SOLANTIC, SHANDS ANNOUNCE PLANS TO OPEN URGENT CARE CENTER IN GAINESVILLE
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (April 30, 2009)— Solantic, Florida’s leading provider of walk-in urgent care, and Shands HealthCare today announced plans to open an urgent care center in Gainesville.
Shands HealthCare and Solantic will jointly own the co-branded center, which will be managed and staffed by Solantic personnel. The 4,300-square-foot center will be located in the Ayers Medical Plaza at 720 S.W. 2nd Avenue. It will open in September 2009, just before Shands will merge its Gainesville emergency and trauma services and open the new, state-of-the-art Shands Critical Care Center on its nearby academic medical center campus in November.
"We explored a number of options and found that the urgent care model is the best next step to help us meet our communities’ medical needs,” said Steve Blumberg, Shands HealthCare vice president of planning and business development. "It became evident through our due diligence that a partnership with Solantic was an optimal solution. Patients will have more options within our healthcare system to serve them when they need care for urgent but not life-threatening conditions.”
The urgent care center will serve as another gateway through which patients can access Shands’ services.
"An important part of our growth strategy and evolution as a company is to enter into joint ventures with hospitals in key geographic areas that can benefit from a low-cost, convenient and appropriate alternative to emergency room services,” said Bryan Wright, Solantic national director of acquisitions, joint ventures and real estate. "We’re thrilled to be in a position to serve the Gainesville community in this capacity and to partner with an esteemed organization such as Shands HealthCare.”
Solantic’s patient-centric centers are staffed by board-certified physicians and a full complement of medical professionals who offer urgent care services, including treatment of fractures, sprains, infections and other minor illnesses. The center will provide on-site X-ray and lab procedures and most Solantic centers also offer prescription services.
This is the third hospital joint venture announced by Solantic. The Jacksonville-based company currently has 24 centers in operation throughout Florida, with an additional five centers currently under construction. This is the first such venture for Shands HealthCare.
"Solantic’s business model is proven to deliver high-quality, affordable urgent healthcare,” said Jodi Mansfield, Shands HealthCare executive vice president and chief operating officer. "We believe this center will complement existing services in the Shands system."
Solantic Media Contact:
Mary Green – (904) 312-5374
or (904) 524-2137
Solantic.com
Shands Media Contact:
Jeff Kelly – (352) 265-0373
or (800) 535-0373