On Tuesday, University Health Services at the University of Massachusetts began offering patients same-day appointments as part of a plan to reduce wait times at its walk-in clinic.
Patients can now call or visit UHS to schedule an appointment with a doctor or nurse practitioner for later in the day or the following morning. All of the health care practitioners at UHS will be available for same-day appointments.
According to Dr. George Corey, executive director of UHS, the institution’s concerted effort to improve walk-in clinic care partly results from a survey that UHS conducted to guide its new mission statement last semester. The study surveyed thousands of UMass students, faculty and staff, and found that walk-in care is one of the most valued services that UHS offers.
He explained that wait times are long because there are not always enough physicians and nurse practitioners available to accommodate the large patient volume. This can be frustrating for patients and may result in many not being able to receive medical attention.
“When waiting times are excessive, a person might not receive care. That person may choose not to stay, they may come to the door and look at the long wait and turn around and go. And so people may choose to not get care for things that they might otherwise want care for, and some of those may be things that need to be addressed soon,” Corey said.
Freshman Victoria Reis once waited to be seen at the walk-in clinic for three hours before being seen by a doctor for a broken toe.
“It really was a waste of time,” she said. “I literally could have driven to an actual hospital and back before I could have been seen. If there were an actual emergency, I would have been dead.”
Freshman Nate Fair similarly experienced a two-and-a-half hour wait to be seen at the walk-in clinic so that a doctor could prescribe him an asthma inhaler.
“I waited for an hour and a half and I was seen by a nurse, and I waited for another hour in the waiting room to be seen again by a doctor,” he said. “The entire time I was there, one person saw a doctor and she had been there since 10 a.m. and it was 12:30 (p.m.).”
Fair contemplated leaving UHS without receiving medical care to avoid sitting in the waiting room.
“I was struggling because it wasn’t like I was going to pass out or die or anything and I was in a crowded space with sick people, and in part because I would rather go home and take a nap than to sit in a waiting room,” he said.
“It all translates, for the most part, into having enough providers, doctors and nurse practitioners to see people,” Corey said, adding of the wait times: “We are very aware that they are not optimal.”
Between now and January, UHS will increase the number of health care practitioners who are available to see patients by five. UHS is also hiring an evening physician at the walk-in clinic.
Corey, aware of the deterring effect that long wait times can have, reaffirmed UHS’s commitment to providing quality health care to students.
“We are eager to see students when they have health concerns, small or large, and we’re very open about any input,” he said.
Haley Schilling can be reached at [email protected]
