Dr Heffer was interviewed by Bill Fallon of WestfairOnline, the online version of Fairfield County Business Journal Here’s an excerpt:

You’ve opened a new urgent care facility. How big is its footprint? How many on staff and in what positions?

“Our urgent care center is 3,700 square feet. We currently employ 12 to 15 people, some full-time staff as well as part-time. The positions include medical assistants, nurses and radiology technicians. We also have a full-time center administrator and marketing director.”

We hear of an increase in the number of insured nationally. What do the local data show?

“The local data indicate that Connecticut has had an increased number of insured, many recently signed before the recent deadline set by the federal government.”

What is an urgent care center? When did they begin? And, specifically, what treatments might a patient find in an urgent care facility?

“Urgent care centers have existed for several decades and have increased in numbers dramatically to address the changing climate of medicine and patient needs. Most urgent care centers treat everything: from broken bones, to lacerations, to respiratory illnesses, to name a few. There are never appointments needed, and the facilities are best suited for illness that doesn’t require critical care that the hospital ER provides.” read more