BELLEFONTAINE – To bridge the gap until Mary Rutan Hospital’s urgent care center opens in 2017, Mary Rutan Hospital is temporarily operating a non-emergency Convenience Clinic next to the MRH Emergency Department.

The clinic opened in late June and is a walk-in alternative to the emergency department when patients’ primary care physicians are not available and when they are not sick or injured enough to receive care in the emergency department.

“It is not our intent to compete with family doctors, but rather complement the services these physicians provide by giving patients an option for the treatment of uncomplicated care when their primary care providers aren’t available,” said Tom Denbow, vice president of physician integration at Mary Rutan Hospital.

The clinic is an alternative to an ER visit for minor, everyday ailments such as allergies, sinus infection, cough and cold, sore throats, bronchitis, respiratory infections, ear pain, eye infections, fevers, flu-like symptoms, upset stomach, vomiting and diarrhea, insect bites, sprains and strains, first and minor second degree burns, small bone fractures (toes, foot, finger), minor cuts, minor lacerations/stitches, scrapes and bruises, skin rashes, urinary burning, asthma, minor back pain and migraine headache.

The clinic is open seven days a week, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Appointments are not necessary and the clinic will accept self-pay patients and most types of insurance. For more information, call 937-651-6820 or visit maryrutan.org/services-convenience-clinic.aspx.