The Santa Ynez Valley’s newest urgent and primary care center is now open to improve community members’ access to health care.
Dignity Health Central Coast officials announced Monday the grand opening of Dignity Health Urgent Care, 1992 Old Mission Drive, Suite 140 in Solvang.
“Urgent cares serve a big purpose because there are just not enough primary care doctors,” Dr. Lisa Vasak, medical director of Dignity Health Urgent Care Centers, told Noozhawk. “In that location, it serves a purpose because there are not any other urgent cares in the area that especially also offer primary care at the same office.”
The health center offers both urgent care and primary care services with the team of on-site board-certified physicians Dr. Bahija Saouf and Dr. Jason Morris, as well as advanced practice providers to meet the needs of residents. The facility also will offer on-site X-ray services and accept most health insurance plans.
The urgent care will accept Medicare and CenCal Health, the publicly sponsored health plan for Medi-Cal in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
For patients who are paying with cash, the health center will offer a sliding-scale fee based on income.
“It ends up being a flat fee, regardless of what they end up getting done in the office,” Vasak said.
The single-story site, at the intersection of Old Mission Drive and Alamo Pintado Road, is near a grocery store with easy parking, Vasak said.
The latest Dignity Health Urgent Care will be open to see people without appointments and patients of all ages, including children.
The operating hours are from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.
“It’s urgent care, so it’s all about people showing up and waiting as they always would at urgent care, as needed,” Vasak said.
The Dignity Health Urgent Care medical staff can treat cold and flu symptoms, coughs, sore throats, cuts and lacerations, burns, rashes, earaches, headaches, urinary tract infections, and sprains and strains.
Vasak said people shouldn’t hesitate with health needs or put off medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dignity Health Urgent cares are safe to visit, she said, and health care professionals are doing all they can to ensure patient and staff safety.
“If people have issues — they are not feeling well, can’t get into primary care or it’s not something severe enough that they need to go to the emergency room — they should not hesitate to seek medical care,” Vasak said. “We have everything well set up as far as universal masking, taking temperatures, and rooming patients immediately who have a fever or who come in with complaints that might be consistent with influenza or COVID-19.”
In a statement, Scott Robertson, Dignity Health division chief medical officer and CEO of Pacific Central Coast Health Centers, said the Santa Ynez Valley is one of the gems of the Central Coast, and Dignity Health is pleased to expand its network into the area.
“Santa Ynez Valley residents now have new options for their primary and urgent care needs,” Robertson said. “We hope providing these services will offer convenience and the peace of mind for those needing primary care or urgent medical attention for minor injuries and illnesses.”
Dignity Health also has urgent care facilities in Santa Maria, Orcutt, Lompoc, Atascadero and Pismo Beach. Dignity Health owns Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria.
To learn more about the Dignity Health Urgent Care in the Santa Ynez Valley, click here or call 805.862.3691. Click here for more information about Dignity Health Central Coast.
In Santa Barbara County, there are several after-hours care and urgent care options available to patients, including the MedCenters in Santa Barbara and Goleta and Sansum Clinic’s Pesetas Urgent Care in Santa Barbara.
Last month, the Cottage Health Urgent Care Center in Hollister Village in Goleta opened its doors. Cottage Health is planning to open several new urgent care facilities along the Central Coast, from Camarillo to San Luis Obispo.
— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.