Two private medical facilities have moved into State College in the past six months, seeking to take advantage of a burgeoning market in urgent care.
Nittany Urgent Care opened its doors at 2615 E. College Ave. in July. On the other end of town, MedExpress Urgent Care opened at 1613 N. Atherton St. in September.
Both operate on a business model that aims to reduce the time it takes a patient to see a doctor and charge lower prices for treatments, when compared with an emergency room visit.
“Many emergency room visits are urgent in need,” said Dr. Victor Starcher, regional medical director for MedExpress, which operates 49 urgent care centers in four states. “Quite often there is an overutilization of hospital emergency room services.”
MedExpress chose to enter the State College market after taking into account variables such as the area’s increasing population and rising number of emergency room visits, he said.
Dr. Paul Kattupalli, of Nittany Urgent Care, said his facility keeps costs lower, and therefore charges less than a hospital for some treatments.
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