Why We Built RightCare Clinic: Bringing Emergency Medicine Expertise Beyond the ER

I recently joined Dr. Lara Baatenburg and David Roden on the Vitals & Values: Concierge Medicine of West Michigan podcast to talk about RightCare Clinic, how it started, and why we believe patients need another option when an urgent medical concern arises.

Our conversation covered a lot of ground, including the differences between urgent care and the emergency department, healthcare costs, insurance reimbursement, physician burnout, and what it takes to introduce a new model of care. But we kept coming back to one simple question:

How can we make healthcare work better for patients?

Recognizing a Gap in Healthcare

I have worked in emergency medicine in West Michigan for more than 20 years. Emergency departments play an essential role in our healthcare system, especially for patients experiencing life-threatening conditions. But the reality is that many people come to the ER because they do not have another option that can meet their needs.

As I shared during the podcast:

“No one likes to come see me in the ER. It’s expensive. It’s not convenient. Often, the environment you’re in just isn’t good for healing. We wanted to bring that same emergency medicine skill set to a better, more convenient, and more cost-effective location.”

That idea eventually became RightCare Clinic.

For years, physicians within Emergency Care Specialists discussed ways to use our emergency medicine experience outside the traditional ER. The original concept looked very different from the clinic we have today, but the motivation remained the same.

We saw an unmet need and believed we could do something better for patients.

More Than an Urgent Care, Without the Traditional ER Experience

One of the most common questions we receive is, “What exactly is RightCare Clinic?”

The simplest explanation is that RightCare Clinic helps fill the gap between a traditional urgent care and a hospital emergency department.

Urgent care centers are a good option for many routine illnesses and injuries. However, their testing and treatment capabilities can be limited. A patient may visit urgent care only to be referred to the emergency department because additional lab work, advanced imaging, IV fluids, or IV medications are needed.

At RightCare Clinic, patients are evaluated by a board-certified Emergency Medicine physician and cared for by a team with emergency medicine experience. We have expanded laboratory capabilities, CT imaging, X-ray, EKG, IV fluids, and IV medications on site.

That allows us to evaluate and treat many urgent medical conditions that may be beyond the capabilities of a traditional urgent care, while providing care in a clinic setting.

RightCare Clinic is not a replacement for the emergency department. Symptoms of a stroke, severe uncontrolled bleeding, and other life-threatening emergencies still require immediate emergency care. Our goal is to help patients understand their options and reach the right setting for their specific needs.

What Patients Remember About Their Care

During the podcast, David shared his personal experience as a RightCare Clinic patient. He needed treatment for a foreign object in his eye and was concerned that his only option would be an expensive ER visit.

Instead, he was able to come to RightCare Clinic, receive treatment quickly, and return home.

Listening to him describe that experience was meaningful because it captured what we have been working to create:

“Everything you’re describing is the way healthcare should work. It was convenient. You were able to schedule. It was cost-effective. You were seen when you wanted to be seen.”

Patients remember the medical care they receive, but they also remember everything surrounding that care.

They remember how long they waited. They remember whether they felt heard. They remember whether someone explained what was happening. They remember the uncertainty of not knowing what the visit might cost.

Quality will always be our priority, but quality and patient experience should not be viewed as separate goals. Patients deserve both.

Making Healthcare Costs More Transparent

Cost was another important part of our conversation.

The price of healthcare can vary significantly depending on where a patient receives care. Many patients are also navigating high deductibles, unexpected bills, and insurance plans that are difficult to understand.

RightCare Clinic is structured as a specialist physician office rather than a freestanding emergency department. When patients choose to use insurance, their visit is processed through their insurance plan. We also publish transparent self-pay pricing for patients who do not have insurance or prefer not to use it.

We want RightCare Clinic to create value for the patient and for whoever is paying for the care. At the same time, we must continue working toward a financially sustainable model that allows this option to remain available and potentially reach more communities.

That balance is not simple, but it is a conversation worth having. Better access to care only works if the model can continue serving patients over the long term.

A Physician-Owned Approach to Innovation

RightCare Clinic is powered by Emergency Care Specialists, an independent, physician-owned organization that has served West Michigan since 1984.

Being physician-owned shaped how RightCare Clinic was developed. The physicians who helped create the clinic continue to work in emergency departments throughout the region. That direct connection to patient care informs the decisions we make and keeps the focus on what patients and referring providers actually need.

It also means we understand that improving healthcare requires collaboration.

We work with health systems, independent physician groups, primary care providers, specialists, employers, and other community partners across West Michigan. We do not want to operate in a silo.

As I said during the podcast:

“We want to partner with everyone. Access to care is what matters most.”

When patients have more appropriate options for receiving timely care, the entire healthcare community benefits.

Rediscovering the Reward of Emergency Medicine

We also talked about physician burnout, particularly within emergency medicine.

Emergency physicians work nights, weekends, holidays, and schedules that regularly disrupt sleep and family life. After doing that work for many years, it can be difficult to maintain the same energy that initially drew someone to medicine.

One of the most unexpected parts of helping build RightCare Clinic has been hearing directly from patients who are grateful for their experience.

During the podcast, I talked about how much those conversations have meant to me personally:

“It is so gratifying after all of those years to hear stories like yours. It’s rejuvenated my love for emergency medicine.”

Those stories are a reminder of why we started.

When a patient receives the care they need, feels heard, understands the plan, and leaves feeling confident about the experience, it is rewarding for everyone involved.

What Comes Next for RightCare Clinic

RightCare Clinic opened in July 2024, and we are still learning what it takes to grow a healthcare model that is new to many patients and providers.

One of our biggest challenges is simply helping people understand that this option exists. Patients need to know about RightCare Clinic before the day they face an acute, unscheduled medical need and are trying to decide where to go.

My hope is that we can continue growing the clinic, expanding access, strengthening our partnerships, and demonstrating that this model can work in other communities.

RightCare Clinic will not be the right setting for every patient or every condition. But for patients who need more than a traditional urgent care and may not require a full emergency department, it offers another path.

Thank you again to Dr. Lara Baatenburg and David Roden for inviting me to join the Vitals & Values podcast and for giving us the opportunity to share the story behind RightCare Clinic.

Link to the full conversation: DO YOU REALLY NEED THE ER? | The $350 vs. $2,000+ Healthcare Problem

Learn more about RightCare Clinic, explore transparent pricing, or schedule a visit: ER Doctors, CT, Lab, & X-Rays Onsite | RightCare Clinic

Todd Chassee, MD, FACEP, Medical Director for RightCare Clinic and Vice President of Clinical Services at Emergency Care Specialists

This educational content is for informational purposes only and does not replace professional medical advice. Always consult your physician or a qualified health provider with medical questions. If you could have a medical emergency, call your doctor, 911, or go to the nearest emergency room immediately. RightCare Clinic does not endorse specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, or opinions. This content does not establish a physician-patient relationship.