A new urgent care facility in Libertyville will help fill a healthcare gap in the community, according to local leaders during the ribbon-cutting Tuesday for an American Family Care clinic Tuesday.
Libertyville Mayor Donna Johnson said the 4,000-square-foot facility will provide additional healthcare options for residents who would otherwise have to go to overstrained emergency rooms.
“We all know that when they take the time to diagnose you properly, it makes for better healthcare, and then people don’t have to come back and they stay healthier,” Johnson said.
Located at 1366 South Milwaukee Ave., the clinic has nine exam rooms, a procedure suite and on-site X-ray capabilities, according to a press release, and joins nearly 400 walk-in AFC clinics across the United States.
The facility is meant to address an issue operator Dr. Armen Asatryan himself has faced, he said. Doctors are overloaded, Asatryan said, recalling an instance when his wife wanted to see her doctor and had to wait weeks, or when he found himself several years ago waiting in an ER for hours.
Asatryan is an Armenian immigrant who came to the U.S. almost three decades ago. In the release, Asatryan said healthcare has seen a “significant transformation, especially since COVID,” and there is a need for “immediate and affordable options for clinical care.”
“When you have a headache or something hurts, you have two choices,” Asatryan said. “Either go to the ER or call our doctor. Unfortunately, in both instances, there is a long wait.”
In the release, Asatryan emphasized the time and cost benefits the clinic will bring, a sentiment shared by Johnson. The AFC will be a “good option in their backyard” for residents across the economic strata, she said.
“You bring a level of staff … physicians, nurses and support staff, that have the time to spend with patients, to hear their needs,” Johnson said.
Not including himself and his wife, Asatryan said the facility will have six full-time and four part-time staffers. He estimated they will be able to see about 40-50 people a day.
Asatryan has worked in clinical, research and public health settings. He holds an MD from Yerevan State Medical University and an MPH from Emory University, and completed residencies in internal medicine at the Medical College of Georgia and preventive medicine at Emory University School of Medicine.
“Dr. Asatryan and the clinic’s staff are dedicated to leveraging their broad expertise and experience to provide high quality, accessible, and affordable care to the people in Libertyville and nearby communities,” the release said.
Beyond urgent care, the clinic will partner with area businesses to be a resource for occupational health services, providing local businesses with help in treating work-related injuries, administering drug screens and conducting pre-employment and on-the-job periodic physicals, the release said.
“We see this new clinic as a healthcare center for families, local businesses and everyone else needing our services,” Asatryan said. “From sore throats and coughs to sprained ankles and cuts, to on-the-job injuries and physicals, our team is ready to deliver high-quality care quickly, conveniently and affordably in a compassionate manner.”
