Osage County residents will soon have a new option for treating minor illnesses and injuries without making the drive to Jefferson City or waiting days for an appointment with a primary care provider.

The Osage County Health Department’s new Quick Care clinic will begin seeing patients on Aug. 10, with a formal grand opening planned for Sept. 25. The clinic will be open 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

Quick Care is designed to fill the gap between a primary care office and an emergency room by treating same-day medical concerns that generally resolve within a short period of time.

Among the conditions the clinic expects to treat are upper respiratory illnesses, urinary tract infections, ear infections, sore throats, poison ivy and other rashes, shingles, minor skin infections, yeast infections, ringworm, earwax removal, abscess drainage, and minor wounds. Samantha will also perform limited stitches for cuts on the arms, legs and trunk, but not facial injuries, finger injuries, or wounds requiring more extensive treatment or a plastic surgeon.

“If you need to see a doctor for something small, not related to a chronic condition, something that is going to last less than two weeks, I’m probably your girl,” said Samantha Casteel, the Quick Care’s nurse practitioner. “Things with chronic conditions like heart failure or asthma... I’m going to tell you to go see primary care.”

The clinic can also remove stitches from non-surgical wounds that were placed elsewhere. Surgical wounds and infected surgical incisions should continue to be treated by the operating surgeon.

Sports physicals, preemployment physicals, tuberculosis testing, and other preemployment-related exams will also be available. Students should arrive with their school physical paperwork already completed before the examination begins.

The clinic will also offer tick-related care, including education, tick removal, and alpha-gal blood testing, an important service in a region where tick bites are common.

Patients with dental pain may also benefit from the new clinic. While Quick Care cannot replace a dentist, Samantha said she can prescribe antibiotics for visible dental abscesses to help patients until they can obtain a dental appointment.

Quick Care will also provide temporary “bridge” refills for some established prescription medications when patients are unable to see their regular provider. Samantha said those refills are intended only for medications patients are already taking, and are not meant to replace ongoing primary care.

Controlled medications, including most used to treat ADHD and narcotic pain medications, cannot be prescribed through Quick Care because the clinic does not have a DEA license. Patients needing those medications should contact their regular provider.

Some services, including laboratory tests, will carry an additional charge beyond the clinic’s $40 base visit fee, depending on the supplies and testing required. Flu and strep tests, for example, are expected to add only a small amount to the cost of the visit. Health Department officials said they are finalizing a complete fee schedule.

The clinic will accept Missouri Medicaid, but will not bill private insurance or Medicare. Health Department Administrator Kim Sallin said limiting billing to Medicaid will allow the clinic to operate without the staff and office space that would be required to process claims and appeals from multiple insurance companies. Quick Care is not intended to replace emergency medical care. Patients who believe they have a broken bone, require X-rays or advanced imaging, have severe head injuries, serious trauma or other medical emergencies should call an ambulance or go directly to an emergency department rather than stopping at Quick Care first.

The clinic does not have imaging equipment, and Samantha said delaying emergency care in those situations could cost valuable time. “Nine times out of 10, your gut is right,” she added. “If you think you need to go to the ER, you do.”

Sallin emphasized that existing Health Department services will not be reduced when Quick Care opens Aug. 10. Patients needing routine services, such as blood draws, will continue to be accommodated, although wait times could increase if Quick Care is busy.

She said the goal is to provide affordable, timely care for problems that often don’t require an emergency room but still shouldn’t wait days or weeks for treatment.

If the program proves successful, officials hope it can eventually expand. “I have a feeling our needs are going to outpace the space fairly quickly,” Samantha said.