Virtual urgent care has come to these health clinics in Stanislaus and nearby counties
Golden Valley Health Centers has virtual urgent care visits for its patients, as some of the innovations adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic are becoming normal practice.
The nonprofit health system has started by offering the urgent telemedicine appointments from noon to 5 p.m. Mondays. Starting Aug. 1, though, the video visits will be available every day but Sunday. The hours starting in August will be 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays.
GVHC patients schedule a virtual visit through the call center, the same way other appointments are set.
Amy Collier Carroll, a spokeswoman for Golden Valley, said it is handled like a typical visit to an urgent care clinic. “If a patient calls the center asking for a virtual appointment, they could be connected to a provider on a virtual urgent care call within 10 to 15 minutes,” she said by email.
“They use video and talk to the patient about their health concerns,” Carroll added.
Golden Valley used telephone appointments during the COVID pandemic to serve patients, but “the advantage of video is beneficial for both the provider and the patient,” Carroll said.
Golden Valley is a healthcare safety net for underserved residents in Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties, with 45 clinics serving 145,000 patients. It has urgent care clinics for walk-in visits in Modesto, Turlock and Merced.
Starting June 12, GVHC will have an urgent care clinic in Patterson for in-person visits. The urgent care hours will be Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Virtual urgent care visits will begin in Patterson on June 20, Monday-Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
In August, the Patterson clinic, at 200 C St., will add weekday evening hours for walk-ins until 9 p.m.
Channce Condit, chairman of the county Board of Supervisors, released a statement Thursday saying the expanded hours and urgent care services in Patterson are a step in fulfilling his advocacy for healthcare access in western Stanislaus County.
About 120 people, including elected officials and other dignitaries, gathered May 25 to dedicate a refurbished clinic serving residents in west Modesto. Golden Valley Health Centers closed its Sixth Street clinic for sorely needed renovations in April 2022. The rebuilt center with 24 examination rooms began serving patients again in May.
Many of the patients served at the Sixth Street clinic have language and transportation barriers and financial hardships. Some patients are homeless.
About 75% of Golden Valley patients in the three counties are in the Medi-Cal program, while other patients are not insured. Golden Valley officials say no one is turned away.
The Sixth Street clinic, which sees about 115 patients per day, has multiple services including family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, chiropractic care, adolescent behavioral health and adult telepsychiatry. A return of pharmacy services is also planned.
Golden Valley, which passed a 50-year milestone last year, has 24 clinics in Stanislaus County, including 11 in Modesto.
More information about Golden Valley Health Centers is available at www.gvhc.org.
