MD Now ready to build clientele in Lakewood Ranch area

As Tim Fenimore and Caitlyn Haley of the Manatee Chamber of Commerce in Lakewood Ranch pulled up Jan. 13 to celebrate the ribbon cutting for MD Now Urgent Care, workers were still putting some finishing touches to the exterior of the building.

The workers gladly moved a ladder to make way for Dr. Brandon Coffey to cut the ribbon with some big scissors.

MD Now, which has 56 locations in Florida including its newest at 1838 Rye Road, Lakewood Ranch, will have to be used to a little extra construction for a while. State Road 64, east of Interstate 75, is going through the additions of three roundabouts (one is finished with two to go) and strip malls are popping up all along that stretch of road.

Eventually, though, MD Now should have access to thousands of residents.

"Obviously we used geo-mapping and considered the future patient possibilities," said Dr. Jeffrey Collins, the chief medical officer for MD Now. "I love the Lakewood Ranch area. It is fascinating, the amazing growth. And there is a down-to-Earth feel."

MD Now started business along the eastern coast of Florida 15 years ago and now is expanding to the west coast. The Rye Road location is its second in Manatee County to go with an urgent care at 4332 Cortez Road, Bradenton. MD Now also is planning another urgent care near the Lakewood Ranch Boulevard/S.R. 64 intersection.

Besides offering lab testing, digital X-rays, EKGs, treatment for sprains and broken bones, MD Now also provides a monthly, subscription-based health plan that starts at $99 for a month for one person. Members can get medical care at any of the MD Now locations with no co-pay.

"One thing you are starting to see is direct care," Collins said. "Workers have high deductibles or have lost their job. This could be an affordable way to go."

The facility has eight exam rooms and will employ approximately 15 workers. The model is built on caring for 40 patients over a 12-hour shift. MD Now is open 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. every day.