The medical clinic business is booming.

An emergency care clinic in St. Lucie West owned by Martin Memorial Health Systems saw 380 patients in its first week. The clinic, which opened Sept. 1, had an average of 48 patients per day, said Scott Samples, a hospital spokesman.

Located at the health system’s existing facility at 1095 N.W. St. Lucie West Blvd., the clinic is about 9,100 square feet with 12 beds. It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The center is staffed and equipped to handle severe injuries and illnesses, but is intended to serve minor ailments, hospital officials said.

Patients who need to go to the hospital will be taken there in an ambulance.

Hospital officials also want to build an 80-bed hospital in Tradition. Martin Memorial received preliminary approval from the state two years ago, but has been waiting out appeals from HCA Inc.-owned St. Lucie Medical Center in eastern Port St. Lucie and Lawnwood Regional Medical Center and
Heart Institute in Fort Pierce.

Tags: business, Hospitals, Martin Memorial Health Systems, Port St. Lucie, St. Lucie County, St. Lucie West, Tradition

This entry was posted on Monday, September 14th, 2009 at 9:48 am and is filed under Economy, Health, Martin County, Port St. Lucie, St. Lucie County, Tradition, Treasure Coast business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.