Southcoast Health System announced today that the new Southcoast Urgent Care Center located at 208 Mill Road in Fairhaven, is open to the public. The new urgent care center treats adults and children and is open seven days a week. Hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome with no appointment necessary.

              "The new Southcoast Urgent Care Center significantly improves patient access to care -right here in our own community, where the care is needed most," said Keith A. Hovan, President & CEO of Southcoast Health System and Southcoast Hospitals Group

          "The new center provides the highest quality care to non-emergent patients who previously had to seek care in an emergency room. Urgent care provides access to a less intense setting for patients and helps ER providers focus on the most critical needs of the community."

            Southcoast Urgent Care Center is staffed by a specialized team of physicians, nurses, and medical assistants and offers a full array of services including on-site radiology and laboratory services, basic orthopedics, gynecologic and minor surgical treatments as well as intravenous fluids and medications. Common reasons for visiting urgent care include: injuries such as strains, sprains and fractures; infections; animal bites; skin conditions; burns; lacerations; casting; contusions; cold or flu symptoms; immunizations and vaccinations; and school and sports physicals.

            "We encourage the community, including existing Southcoast patients, to take advantage of the new urgent care services offered in Fairhaven," said Pamela L. Spatz, MD, Medical Director, Southcoast Urgent Care. "Urgent care is an excellent alternative to the emergency room when non-emergent issues arise during evening and weekend hours. Our specialized team of providers is here for you. To provide the care you need, when you need it - right here in your own backyard."

            Southcoast Urgent Care Center is located at the Southcoast Center for Primary and Specialty Care in Fairhaven which opened in June and is adjacent to the Southcoast Centers for Cancer Care.  In addition to radiology and laboratory services, the center includes a retail pharmacy that offers the community a complete inventory of medications at competitive prices and is staffed by experienced pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. Over-the-counter medications and personal health care items are also available. As of August 12, the retail pharmacy has extended hours to meet the needs of urgent care patients in need of prescriptions.

            For more information on Southcoast Urgent Care, visit www.southcoasturgentcare.org<http://www.southcoasturgentcare.org>.

 About Southcoast Center for Primary and Specialty Care

            The Southcoast Center for Primary and Specialty Care is a two-story, 61,000 square-foot ambulatory care center located at 208 Mill Road in Fairhaven, adjacent to the Southcoast Centers for Cancer Care. The center provides a much needed expansion of health care services to the community with a greater emphasis on prevention and treating patients before they become acutely ill.

           The facility includes an urgent care center that operates seven days a week walk-in care and brings together some 40 physicians including internal medicine, family practice, and pediatrics as well as specialists in general surgery, thoracic surgery, colorectal surgery, cardiology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, nephrology, pulmonology, dermatology and urology.

            The new center also includes comprehensive outpatient laboratory, radiology and cardiac testing services include X-ray, ultrasound, nuclear medicine, bone densitometry/dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scanning, electrocardiogram (EKG), Holter monitoring, pulmonary function testing, and echocardiology.

            The Southcoast Pharmacy is located onsite, offering the community a complete inventory of medications at competitive prices and is staffed by experienced pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. Over-the-counter medications and personal health care items are also available.

 About Southcoast Health System & Southcoast Hospitals Group

 Southcoast Health System is a community based health delivery system with multiple access points, offering an integrated continuum of health services throughout Southeastern Massachusetts and East Bay, Rhode Island. It includes the three hospitals that make up Southcoast Hospitals Group - Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford and Tobey Hospital in Wareham.

 Southcoast provides advanced clinical services, such as open heart surgery, angioplasty and heart rhythm services, comprehensive cancer care, neurosurgery, weight loss surgery, orthopedic surgery, advanced imaging services and is the only provider of maternity services in the region.

 Southcoast is a not-for-profit charitable organization that depends on the support of the community to provide services. More information is available online at www.southcoast.org<http://www.southcoast.org>. Connect to Southcoast through social media at www.southcoast.org/connect/<http://www.southcoast.org/connect/>.