By Nick McConnell, Times-Herald, Vallejo, Calif. The Tribune Content Agency
NorthBay Health on Monday opened a new clinic in Dixon, which is expected to serve the northeastern end of Solano County, including parts of the unincorporated area surrounding Vacaville.
The clinic marks the fourth one of its kind to open in the area this year, with others opened in American Canyon, Winters and Rio Vista earlier this year. The extensions are part of North Bay Health's new Ambulatory Healthcare Strategy, which will see the organization spend $250 million over the next decade to open up to 10 of these clinics. The aim of the project is to bring ambulatory clinics within a 15-minute drive of all Solano County residents and to decrease specialist wait times while taking pressure off of emergency rooms.
"With its close proximity to major interstates, the airport, and educational institutions, the City of Dixon is a key community where we think we can meet and surpass patients' demands for high-quality, compassionate care that is more accessible and convenient," said Mark Behl, Chief Executive Officer of NorthBay Health. "We're thrilled to be expanding our footprint in Dixon to include urgent care services and to be one step closer to becoming the healthcare partner of choice for the region."
"At NorthBay, we believe in providing our patients with the right care at the right time and meeting them where they are. Today, we're honoring this commitment by expanding our services to include urgent care in Dixon," said Dr. Blake H. Cleveland, MD. "This clinic will benefit patients by providing immediate care for non-life-threatening conditions around their hectic family, work, and school schedules -improving access to care and alleviating a significant burden on the broader healthcare system."
Access to consistent care is a major determining factor in healthcare success, Bhel said, and creating these clinics is a huge step toward helping more people in the community access that care.
"I think it's going to have a big impact," he said.
The plan will also cut down on emergency room visit volumes, Behl said, a critical step in getting people the care they actually need. Reports show that 70 percent of emergency room visits could be handled by a primary care physician or urgent care provider, he said, but with no other options, many people take those kinds of issues to the ER. North Bay also expects to add skilled workforce jobs to the area through this plan, attracting 45 new primary care providers and 95 new specialty providers.
"I think what we hear the most from people in the ER is that they don't want to be there, and they don't need to be there," Behl said.