Nursing shortage forces AHN to temporarily close Harborcreek Township urgent-care center
A shortage of nurses has forced Allegheny Health Network to temporarily close its urgent-care center in Harborcreek Township.
AHN Express Care East, 4950 Buffalo Road, opened in 2019 as part of the Pittsburgh-based health system's East Side Health + Wellness Pavilion. It sees patients on a walk-in basis for minor injuries and illnesses.
"As is the case with hospitals and health-care systems in the region and across the country, staffing shortages continue to be a challenge and have necessitated the temporary closing of our Express Care East location," AHN officials said in a statement. "AHN Saint Vincent continues to operate its Express Care West location (4247 W. Ridge Road) and is hoping to reopen Express Care East in the near future."
A Saint Vincent Hospital spokeswoman later clarified that the temporary closing is due to a lack of available nurses. The rest of the pavilion remains open.
Saint Vincent patients can access AHN's 24/7 Virtual Urgent Care or make a same-day primary care appointment through their AHN MyChart account.
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Area health systems have been dealing with a nursing shortage for several years, causing them to hire more agency nurses and reduce hours at various medical offices.
UPMC closed its Urgent Care Erie-West location, 2861 W. 26th St., in early December for construction work. It is expected to reopen in February or March, UPMC officials said.
Its other location, 7200 Peach St., remains open.
Contact David Bruce at dbruce@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNBruce.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: AHN Saint Vincent temporarily closes Harborcreek urgent-care center
