Former White House Physician On Hand to Dedicate Clinic, Recognize Veterans
NEW YORK and BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — American Family Care (AFC), the nation’s leading provider of urgent care, occupational medicine and accessible primary care will today open its 200th urgent care clinic. Located at 5546 Broadway in the Kingsbridge neighborhood of The Bronx, New York, the state of the art facility is independently owned and operated by Dan and Vicki Purugganan. It is the fourth clinic to open in The Bronx during the past 4 years, and the first of more than 20 additional locations scheduled to open in the tristate area during the next 36 months.
On hand for the clinic’s official grand opening ceremony will be AFC’s Founder and CEO, Dr. Bruce Irwin, who pioneered the urgent care concept nearly 40 years ago. “Whether operating corporately owned clinics, supporting a local entrepreneur through our franchising model, or by partnering with local hospital systems, pursing our mission to provide the best health care possible is our primary focus”, according to Irwin. “And, while our continued growth is gratifying, it simply represents the fact that AFC’s patient-centric model is at the forefront of a revolution in health care”.
Also on hand will be AFC’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Benjamin Barlow, who recently joined AFC directly from the White House Medical Unit, where he personally served the health care needs of three current or former U.S. Presidents – George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. Dr. Barlow’s multi-year tenure as Senior White House Physician was the culmination of more than a decade of service to our country in the United States Air Force, where he attained the rank of Major.
The opening of AFC’s 200th clinic coincides with the observance of Veterans Day. In honor of the occasion, AFC’s newest clinic will provide no cost flu shots to veterans throughout the day. According to data from the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics, a recent survey shows only 49 percent of veterans receive a flu vaccination each year. Compounding the problem, of the 19.4 million veterans in the U.S., approximately 750,000 have no insurance coverage.
“Not only are we excited to open our newest clinic, we are excited to help our nation’s veterans by providing no cost flu shots”, says Barlow. “Approximately three-quarters of the U.S. Veteran population do not use VA services. What’s more, veterans tend to be older and have more chronic health problems than the general adult population, which may place them at greater risk of complications from influenza”, continued Barlow.
The opening of its 200th clinic is an important milestone for AFC. Named a “best buy in franchising” by Franchise Times , AFC has nearly doubled its number of franchise units during the past 48 months. In addition to franchise and corporate locations, the company also operates joint ventures and other partnerships with local hospital systems to provide a high-quality continuum of care for its patients.
About American Family Care:
Founded by Dr. Bruce Irwin with a single location in 1982, American Family Care has pioneered the concept of non-emergency room urgent care. With its 2013 acquisition of the Doctors Express, AFC has become the nation’s leading provider of urgent care, accessible primary care, and occupational medicine, with 200 clinics and 600 in-network physicians caring for nearly 3 million patients a year. Ranked by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing companies in the U.S., AFC’s stated mission is to provide the best healthcare possible, in a kind and caring environment, while respecting the rights of all patients, in an economical manner, at times and locations convenient to the patient.