MainStreet Family Urgent Care expands services

MainStreet Family Urgent Care on Alabama Highway 14 has begun accepting primary care patients.

Patients who register online for MainStreet’s Family Select program can use the MainStreet clinic for a number of ailments such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, annual wellness exams and other medication management, according to a statement from the company.

To accommodate the larger patient volume, MainStreet has developed an online portal that will allow for transparent and efficient primary care management where patients can schedule appointments, request medication refills, view lab results and pay bills, according to the company.

“We believe that primary care is the backbone of the health care system,” MainStreet Chief Executive Officer Sam Eskildsen said. “Most healthcare providers agree that early detection and preventative care are essential to keeping people healthy and lowering the overall cost of providing care.”

Alabama has the sixth-lowest number of doctors per person in the country. In Alabama, there are only 178 physicians per 100,000 residents available. To meet the healthcare demand, 158 more physicians would need to begin practicing in the state. By 2030 Alabama will need 612 additional primary care physicians to adequately meet patients’ needs.

A study from the American Academy of Family Physicians suggests that almost 130,000 deaths per year in the United States could be averted if there were more primary care physicians. In areas of the country where there are more primary care providers per person, death rates for cancer, heart disease, and stroke are lower and people are less likely to require hospitalization.

“Alabama has a serious shortage of physicians, and our rural areas are hit especially hard,” said Dr. Timothy Taylor, chief medical officer to MainStreet Family Care. “Many residents have felt the consequences of this primary care shortage whether they’ve experienced long wait times at their local doctor’s office or endured a sickness for days before they’re seen or traveled miles to make an appointment. We’re excited to offer a solution to tackle these issues.”

Eskildsen said that having primary care doctors improves the health of the entire community.

“We feel that offering primary care not only keeps our families and neighbors healthy, but also helps attract other businesses to the area, providing more jobs and growing the local economy,” he said.

Based in Birmingham, MainStreet operates 16 clinics, making it rural Alabama’s largest, non-governmental provider of urgent care and primary care services.