OSF HealthCare and Physicians Immediate Care form Joint Venture

In a move designed to increase access and help patients better manage their health care, OSF HealthCare and Physicians Immediate Care have formed a new joint venture that involves operation of urgent care and occupational medicine facilities in the greater Rockford area. By creating more access points for patients, providing needed care in a lower cost setting than an emergency department, and improving care coordination among providers, the move supports both organizations’ efforts to most effectively manage the care of the patients they serve.

Under the agreement, effective November 15, 2017, Physicians Immediate Care will continue to be the medical provider of services in these clinics with management services provided by the joint venture. Physicians Immediate Care and OSF HealthCare will also work collaboratively to provide occupational services to corporate clients and their employees in the Rockford area.

"It provides you access to more locations for any, immediate care service that you would need, during the daytime or on off hours" says Dr. Michael Kouimelis, Director, Primary Care, OSF HealthCare Northern Region. "It allows, you would be going to an affiliated facility which will, basically grant you access, or easier access to OSF services as well. Those doctors will actually have communication with your primary care physician and be able to pass on that information from that visit to your primary care physician. That way you can get appropriate follow up." 

The joint venture will include five existing immediate care/occupational medicine clinics. The state-of-the-art clinics are open seven days a week with patient-friendly hours. They are fully equipped with X-ray capability, lab testing and 6-8 exam rooms -- including a pediatric room and trauma room -- for treating non-life-threatening injuries and illnesses.

“We are honored to partner with OSF in the Rockford region that we have proudly served for over 30 years,” says Stan Blaylock, CEO of Physicians Immediate Care. “We share a common mission of providing our patients and our clients with the “greatest care” possible; at Physicians Immediate Care our passion is “remarkable care you can count on.” Together with OSF, we intend to provide the community with even more access to convenient, cost-effective urgent care and occupational health services.”

The health care industry is shifting its focus from treating the sick to working proactively to keep people healthy. This partnership is part of OSF’s larger effort to embrace that shift and ensure that it is treating people in the right place, at the right time and delivering on the triple aim of health care - providing clinical excellence, outstanding value and exceptional experience to achieve better health for the communities it serves.

"It's becoming more and more difficult for organizations to individually and, in a small shell, to try to control costs on their own," says Dr. Kouimelis. "That, as we progress and we grow, and grow our services and get them more aligned, that we do provide affordable care to our patients with greater access and more appropriate services."

Clinic locations include: Belvidere - 1663 Belvidere Rd; two in Rockford - 6595 E State St. and 3475 S Alpine Rd; Machesney Park - 11475 N 2nd St, and Loves Park - 1000 E Riverside Blvd.

OSF HealthCare also operates a PromptCare immediate care clinic at their OSF-Center for Health - Rock Cut, 9951 Rock Cut Crossing, Loves Park. Another OSF PromptCare will open next spring as part of the new North Tower addition to the medical center at 5666 East State Street.