Bellingham clinic provides non-emergency care for injuries, as well as preventative medicine

Walk-in clinics, also known as urgent care clinics, such as Bellingham Urgent Care, are popular with families who need quality, affordable, convenient health care that is accessible on weekends and evenings and without an appointment.

Urgent care centers handle non-life threatening ailments and usually have a doctor on site. They provide X-rays and typically treat injuries like sprains, falls, broken bones and wounds that require stitches. In the case of Bellingham Urgent Care, there are two physicians on staff – Dr. Brent Whitehead and Dr. William Wakefield.

The duo opened Bellingham Urgent Care at 302 36th St. in August as the popularity of urgent care clinics booms.

“We decided that by opening our own clinic, we could provide the medical care in a way that best serves the patients and our community,” the physicians said in a joint statement. “We are excited about the opportunity to work directly with our patients to offer the best medical care possible.”

No appointments are needed.

Urgent care is projected to increase 5.8 percent each year through this year, according to Becker’s Healthcare, which provides business and legal information for the healthcare industry.

In the United States, there are approximately 7,100 urgent care centers and, each year, urgent care centers provide care for nearly 160 million U.S. patients, according to Beckers.

Bellingham Urgent Care provides non-emergency care for injuries as well as preventative medicine.

These are among the child and family issues they treat:

▪ Sports injuries, muscle strains and sprains.

▪ Burns, lacerations and cuts.

▪ Rashes, insect bites, jock itch.

▪ Dizziness, dehydration, abdominal pain.

As for preventive medicine they offer:

▪ Flu shots, travel medicine and vaccines.

▪ Physicals, TB testing, sports and immigration physicals.

▪ Ear cleaning.

▪ Digital X-rays, EKGs.

They will also treat a wide variety of illnesses, including:

▪ Wheezing, asthma and allergies.

▪ Rashes, warts, bites, athlete’s foot.

▪ Flu, coughs and colds, infections, pneumonia, viruses, sore or strep throat, bronchitis.

▪ Nausea and vomiting.

▪ Earache and infection, swimmer’s ear, pink eye.

▪ Staph infections and abscesses.

▪ Skin irritation and infection, cold sores.

▪ Headache, migraine, sinus pain/sinusitis.

▪ Fever, dizziness, diarrhea, dehydration.

▪ Anxiety, acne.

While it’s important to know what illnesses, injuries or preventative medicine is offered, it is equally important to know what will not be treated as Bellingham Urgent Care.

Medical issues that will not be treated are:

▪ Chest pain (suspected heart attack or stroke).

▪ Amputation of limbs or deep wounds with severe bleeding.

▪ Sudden confusion, weakness, dizziness, numbness, severe headache or difficulty speaking or breathing.

▪ Severe head injuries with loss of consciousness or new seizures.

▪ Major burns involving the face or large areas of the body.

▪ Vomiting blood.

▪ Smoke or chemical inhalation.

▪ Poisoning, overdoses and suicidal behavior.

▪ Physical or sexual assault.

▪ Pregnancy complications including labor, bleeding, fluid leakage, decreased fetal movement.

Insurance and medical benefits are accepted for most Washington state insurers at the contracted terms and standard fee schedule. Their participating plans are listed under the “insurance” tab on their website, bellinghamurgentcare.com, for patients’ convenience. Co-pays are collected at the time of service and then insurance company will be billed. Prices are listed on the clinic’s website.