Each week, I’ll be diving deeper into the state-by-state landscape of Urgent Care to highlight key market trends and dynamics. This week’s focus is Texas — the nation’s leader in the number of Urgent Care centers. This infographic breaks down major players in the market, ownership structure, X-ray service availability, and critical demographic data that drive care demand.
Urgent Care Offers Access & Savings for Families
Urgent Care operator WellNow Urgent Care recently conducted a study highlighting the growing strain that working families, especially mothers, face when accessing healthcare. This is a great example of not just saying how Urgent Care meets patients where they are but producing data supporting your claims. Well done WellNow!
Rural EDs with no physician on-site
There are 704 counties in the United States that are classified as 100% rural. In many of these counties, emergency departments are operating without a physician on-site, ever.
Urgent Care is no longer optional
According to Becker’s Hospital Review, Urgent Care centers have become a pivotal battleground as health systems, retailers, and payers compete to capture patient volume and expand access. UCs play a key role in reducing emergency department strain, improving convenience, and driving strategic growth in a shifting healthcare landscape.
CA Payer Fined – Access to Care
7 payers have been fined to date in 2025 by states for slow reimbursements, improper denials and mental health parity violations. One related to Urgent Care.
U.S. Cities (>20k pop.) with Greatest Growth
This Becker’s Hospital Review piece highlights the 15 fastest-growing U.S. cities between July 2023 and July 2024, based on the latest U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 estimates
Are Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) Opportunities for Urgent Care?
Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) are geographic regions that lack adequate access to primary healthcare services, as defined by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). With many rural hospitals facing closure, the number of MUAs is expected to increase. But do these areas have the potential to support a successful Urgent Care center?
More than 700 hospitals at risk
Nearly 800 rural U.S. hospitals are at risk of closure due to financial problems, with about 40% of those hospitals at immediate risk of closure.
Workforce Shortage – A Complex Problem
The growing shortage of healthcare workers has no easy fix. An aging patient population, a simultaneously aging clinician workforce, and the underutilization of healthcare roles due to limited scopes of practice are all contributing factors. Together, these challenges paint a troubling picture for the future of healthcare staffing.