Immediate Care Lives Up to its Name
Immediate Care at National Jewish Health was born out of critical necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as the pandemic subsided, it became clear that having a resource on campus for the community’s urgent care needs remained important.
Immediate Care serves adult and pediatric patients with unexpected illnesses and minor injuries. No appointment is needed, and the clinic is open seven days a week.
“People will walk in because of our reputation. They’ll have a respiratory infection or a cough that's been going on for quite some time,” said Kelli Lewis, MD, the medical director for Immediate Care. “And a lot of our patients have chronic respiratory diseases that are not well understood in other care settings. That's something we really bring to the community.”
The goal of the clinic is to offer general care that’s aligned with the core values of National Jewish Health. “We’re equipped to help with sprains and strains, skin infections, urinary tract infections and a variety of other conditions,” said Dr. Lewis. “Plus we have onsite laboratory and imaging services. We can do a lot of testing right here, and people can get in and out quickly.”
The conditions the Immediate Care staff can address for walk-in patients include:
- Acute (sudden problems) respiratory illnesses such as asthma, cough, bronchitis, COPD exacerbations and more
- Allergic reactions and insect stings
- Flu, COVID and other viruses
- Minor cuts, burns and rashes
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration
- Onsite laboratory and imaging services
- Sore throat, sinusitis and ear infections
- Sprains, strains and broken bones
- Urinary tract infections
Unlike many urgent care clinics throughout Denver, Immediate Care offers radiology coverage seven days a week, meaning that patients can get X-rays the day they walk in. The presence of onsite lab testing also means that physicians at the clinic can perform basic blood and urine tests in just 20 minutes, as opposed to sending samples off to a separate testing site, where it may take days for patients to receive a result.
Immediate Care has been so successful that it has drawn patients from outside of Denver, and even outside of the state. “We’ve had patients who have driven over a hundred miles to come to the clinic because they trust National Jewish Health,” said Dr. Lewis. “Some will come in on the weekends with issues that haven’t subsided. We can address their immediate needs in clinic and start them on a plan for the long term.”
Immediate Care is not an emergency room. People who are experiencing a potentially life-threatening health emergency, should call 9-1-1 immediately and go to a nearby ER.
Immediate Care is located on the main campus. It has a designated entrance in the Smith building and has free and convenience parking. Free valet service also is available Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more information, please visit our Immediate Care page or call 303.270.2183.