KH.ORG 5 Connected Care Kootenai Health and MultiCare Health System make medical care better than ever By Kim Anderson Getting care for an ear infection, a UTI, a sprained ankle and a dozen other urgent but relatively minor ailments just got easier. Earlier this year a new urgent care clinic, Indigo Urgent Care, a partnership with Kootenai Health and MultiCare Health System, opened in Coeur d’Alene. Families and individuals of all ages can be seen at Indigo Urgent Care for their unexpected minor health conditions. The clinic offers online appointment booking and virtual visits in addition to traditional walk-in visits. Patients needing follow-up care or referrals can be seamlessly connected to their Kootenai Health primary and specialty care providers. This joint venture is not a move toward a merger or acquisition. Although they are working collaboratively, both organizations are independent, nonprofit, community-based health care providers. Kootenai Health and MultiCare have worked together before, on projects such as Kootenai Health’s adoption of MultiCare’s Epic electronic health record, group purchasing efforts and behavioral health initiatives. Convenient access to care Kootenai Health operates three Kootenai Urgent Care locations in Kootenai County, and MultiCare has 40-plus Indigo Urgent Care clinics in Washington state, including seven urgent care clinics in the Spokane area. As the population of Kootenai County continues to grow by an estimated 7,500 to 10,000 people annually, urgent care clinics are an important point of access to care for many residents. “Kootenai Health exists to ensure people in northern Idaho have access to the care they need close to home,” said John Weinsheim, executive vice president of Kootenai Clinic and a member of Indigo Coeur d’Alene’s executive steering committee. “Partnering with MultiCare to bring Indigo here is a creative way to meet the community’s need while both organizations are also working to restore their financial strength.” In addition to having a modern, convenient location on Ramsey Road near WinCo Foods, Indigo provides another way to receive care that is connected to Kootenai Health and Kootenai Clinic. Visit us online! KootenaiUrgentCare.com IndigoHealth.com. Readily available records Indigo Urgent Care and Kootenai Urgent Care are connected to the same electronic health record as Kootenai Health, all 21 Kootenai Clinic practices, Kootenai Outpatient Imaging and Kootenai Outpatient Surgery. This means the physicians, providers and care teams at all these locations can see patients’ medical records for care received at every other location. Records of prescription medications, imaging, lab work and medical history are all readily available. Patients using the Epic MyChart mobile app or website can also see records of their care—as well as reminders for regular health screenings and more—through MyChart. Together, Indigo and Kootenai Urgent Care are available to provide the care you need when you need it right away.
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