Central Maine Healthcare to open second urgent-care clinic, in Lewiston

Courtesy / Central Maine Healthcare A rendering of Central Maine Healthcare's under-construction urgent care clinic, at 685 Sabattus St., Lewiston.

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By Staff

Central Maine Healthcare will open an urgent care clinic in Lewiston in February, the health system announced Thursday.

The clinic, at 685 Sabattus St., will offer "everything from flu shots to stitches" and is now under construction, according to a news release.

The clinic, Maine Urgent Care, is the second of a planned network of ambulatory care centers run by Central Maine Healthcare, part of its "vision to increase access to care" through a network of such centers.

The first, Maine Urgent Care in Topsham, is one of only two fully accredited urgent care clinics in Maine and opened a year ago on Topsham Fair Mall Road. It has seen 8,000 patients from more than 80 communities, said Melissa Caccamo, CMH’s system director of ambulatory and retail services.

Hiring is underway for a staff of about 20, CMH said.

The two-story clinic will be on the site of a former office building, which was razed for the construction, and across the street from Hannaford supermarket. The accessible first floor will include all patient and clinical areas, such as exam rooms, labs, an X-ray suite and waiting rooms. The second floor will house IT functions and administrative work space.

Staffed by several nurse practitioners, physician assistants and a physician as director, the facility will offer patients with minor illnesses and injuries a more convenient and less expensive alternative to a hospital emergency department, and also provide diagnostics including X-ray and lab services, according to CMH.

“We want to offer our patients the care they need, where and when they need it and at a good price point,” said Caccamo in the news release. She said the clinic negates the need to get an appointment from a primary care doctor or wait in an emergency department waiting room.

The cost of care outside of a hospital is lower too, she said. Most insurance plans will be recognized and the clinic will offer accessible pricing for self-pay patients. No appointments will be necessary, but patients will be able to reserve a spot online and check wait times.

The Lewiston clinic will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

CMH also operates three hospitals — Central Maine Medical Center, in Lewiston, and Bridgton and Rumford hospitals.