St. Joseph Mercy Oakland (SJMO) has purchased the HealthFirst Medical Center in Lake Orion and opened a hospital-based urgent care center in its place.
The newly named facility is SJMO Urgent Care Lake Orion, and is located at 1375 S. Lapeer Rd., Suite 106, in the Bald Mountain Regional Medical Complex.
‘Right now the operation is running the same as before,? noted Vice President of Operations Denise Brooks-Williams.
SJMO took over operations on April 1, and Brooks-Williams said they will identify any service gaps and could add services in the future.
They purchased HealthFirst from Dr. Kevin Robertson, who noted that SJMO also bought the Bald Mountain Diagnostic Imaging Center.
‘I felt it was time for me, personally, to do other things in life,? said Robertson, adding that he would like to pursue charitable medicine in the area in the future, but first has projects outside of medicine to pursue.
Robertson said there was a partial staff hold-over in the purchase.
‘We were in our 12th year and I think we did a good job while we were at it,? he said. ‘We offered a first in this area.?
The new SJMO urgent care center is staffed by board-certified physicians, registered nurses and medical assistants. The facility already provides family medicine, urgent care and radiology services, such as mammograms and ultrasounds. Because it is hospital-based, the Lake Orion center will be able to offer patients more healthcare resources.
The urgent care center provides treatment for non-life-threatening concerns, such as coughs, earaches, sore throat, fever, minor cuts, sprains, minor rashes or burns, ear infections, minor asthma-related symptoms and minor stomach ailments. Basic x-rays and lab tests for pregnancy, strep throat, glucose and more also are offered.
‘The addition of this urgent care center will allow SJMO to offer patients a whole new level of continuous care,? said SJMO President and CEO Jack Weiner. ‘We have the same dedicated physicians and caregivers, but with stronger and deeper resources that accompany our hospital affiliation.?
All patients will be encouraged to seek follow-up care from their own family physicians. Those who do not have a designated family physician will have an opportunity to select an SJMO primary care physician through the SJMO Same-Day Appointment program. The Lake Orion facility is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. No appointment is necessary. Most health insurance plans are accepted.
Last November, SJMO opened an urgent care center in Waterford and a third facility is planned for White Lake Township.
St. Joseph Mercy Oakland is a 428-bed comprehensive community hospital located on the west side of Woodward, just north of Square Lake Road in Pontiac. It is a member of Trinity Health, the fourth largest Catholic healthcare system in the United States.
The SJMO Urgent Care Lake Orion facility can be reached at (248)693-9040.