Westwood MinuteClinic Adds Hours For Patient Demand

When Michael Gordon felt a little sick a few weeks ago and feared he had caught strep throat, he went straight to the  for answers, not a prescription.

"And within twenty minutes, I knew I didn't have it," Gordon said.

Instead of calling his doctor and waiting days or weeks for an appointment when he feels under the weather, Gordon said he usually finds a MinuteClinic at a nearby CVS. MinuteClinics are walk-in only medical clinics that are staffed by certified nurse practitioners and physician assistants, and the demand for them is growing.

Earlier this month, the Westwood MinuteClinic extended its hours to respond to patient demand. MinuteClinic staff members can treat and prescribe medication for most common illnesses. They also treat minor wounds, sprains and give vaccinations.

"It's very popular," said Jeanette Sirkin, MinuteClinic's assistant district manager in Los Angeles. "There are a lot of traveling people, for business [and] personal, school, UCLA -- we get a lot of people there."

Sirkin said she's seen an increase in patients at MinuteClinics in LA over the past two years. Patients tell her they return because the walk-in policy fits their schedule and MinuteClinics accept all major insurance plans. Sirkin sees MinuteClinic playing an important role in reserving urgent care services at hospitals for those who really need it.

"We see ourselves as an adjunct to primary care providers," Sirkin said. "Really, we just try to decrease the demand on emergency rooms and urgent care for some of the less serious things…which is really what the community needs. Instead of having to wait a week or two to get in to see their provider or sit in urgent care for a couple of hours because they don't have a broken arm, they can come in and get seen in a few minutes."

The new hours at the Westwood MinuteClinic are below:

• Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.
• Saturday-Sunday 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

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