Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute opened its third urgent care location in the Region after consistent growth at its other two offices.
The new Orthopedic Urgent Care at 833 W. Lincoln Highway will offer walk-in services. Many patients are seen within an hour.
“The reason we do this is that it provides a faster, easier, more convenient and less expensive avenue for patients to access our services,” said Jason Wolf, physician assistant and director of Orthopedic Urgent Care at LBJI, in a press release.
He said between 1,300 and 1,500 patients are cared for a month at the Portage and Crown Point locations combined.
“We’ve gotten (patients) in to see the surgeons much faster than they would otherwise get in from the emergency room,” he said.
Compared to emergency departments, a trip to an Orthopedic Urgent Care usually is billed as an office visit.
“I think that we help cut out the middleman, and we give our patients more direct access to the surgeons in the area,” Wolf said.
However, Wolf did say the centers are not a replacement for the emergency department at hospitals because they do not treat head or chest injuries.
“Any ligament, tendon, bone or muscle from the neck down, we will address,” Wolf said. “I think that we provide a very good and necessary service to the community.”
Other Northwest Indiana locations are at 3691 Willowcreek Road in Portage and 500 E. 109th Ave. in Crown Point. Learn more about their services here.
