About Urgent Care

UCAOA represents the many urgent care centers that provide appropriate and timely alternatives to the more costly and inconvenient hospital emergency departments. True emergencies require hospital emergency services, but urgent care centers meet the need for convenient access for minor injuries and illnesses. Some ER departments are even charging a $100 premium to be seen if the case is not an emergency (click here or click here for examples ).

Urgent care centers see patients on a walk-in basis without appointments, offering weekend and after-hours access. Click here for a detailed definition.

If you are looking for an urgent care center in your area, click here to go to our By State Listing.

Urgent Care Industry Growth

There is an ongoing, growing demand for urgent care centers as emergency rooms are continually struggling to meet the flow of patients seeking care.  New urgent care centers emerge almost weekly across the US to meet this demand, providing care that is urgently needed by otherwise healthy patients.  If you are interested in opening your own urgent care center, we encourage you to become a member of UCAOA, join our online forums, and attend a conference to learn more.