First-year success at Chelsea Hospital’s combined Emergency Department and Urgent Care
by Gregory Gafni-Pappas, D.O.
Dr. Gregory Gafni-Pappas, medical director of the combined Emergency Department and Urgent Care at Chelsea Hospital shared with the Stockbridge Community News about the positive impact the hospital believes the Urgent Care has had on the community since opening last year and some common things they treat in the summer.
Q: How have things been going at the Urgent Care?
Dr. Gafni-Pappas: It has been doing great since opening in Feb. 2022. The year prior to opening, the hospital treated about 24,000 patients at the Emergency Department. In 2022, with both the Emergency Department and Urgent Care, we saw just under 30,000. In 2023 we expect to see 33,000–34,000 patients. This is fantastic growth that shows the significant benefit of the urgent care to our community.
Q: What type of response have patients given for the Urgent Care?
Dr. Gafni-Pappas: Our patients have been pleased to have the Urgent Care conveniently located inside the Emergency Department. This helps us determine the level of care the patient needs and, in turn, provides them with the highest quality of care possible.
Q: What have you recently been treating at the Urgent Care?
Dr. Gafni-Pappas: We are seeing some upper respiratory infections — coughing, sore throats, things like that. But in general, there has never been a big viral pattern around this time of year in Michigan; that’s more of a winter issue, so we likely won’t have to worry about anything like that for several months. However, with the warm weather upon us, we do anticipate seeing more injury-related cases over the next few months.
Q: What type of injuries do you normally see in the summertime?
Dr. Gafni-Pappas: This is around the time of year many people come to the Chelsea area for recreational activities, so we treat a lot of broken bones and lacerations, to name a few. These injuries can happen to anyone at any time. Whatever it is you like to do outdoors this time of year, please make sure you are being as careful as possible and, if needed, wear proper protective equipment if you are boating, biking or horseback riding, for example.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to share with the community?
Dr. Gafni-Pappas: We are constantly introducing improvements to make the Urgent Care a better experience for everyone involved. We take our patient’s feedback very seriously, and we take pride in making adjustments to better suit the needs of our patients.
This is really beneficial to residents of Chelsea and the surrounding areas. Patients no longer have to decide where they think they should go to receive their health care; we take the decision-making out of their hands and provide them with the highest quality care at the appropriate level. Just like the Emergency Department, the Urgent Care is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so please don’t hesitate to come in if you need our help.
Gregory Gafni-Pappas, DO, is the medical director of the Emergency Department and Urgent Care at Chelsea Hospital. Photo provided by Chelsea Hospital.
Gregory Gafni-Pappas, DO, is the medical director of the Emergency Department and Urgent Care at Chelsea Hospital, a unique model where the Urgent Care is located inside the hospital’s Emergency Department. For unexpected illnesses or injuries, the Chelsea Hospital Urgent Care is open 24/7 and is in the Emergency Department, 775 S. Main Street.
