Kirkkonummi Urgent Care Clinic: Seamless Service Year-Round
Stitching wounds, extracting ticks and splinter sticks, administering IV fluids— these are just a few of the procedures performed at the Kirkkonummi Urgent Care Clinic on a daily basis. Operating within the modern facilities of the Kirkkonummi Wellbeing Centre, this clinic has managed to reduce the need for hospital emergency visits by a third.
It’s 6 PM. Katja Lisko finds herself in the waiting room, her son Edvin by her side, battling an inflammation. A nurse has just evaluated Edvin’s condition and treatment needs. They’ve been waiting for 30 minutes.
“This is probably the longest we’ve ever waited here,” Katja muses. “I’m a regular with my children.”
The success of the clinic can in part be traced to effective collaboration between its doctors and nurses. Minimizing hierarchies between professionals has fostered a strong team spirit and harmonious cooperation. Nurse turnover is minimal, with many long-term employees choosing to hold on to their jobs. Here, the staff know and support each other.
“You can have the sleekest, most modern facilities in the world, but they mean nothing without a skilled staff and a strong team spirit,” Chief Physician Annamari Pohjankyrö sums up.
“It’s a joy to lead a team with such extensive experience in providing urgent medical care. They are dedicated to their trade and work tirelessly for the patients,” head nurse Pauliina Churchill rejoices.
Stepping in to Address Urgent Needs in Primary Healthcare
The spectrum of services offered at the urgent care clinic is vast: wounds are stitched, chronic afflictions treated, ticks extracted, splinters and other foreign objects removed, IV fluids infused, iron infusions administered, muscle injections performed, and ear procedures carried through.
“We make sure to treat each issue thoroughly, either resolving it or preparing it for easy continuation at the next treatment facility. The patient is always our priority,” Pauliina Churchill explains.
The clinic’s patient monitors provide real-time vital function data to the supervising doctor while also storing this information in the HUS archive for later reference.
“This monitoring capability reduces the need to refer patients elsewhere, like to Jorvi,” Pohjankyrö notes.
“Residents of Kirkkonummi actually visit the Jorvi emergency department 30% less often than those from neighbouring municipalities,” she adds.
The urgent care clinic has received positive feedback, with clients expressing satisfaction both in person and on social media. Negative feedback usually concerns situations with long waiting times.
Katja Lisko appreciates the clinic's operation and generally swift access to care. For the Lisko family, the location also proves convenient:
“We don't have to drive all the way to Jorvi! Everything works well over here.”
Beyond Kirkkonummi, the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County plans to establish similar urgent care clinics in Raseborg, Espoo, and Lohja.