New Urgent Care Clinic Opens For The Community

MORE THAN JUST URGENT CARE

Quality First Urgent Care has opened in the Bensonhurst/Borough Park area of Brooklyn and is bringing New York City level medical care to the community. The clinic is a 6,000-square-foot facility at 6010 Bay Parkway in the, multi-specialty, Calko medical building. “We actually aim to be an ER alternative,” said Jacob Gerlitz, NP, the clinic’s director, who outfitted the facility with a hospital-grade lab, digital X-rays, ultrasound, access to MRI and CT scan, IV therapy, and spacious treatment rooms. He said, Quality First offers many benefits including relationships with medical specialists, and from arranging follow-up home visits through Doctors on Call, an affiliate company of QualityFirst. While there are many urgent care clinics, QualityFirst is like a mini hospital that respects your valuable time. It’s open every day 11am-11pm, even on Shabbos and Jewish holidays. Qualityfirst is a fully capable ER alternative for non-emergency situations.

ENHANCING PRIMARY CARE

Paul Rosenstock, MD, CEO and Director of Medical Affairs for Doctors on Call – New York City’s largest home visiting medical service – wanted to create an urgent care clinic that supplemented the community’s primary care services. As Dr. Rosenstock says “we are great for urgent matters, but we make sure you go back to your primary doctor for definitive care.”

“QualityFirst saved my life!” says Rachel W. who was recently treated at the clinic. “It was Friday afternoon and while shopping on Avenue M I tripped and fell and hurt my ankle. I was in a lot of pain and wanted an x-ray, but didn’t want to go to the ER and be stuck there for Shabbos. A friend told me about Qualityfirst. They saw me with no wait. I had a full medical exam, x-rays and they even wrapped my ankle and offered me crutches. I was back home in under an hour. They even arranged a ride for me to get back home and helped me get an expedited orthopedic appointment. I was so relieved, as was my family. It would’ve been devastating to be without my family for Shabbos.”

COMFORTABLE EMERGENCY ROOM ALTERNATIVE

Brooklyn has had many hospital closures causing the remaining hospital ERs to get even more crowded. The recent closing of Long Island College Hospital has removed a precious resource, and for some, has raised anxieties about the level of care available. Yet, out of LICH’s Emergency department comes Jacob Gerlitz, NP, an attending ER medical provider who is a talented clinician and understands the current healthcare environment. He spent formative years running the LICH emergency room fast track unit and is now the Medical Director of Urgent Care at QualityFirst.

The clinic is constructed with the fit and finish of a hospital ER. The building is built with industrial safety measures that can withstand hurricanes, floods and blackouts.

QualityFirst provides essential and urgent care in its spacious exam rooms that are big enough to accommodate not only patients but also their families. “The clinic is designed as an Emergency Department Fast Track,” says Gerlitz, “you just walk in and get fast medical care with no appointment needed. Like an ER we feature large procedure rooms, private rooms for sensitive exams, hospital-grade laboratory, digital x-rays and ultrasound. We’re also fully stocked with oral medications, injectable medicines, and we also perform IV therapy.”

Other than cardiac emergencies, strokes, and abdominal surgical emergencies, QualityFirst can handle almost any other urgent care complaints. They also work with specialists, including Plastic Surgery, Orthopedics and Ophthalmology. Dr. Rosenstock stresses the clinic’s prime mission of continuity and coordination of care with a patient’s primary care doctor.

CONVIENIANT FOR ALL AGES

QualityFirst treats people of all ages. From children to adults and the elderly: they can treat acute injuries or acute exacerbation of chronic conditions. All their medical providers are emergency medicine trained and can perform bedside evaluations and procedures.

“When we were planning QualityFirst, we took what we knew of current urgent care clinics, harvested the best parts and then proceeded to reinvent it” Gerlitz said.  “Our team isolated the issues that make patients apprehensive, and we built Qualityfirst to ease those issues. What some see as trivial, we took to heart; for instance, we provide free indoor valet parking so you can drive up and leave your car with no worries,” Gerlitz said. He also added that, “we even have an on-site pharmacy where you can pick up your prescriptions and medical supplies.”

SPECIAL SHABBOS HOURS

QualityFirst Urgent Care is open on Shabbos and caters to the shomer Shabbos community with special Shabbos registration and treatments. The staff is sensitive to the needs and requirements of Shabbos observance. “It was wonderful,” says Devorah C. of Boro Park. “My 6 month old was crying nonstop on Shabbos. She felt feverish and I was concerned. I heard from a neighbor that the new urgent care clinic on Bay Parkway was open on Shabbos so I sent my husband with my baby hoping they would accept them even though they did not have any ID or Insurance info. Not only did they take them in, they even had antibiotics on site so we did not have to fill any prescriptions on Shabbos. I was very grateful.”

SENIOR TENDER CARE

For seniors, the one stop list of options can mean the difference between a short visit or a long day.  “My elderly mother had been sick for weeks,” says Rebecca W. of Flatbush. “She had been feeling tired and wasn’t eating well. We didn’t know what was wrong. We found out about the urgent care clinic on Bay Parkway. We figured anything would be better than the ER. The doctor at QualityFirst saw my mother quickly. He suspected that she was dehydrated and ran lab tests. They got the results in a few minutes, which showed potentially dangerous electrolyte levels. They started her on IV fluids. She was able to be treated much faster than she would have been if we had stayed in the ER. They consulted with my mother’s doctor and sent him the medical records.”

Life in New York City is already hard enough, the last thing you should worry about is receiving proper urgent medical care. And that is what QualityFirst Urgent Care is here to bring you.

Written by: Jacob Gerlitz