NORTH CONWAY, NH – Patients seeking timely care for new or worsening health concerns have more options at MaineHealth Memorial Hospital, where same-day and next-day appointments are becoming more common across most ambulatory practices.
Primary care, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics and sports medicine and urology care teams have implemented scheduling approaches designed to ensure patients can be seen quickly when needs arise. The goal is to reduce delays in care, improve patient experience and support better health outcomes by making it easier to connect with the right provider at the right time at the right location.
“Making room for same-day and next-day visits means our patients don’t have to wait and worry when something new comes up,” says Senior Director of Practice Operations Laurie Mullen, BSN. “It gives them quicker answers, earlier treatment and the reassurance of being seen by a team that knows them.”
Each practice has developed its own plan to accommodate non-life-threatening concerns within a short timeframe, often the same day or the next day. This may include holding open appointment slots, adjusting provider schedules or coordinating across care teams to match patients with available clinicians. Whether a patient is dealing with a sudden illness, a minor injury or a flare-up of a chronic condition, these access points are intended to provide timely evaluation and treatment in a familiar care setting.
To support this approach, MaineHealth Memorial Hospital ambulatory practice care teams work behind the scenes to triage patient needs and guide them to the most appropriate setting. Front-line staff are trained to ask key questions when patients call the practice or contact the practice using the MyChart app. These questions help determine whether a patient can be seen the same day, the next day or directed to another level of care.
Hospital leaders say expanding rapid access is a key part of delivering patient-centered care. When patients can be seen promptly by providers who understand their medical history, it can lead to earlier interventions, better continuity and fewer complications. It also helps ensure that higher-acuity settings, such as the emergency department, remain available for the most serious conditions.
“There’s real value in being able to be seen by your own care team when something changes with your health,” Mullen adds. “Same-day access helps us maintain that continuity, which leads to better, more personalized care.”
When patients are unable to secure a same-day or next-day visit with a MaineHealth Memorial Hospital practice, additional access is available through MaineHealth Urgent Care, located on Route 16 in the Red Barn Shopping Plaza. Open daily, the urgent care center provides another option for patients who need prompt attention for non-emergency concerns. The hospital’s emergency department remains an option for life-threatening illness or injury.
Together, Mullen says, these access points reflect a coordinated approach to care across the MaineHealth Memorial Community, one that emphasizes flexibility, responsiveness and meeting patient needs as they arise.
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About MaineHealth
MaineHealth is a not-for-profit, integrated health system whose vision is, “Working together so our communities are the healthiest in America,” and is committed to a mission of providing high-quality affordable care, educating tomorrow's caregivers and researching better ways to provide care. MaineHealth includes a Level 1 trauma medical center, eight additional licensed hospitals, comprehensive pediatric care services, an extensive behavioral health care network, diagnostic services as well as home health, hospice and senior care services. With more than 2,000 employed providers and approximately 23,000 care team members, MaineHealth provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire. MaineHealth hospitals include MaineHealth Behavioral Health at Spring Harbor in Westbrook, MaineHealth Franklin Hospital in Farmington, MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital in Damariscotta, MaineHealth Maine Medical Center in Portland, Biddeford and Sanford, MaineHealth Memorial Hospital in North Conway, N.H., MaineHealth Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick, MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital in Rockport, MaineHealth Stephens Hospital in Norway and MaineHealth Waldo Hospital in Belfast. MaineHealth also includes the MaineHealth Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital in Portland, MaineHealth Behavioral Health in Westbrook, MaineHealth Home Health and Hospice in Saco, the MaineHealth Institute for Research in Scarborough, the MaineHealth Medical Group and MaineHealth NorDx in Scarborough. MaineHealth affiliates include MaineGeneral Health in Augusta and Waterville. It is also a significant stakeholder in the MaineHealth Accountable Care Organization in Portland and a joint venture partner in the New England Rehabilitation Hospital in Portland.