USDA Rural Development is helping rural residents get essential, quality medical care near their homes and with minimal wait times.

Mount Olive Family Medicine Center, located in Wayne County, expanded their practice to include a walk-in clinic with the assistance of $1.7 million in USDA Community Facilities Loans and Grants.

The new wing or “pod” includes:

• Nine exam rooms
• Four provider rooms
• Work-up room
• Conference room
• Restrooms
• Drive-up bay for emergency service vehicles

“People who live around here were having to wait a week to get an appointment with their doctors just to get a test to see if they have strep throat,” Mount Olive Family Medicine Center Executive Director Lisa Hooks. “Many of them would have to drive 15 miles to see a doctor and get a simple test done. Now, people are able to come in, see a provider, get a diagnosis and start the road to recovery in a matter of hours instead of days.”

The new clinic is seeing an average of 100 patients a day, six days a week.

The added pod is also able to isolate itself completely from the rest of the care facility.

If there is another highly contagious health crisis, this is essential for patient care, according to Hooks.

Walk-in clinics are expanding across the United States.

The benefits are amazing. There are no appointments needed, most insurance plans are accepted, and patients receive comprehensive services that include testing for common illnesses like the flu and gastrointestinal issues. An added benefit is avoiding the cost of an emergency room visit.

“The work being done here is amazing,” said Rural Development State Director Reginald Speight during a recent visit to MOFMC. “This is probably one of the most beneficial investments I have made into a rural community.”

According to the USDA Rural Development Website, the Community Facilities Loan and Grants programs provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial or business undertakings.