The pandemic has led to a significant increase in the expansion of urgent care centers, with revenue projected to reach $48 billion this year, as reported by The New York Times on Nov. 17.

Urgent care facilities have seen a 60% rise in patient visits nationwide from 2019 to 2020, driven by the escalating wait times for physician appointments and a potential shortage of up to 48,000 primary care physicians by 2034.

According to Dr. Dmitry Volfson, the chief medical officer for CityMD, the largest provider of urgent care in New York and New Jersey, urgent care is essential for addressing the gap between primary care and emergency room services. He highlighted an example of a child who required immediate medical attention for a chin injury that would have taken five hours to treat in the ER but was looked after and treated in just 25 minutes at an urgent care facility.

Projections from the Association of American Medical Colleges indicate that there will be a significant increase in revenue this year compared to 2019. Urgent care providers have emphasized their importance in providing timely and efficient medical attention that fills the void between primary care and emergency room services.