REGION: Hospital district opens health care clinics

By ANDREA MOSS - Staff Writer | Friday, May 16, 2008 8:16 PM PDT ∞

Albertson's grocery store customer Tracee Denby walks out of the new Palomar Pomerado Expresscar medical clinic after checking on the services offered at the medical office that is located in the Albertson's store in Rancho Penesquitos. (Photo by Don Boomer - Staff Photographer)

NORTH COUNTY ---- Rancho Penasquitos and Escondido residents' list of options for minor medical treatment expanded this week, when Palomar Pomerado Health opened retail health clinics inside an Albertsons store in each of the two communities.

The businesses, called PPH expresscare, are the latest entries in a relatively new field aimed at making health care more convenient and affordable for consumers.

Palomar Pomerado Health, a public hospital district that serves an 800-square-mile area that includes North County, joins Minneapolis-based MinuteClinic in the field. MinuteClinic launched half a dozen of its own retail health centers in the county last year.

Each of the PPH expresscare clinics includes a single exam room with a separate reception area and a patient restroom. The clinics are staffed with family nurse practitioners who can treat and prescribe drugs for routine illnesses such as the flu, ear infections and bronchitis.

The retail medical centers also offer a limited array of vaccinations and health screenings, treatments for minor injuries like sprains and burns, and the types of physical exams required by schools and sports organizations.

All the medical services are available on a walk-in basis from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Fees range from $25 for blood sugar/diabetes testing to $110 for a meningitis shot.

The centers' medical director, Dr. Don Herip, said Friday that the businesses will help fill a gap for people who have relatively minor health problems that crop up unexpectedly. The clinics are not intended to replace primary-care physicians, urgent care centers or emergency rooms, he said.

"The philosophy is it's just for episodic care if they can't get in to see their regular doctor or something comes up over the weekend," Herip said. "It's really for convenience ---- particularly evenings and weekends. ... If it's too serious for us, we refer them to an urgent care center or emergency room."

Business was slow Friday morning at the PPH expresscare in Rancho Penasquitos. However, family nurse practitioner Tania Marek said she and other staff members had seen several dozen patients since the health center opened Monday.

The list of ailments already treated included athlete's foot, a urinary tract infection and a sore throat, she said. The staff had also performed about 80 sports physicals for children and teens, largely the result of a special $25 offer extended to local Pop Warner teams, Marek said.

"It's great to be part of something that's ... new for health care," said Marek, who lives nearby. "And it's very convenient for people in this community."

Stonish Pierce, manager of clinical outreach services for the hospital district, said its affliation with the retail health centers means Palomar Pomerado Health doctors are always available to the nurse practitioners to consult with if needed. Patients seen at PPH expresscare can take home printouts of their treatments that they can give to their regular doctors, and the centers' staffs make a point of following up with patients' physicians whenever warranted, he said.

The approach ensures "a whole continuity of care" for PPH expresscare customers, Herip said.

PPHexpresscare reatil health clinics are inside the Albertsons at 1509 E. Valley Parkway, Escondido, and at 14340 Penasquitos Drive (at Carmel Mountain Road and Interstate 15) in Rancho Penasquitos.

Call (800) 628-2880 or log on to pphexpresscare.org.

Contact staff writer Andrea Moss at (760) 739-6654 or amoss@nctimes.com.

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Pre-Registration Comments[-]Go to Top

Government Empire Builders wrote on May 16, 2008 8:42 PM:The hospital district has lost its focus: THE HOSPITAL!

Terrific wrote on May 16, 2008 10:08 PM:This is what Oceanside/Tri City needs to do.
Fanatastic!Obviously the first blogger has never had a problem seeking and receiving medical treatment. These centers should be everywhere!

Escondeeter wrote on May 16, 2008 11:57 PM:In a way, they are helping the hospital. The Escondido clinic is close enough to PPH that it may draw a few of the folks who would otherwise end up seeking routine minor care in the most expensive possible setting, the emergency room.

Given the choice between a three hour wait in the ER to get their flu treated, and getting it treated immediately right down the road for fifty bucks, some of the ER leaches may actually find themselves engaging in the heretofore unheard-of activity of paying for one's own medical care.

We fulfilled our promised wrote on May 17, 2008 6:50 AM:Hay Escondido, We fulfilled our promised to have a downtown village. So Naysayers please stop complaining

Money wrote on May 17, 2008 6:52 AM:Now we know why PPH is running out of money to fulfill their commitments. They keep spending and spending on everything except the goal the hospital.

Nuts wrote on May 17, 2008 7:00 AM:This is nuts. The hospital is full of consumers, the doctor’s office is full of consumers. But when I went by the PPH expresscare office no one was there. Way to go PPH..... This DUMB

Policy Guy wrote on May 17, 2008 8:25 AM:Are the people complaining about the expresscare office the same ones who constantly complain about overcrowded emergency rooms? This is an interesting and inventive way to allow people with minor ailments to avoid the emergency room, thereby saving cost and time. It may help free up the ER for people with more significant illnesses and injuries. I applaud Palomar Pomerado for their innovative spirit. Hopefully everyone will be able to give this a chance before condemning it.

PPH work horse wrote on May 17, 2008 9:48 AM:I think it's great. Way to go. I'm just tired of PPH trying to get money out of me, an employee, for the new hospital... -sigh-

Tina P wrote on May 17, 2008 3:23 PM:I also went by the PPH expresscare office in escondido no one was there. Maybe they should bring LT. I now people would come for that

ER Leaches wrote on May 17, 2008 4:37 PM:What do you mean by ER Leaches? Who would go to an emergency room without an emergency. That would be way too expensive! You must be mentioning people who go to emergency room (rather than commercial medical offices) without any intention of paying for the service. Those people will never go to the ExpressCare because it is not free. Thus, the logic of your argument is flawed. The ExpressCare facilities are just a distraction. The PPH administration should focus ALL of its attention on getting the new hospital finished on time and on schedule. Right now that is not happening!

Copy Cats wrote on May 17, 2008 4:50 PM:PPH is just copying what commercial companies have been doing for several years. Again, PPH uses its position as a government agency subsidized by property taxes to extend its monopoly in the region. www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/08/11/health/11_19_048_10_07.txt Our property tax liability is unlimited as long as PPH continues its desire for taxpayer financed glory.

Tina P wrote on May 18, 2008 2:54 PM:I also went by the PPH expresscare office in escondido no one was there. Maybe they should bring LT. I know people would come for that. Go LT

Way to go PPH wrote on May 19, 2008 8:12 PM:PPH just opened this service as another way to provide quality health care and to reach out to the community. It has been fully staffed since obtaining licensing - just a few days ago. What nice, knowledgeable Nurse Practitioner staff and what a great service to offer someone who is ill. Quick, convenient access to high quality medical care - there is no down side to this!

The Truth wrote on May 20, 2008 7:37 AM:This is one of the best ideas that PPH has had in years! Many of those people in the ED are working poor who can afford the 50 bucks, but simply don't have health insurance. Also, this is a great convenient alternative for the insured who prefer convenience. I would much rather go here than wait 4 hours in nearly ANY ED now days for a sore throat or take 2 hours off from work to travel to my doctor's office, sit in his waiting room and finally be seen for 5 minutes. I agree with TERRIFIC, these centers should be everywhere.

anorther PPH employee wrote on May 25, 2008 11:08 AM:The money they are asking for from employees is for the foundation. They are using that money to Pay LT his 2 million. And we are not allowed to ask for photos or autographs from LT when he does events with PPH like the employee picnic a few weeks ago

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