A new urgent care clinic called Popcareplus opened in Franklin earlier this month. Located at 6501 S. 27th St., it is staffed by 14 emergency physicians offering unscheduled care for acute illnesses and injuries.
“It’s on-demand health care,” said Dr. Neal Harmelink, one of the clinic’s owners. “We have been providing emergency and urgent care for many years in the greater Milwaukee area, and we really wanted to open a site that is right in the thick of the community where there’s a lot of traffic and activity.”
The 6,000-square-foot Popcareplus is located in a retail area of Franklin near grocery stores, restaurants and Home Depot.
The 14 emergency physicians who work at the clinic are all employed by Emergency Medicine Specialists, a group of providers who staff many of the Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare emergency departments in the greater Milwaukee area.
One emergency physician is on hand at any given time, and Harmelink expects the clinic to serve 20 to 30 patients a day by the end of its first year.
What makes Popcareplus different from other urgent care clinics, according to Harmelink, is the physicians’ level of expertise in emergency medical care and the ability to provide on-site x-rays and to dispense medications. Furthermore, he said these services are offered at a fraction of the cost of an emergency room visit.
As for future plans, Popcareplus’ physicians plan to open three to five additional clinics, hire mid-level providers with emergency department experience, and eventually serve 12,000 to 15,000 patients a year.
