The most seriously sick patients might be stabilized and taken by ambulance to Washington County Hospital. Frequently, though, Urgent Care at Robinwood is for people who have no family doctor or are ill after hours. It's open seven days a week, noon to 7 p.m. Appointments aren't needed.
At 5:30 p.m., Christina Beer, 19, of Greencastle, Pa., comes in with her boyfriend, Giovanni Natale, 23. She's been sick for a few days.
Holly Ausherman, 9, sat in the waiting room with her mother, Lisa Pike, 37, of Hagerstown.
"It hurts when I swallow," Holly says. "The pain goes up to my ear."
"She has seen a doctor twice so far - with no satisfaction," Pike says. "She's been in tears because of it."
On its most crowded day, Urgent Care had 45 patients, vanden Bosche says.
"It's a delicate balance to do things quickly, yet provide care," he says. "You don't want to spend two hours with one patient and 30 seconds with another patient, so you need to budget your time well.
