Health system encourages residents and visitors to choose the right care setting during Northern Michigan’s busy summer season
As one of the Midwest’s most popular summer destinations, Northern Michigan experiences a seasonal population increase of up to 75 percent. With the influx of visitors, Munson Healthcare is prepared for a corresponding rise in demand for healthcare services—with a renewed focus on guiding patients to urgent care and walk-in clinics for non-emergency needs.
During peak summer weeks, including the National Cherry Festival, the region can see nearly 500,000 people in the community at one time, placing added pressure on local healthcare resources.
“Each summer, we see a significant increase in patients seeking care for everything from minor injuries to more serious conditions,” said Dr. Jacob Szafranski, Medical Director of Urgent Care for Munson Healthcare. “Urgent care and walk-in clinics are designed to treat many of these common summer ailments quickly and effectively, helping patients avoid long waits and ensuring emergency departments remain available for life-threatening situations.”
Munson Healthcare has urgent care locations in Traverse City, Cadillac, Gaylord, Petoskey, and Prudenville, as well as walk-in clinics in Charlevoix and Kalkaska.
Munson Healthcare’s emergency departments remain open 24/7 and fully equipped to treat critical conditions. However, because emergency rooms prioritize the most severe cases, patients with less serious concerns may experience longer wait times. Choosing urgent care when appropriate can lead to faster, more convenient treatment.
“With the right care in the right setting, patients can often be seen more quickly and get back to enjoying their time in Northern Michigan,” Dr. Szafranski added. “Urgent care centers are a great option for visitors and residents alike when their primary care provider isn’t available.”
Knowing Where to Go for Care
With increased outdoor activity comes a higher risk of common summer health issues—from insect stings and minor injuries to dehydration and illness. Munson Healthcare encourages residents and visitors to consider the following care options:
- In-Person Urgent Care: For those visiting the region or residents whose primary care provider is unavailable, urgent care, or walk-in clinics can treat:
- Allergic reactions
- Asthma symptoms that are not responding to medicine
- Cuts that do not involve much blood but need stitches
- Earaches, fevers, moderate-to-severe sore throats and cough
- Minor fractures, sprains, strains and more.
- Ask-A-Nurse: Munson Healthcare’s free Ask-A-Nurse line is staffed by Registered Nurses who can offer direction on the best place to seek care based on their symptoms. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days per week at 231-935-0951. Since launching in 2020, Ask-A-Nurse has completed more than 247,000 calls.
- Primary Care: For local residents with non-life-threatening concerns, a primary care provider should be the first stop. Many provider offices now offer same-day appointments and on-call services, as well as weekend and virtual appointments. Contact your local provider for availability.
- Virtual Urgent Care: Virtual Urgent Care is most appropriate for things such as abrasions, allergies, cold, cough, diarrhea, flu, insect bites, sore throat, sprains and strains, sinus infections, and more. To find out if virtual urgent care is an option, call 231-935-4995 or visit munsonhealthcare.org/virtualurgentcare.
- Emergency Department: Any time a life-threatening condition exists, that may require medical, surgical or psychiatric care, people should immediately call 9-1-1. Among the many conditions that merit emergency room care:
- Chest or left arm pain
- Shortness of breath
- Stroke symptoms such as slurred speech, double vision, or weakness on one side of the body
- Coughing or vomiting blood
- Loss of consciousness
- Traumatic injuries
- Severe burns
- Severe pain
- Seizures
Munson Healthcare is committed to ensuring patients receive timely, appropriate care throughout the summer season. By choosing urgent care or walk-in clinics for non-emergent issues, patients can help reduce strain on emergency departments and improve access for those who need critical care most.
“Our goal is to provide exceptional care across all settings,” said Dr. Szafranski. “By helping people understand their options, we can deliver faster, more efficient care while keeping our emergency departments ready for those who need them most.”
For more information visit: munsonhealthcare.org/findcare.