This past Tuesday, UrgenCare Clinic in LaGrange celebrated not only their fifth anniversary, but also their newest addition: 1100 square feet of space dedicated entirely to occupational medical care. The expansion offers three pre-employment physical exam rooms equipped with vision and hearing test equipment, a drug test restroom, and a POET program room where patients can objectively measure their physical capabilities for jobs like line work and warehousing.
Ryan Gatens, one of the owners and providers of UrgenCare, expresses how the regular urgent care area will have more room to work with the sick now that pre-employment exams and drug tests will be conducted in the newest area.
“Offering OccMed for patients here means that we’re supporting local industries like the railroad and the KIA plant,” he states.
The POET (Post-Offer Employment Testing) exam room is equipped with weights, a mock electrical board, and other job-specific testing equipment companies can utilize to measure a patient’s strength and on-the-job capabilities. Not many clinics around have this program – that’s why when some industry partners requested it, Ryan and his team knew they had to add it.
The clinic’s urgency in helping the community out is displayed in many other ways, as well. From the front desk receptionist’s smiles, to the caring medical staff, patients can be assured that they will be seen as promptly as possible and with humanity. No team member will be asking you questions from behind a computer screen. The main urgent care staff and the OccMed staff will have you feeling at home not only in their facility, but in your own body.
“Our goal is to keep you out of the emergency room as long as it’s safe,” Ryan says.
Ashley Redding, the Training Coordinator, shares that working at UrgenCare has been very rewarding since she started working there when the location opened five years ago. Visiting patients in each room lends her a special perspective about the condition people of all ages face.
“I really love to see people leave with a smile on their face after coming in so sick,” she says.
Bridget Cosper, one of the occupational health coordinators, was kind enough to give me a tour of some of the OccMed equipment. Inside the audio test room stands the Titmus machine. It looks much like a refrigerator, but inside, patients can use headphones to listen to various sounds, and a button to respond to them. To ensure all patients understand the audio instructions, there are dozens of languages from which they can choose to complete the test. From Hindi to Spanish, to Korean, the options ensure the tests can be done swiftly and accurately. The results are then immediately printed out for the patient and their employer.
The Titmus machine isn’t new, but the room is. With many years of OccMed under her belt, Cosper can attest that having the machine in its own room frees up much needed space in the sick rooms. The same can be said for the visual testing room.
The smiles at the ribbon cutting were a testament to the excitement of all in having a roomier facility where patients as well as staff can enjoy a more private place for care. The OccMed area even has its own waiting area so OccMed patients can avoid exposure to those who are there for illnesses.
The Director of Occupational Health at UrgenCare Kam Gatens thanked everyone who had supported the expansion and the clinic throughout the years. “We couldn’t have done it without all of you!” she exclaimed.
Trust UrgenCare for your urgent care needs by visiting them at 2169 West Point Road in LaGrange. They are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. and Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
For more information, you can give them a call at 706-668-5140 or visit their website, www.urgencare.com/lagrange-ga.
