UAB Urgent Care clinic opening in downtown Birmingham

UAB Medicine Urgent Care, a convenient clinic backed by the full resources of UAB Medicine, is scheduled to open May 22 to treat adults for non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries in its location at 125 20th Street South, Suite 103.

"This is ideal for the downtown community, UAB employees, UAB patients who do not have a primary care physician, and established primary care patients who either are unable to see their physician or need to be seen after hours," says Stuart Cohen, MD, associate professor of Internal Medicine.

UAB Medicine Urgent Care will be open seven days a week to treat patients ages 18 and older. Operating hours are 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. One medical doctor and one nurse practitioner will be onsite during hours of operation.

"It is a walk-in clinic, so no appointment is necessary," says Andrew Allen, MD, UAB School of Medicine graduate and lead physician for the facility, who expects an average 65 to 70 patients will be seen daily. "We won't be equipped to handle codes or unstable conditions. Those cases will still need to go to the ER. Everything else should be fair game."

UAB Medicine Urgent Care will treat patients for all non-emergent medical conditions, such as upper respiratory tract and urinary tract infections, sinusitis, headache, cuts/abrasions, mild orthopedic injuries, hypertensive urgency, and mild exacerbations of chronic conditions including asthma, COPD, or congestive heart failure.

For more information, including a map of the clinic location, visit uabmedicine.org/UrgentCare or call 205-801-5251.

The 2,756-square-foot clinic features seven exam rooms, a digital X-ray, a moderate complexity lab, and will employ the UAB electronic health record, which will enable seamless follow-up and communication with other UAB providers. Clinic physicians will not refill or change narcotic or other controlled substance prescriptions. Patients must have those requests handled by their primary care physician.

Free parking is available in the deck attached to the clinic building; enter from 1st Avenue South. Most insurance plans are accepted, and patients are asked to bring their insurance card to their visit.

Cushman & Wakefield | EGS Commercial Real Estate helped UAB identify the location for the clinic and represented UAB in the lease negotiation. EGS broker Bill Sanders said the location between UAB and the central business district gives it a high visibility. "It's located on the ground floor of a very successful apartment development, whose residents will benefit from having a doctor's office onsite," Sanders says. "Employees of UAB have the convenience of walking to a clinic only a few blocks away from most of the hospital. We also think that this is another sign of positive momentum for downtown."

"This is a high-growth area of downtown, and a great urgent care option for downtown employees who need access to this care around their work schedules," says Thalia Baker, executive director of primary care and development.

For more information, including a map of the clinic location, visit uabmedicine.org/UrgentCare or call (205) 801-5251.