VALDOSTA, GA. (WTXL) — The flu, colds, and other seasonal illnesses can strike at the worst times. And for many in rural South Georgia, finding quick medical care isn’t always easy.
That’s why SGMC Health just opened a second urgent care in Valdosta, aiming to provide faster and more accessible healthcare.
“One of the reasons we opened up this urgent care is especially right now with, you know, the flu season. You know, it's a great place when you can't get in quickly with your doctor's office when you're sick and you need to get seen on an urgent, you know, timeframe.”
The urgent care is open daily, offering walk-in services for those times when you’re too sick to wait for a primary care appointment but don’t need the ER.
LPN Wayne Rojas says it’s the perfect solution for in-between care.
“So I think this is going to provide a great need for the community, provide great access to healthcare. Intermediate services when you're not sick enough to go to the emergency room, but you can't get in to see your primary doctor, that's where we come in.”
For rural residents in our area, access to immediate care has been a long-standing challenge, with 3,500 patients for every one healthcare provider.
Dr. Elizabeth Flail says this new location bridges that gap.
“There’s no real urgent care access points there, so we felt like that would be a good location to serve our community at an established point for SGMC.”
For neighbors residing in the Southside, the new SGMC Urgent Care is located at 520 Griffin Avenue.
In Valdosta, I’m Malia Thomas, reporting for ABC27.
