Urgent Care Is Exceeding Patient Numbers and Starting an Expansion

After six months of operation and an overwhelming response from the community, Gunnison Valley Health Urgent Care is exceeding patient numbers and starting an expansion.

Gunnison Valley Health’s Urgent Care Director Mary Sawyer, AGACNP-BC, FNP-C, said the need for urgent care was identified by the community and having the service as a part of the larger health system fosters true continuity of care for every patient who comes through the door.

“Having the ability to see ill and injured people at our urgent care facilities in Gunnison and Crested Butte, which are backed by the entire healthcare system, promotes continuity of care for urgent and emergent needs at both ends of the Valley,” Sawyer said. “Because we are all a part of the Gunnison Valley Health team, we have access to more resources and offer easier access and a less stressful experience for people in need of more than is available through urgent care.”

Since its opening in August of 2020, Gunnison Valley Health Urgent Care has received an increasing number of visits from members of the community, to the point that work has started on an expansion that will create more exam and treatment rooms.

“We are so thankful to the members of the Gunnison community who have supported us and trusted us to meet their healthcare needs,” Sawyer said.

A dedicated group of Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants staff the urgent care. The providers are employees of Gunnison Valley Health who understand the needs of the community because it is the place they call home.

Dr. Doug Yeakel, the Urgent Care Medical Director, highlighted the qualifications and experience of the urgent care providers.

“The providers at our urgent care facilities are Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants who are all graduate-level trained and board certified,” Yeakel said. “Each of these professionals brings incredible experience and skill to the clinic.”

Gunnison Valley Health’s Urgent Care in Gunnison is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. Gunnison Valley Health’s Mountain Clinic in Crested Butte is open seasonally 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Urgent care is a walk-in clinic available for the treatment of minor injuries and illnesses without having to make an appointment.

For more information visit, www.gunnisonvalleyhealth.org/urgent.