urgentcare/

Hometown Urgent Care

24 sites in Michigan and Ohio

Hometown Urgent Care also offers Workers Compensation and employer occupational medical services.

http://www.hometownurgentcare.com