The American Family Center (AFC) Urgent Care opened on Thursday, November 23, at 2 pm. Located at the corner of Westchester Avenue and South Main Street, the center provides Port Chester residents with medical attention for non-emergency injuries and illnesses. Regardless of insurance status, Portchester residents now have access to a new provider of medical care.
The center is equipped with the equipment and space needed to provide patients with whatever they may need in an urgent medical situation. It has six exam rooms, an X-ray room, and a separate procedure room. The list of services they provide ranges from COVID-19 tests to the treatment of broken bones, however, Raymond Velez, the practice administrator of the Portchester AFC location, wants to highlight how the facility is tailored toward benefitting the Village’s population. Velez says that the center offers all services in English and Spanish and that the center has a turnaround time of approximately 30 minutes with no appointment needed. He is also trying to hire employees who can easily connect to the population of Port Chester and Rye Brook in an attempt to make patients as comfortable as possible. Most of the staff are intimately familiar with the area and culture. The center currently has 3 staff members from Port Chester, and among them is a nurse practitioner called Chrystel Lewis, who grew up on Haseco Avenue.
Additionally, Valez has been in contact with the Port Chester-Rye Brook- Rye Town Chamber and Commerce and the Port Chester-Rye Brook Rotary Club and would like to take part in events that would get the AFC name out into the community while also helping to spread health education information. Valez believes that the community is very unsure of what urgent care does. He hopes to participate in events, give out pamphlets, or provide free blood pressure readings. Valez is also concerned that many people have trouble understanding the difference between an urgent care facility and a primary care provider. An urgent care facility is primarily an immediate medical service that is equipped to tend to most ailments and may transfer the patient to an emergency room. In contrast, a primary care center is a more long-term provider.The AFC can even assist with severe medical emergencies. It can handle any low-level trauma, and if it’s something that’s very severe, they will stabilize the patient, prepare them for transport, and send them to the most appropriate hospital so they can get the care they need. Regardless of the need or circumstance, the AFC says they will do their best to help as many people as possible. “We would never turn anyone away. We’ll assess any patient,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if you have insurance or what your immigration status is, we’ll address everyone if they have an acute condition. Every patient gets addressed for any acute condition.”