Located in the Scott & White pharmacy at the corner of Canyon Creek and Lowe’s Drive, the clinic opened Friday.

The concept of the clinic has been under discussion for about nine months, said Bryan Rugh, clinic administrator.

“Our goal is to have easy access, where patients don’t even have to call ahead for an appointment,” said Dr. Lara Via, Scott & White physician.

The clinic is staffed with specially trained physician assistants and nurse practitioners who practice under the supervision of a physician.

The clinic will see patients who have minor acute illnesses - coughs and colds, aches and pains, headaches and minor injuries, she said.

Some of the problems that might have shown up in the emergency department would be suitable for the express clinic, Dr. Via said, with the patients seen quicker and for a lot less money.

Most visits will cost $59, with some tests offered for additional fees.

Some of the laboratory tests that can be performed at the clinic include urinalysis, strep screenings, pregnancy testing and finger stick glucose checks.

Any illness that is ongoing - high blood pressure, diabetes - requiring follow-up care is not appropriate for the express clinic, Dr. Via said. Routine health maintenance should be taken care of by a primary care physician.

Also, care that would require a specialist or take a significant amount of time are not appropriate for the new clinic, she said.

“If someone calls, we can probably tell them if they can be seen here,” Dr. Via said.

The clinic is not set up to give children’s immunizations, she said, but will be offering flu shots in the fall.

Right now, plans are to have one provider at the clinic, but if needed, additional staff could be added, Rugh said.

“We’ll remain flexible,” he said. “We do want to keep things quick with speedy access. That’s one of the draws of a clinic like this.”

The clinic will not file insurance claims; however Scott & White Health Plan customers seen at the express clinic will pay the plan’s co-pay. Those covered by other insurance plans will receive a form that can be filed for reimbursement.

“At this point we won’t be able to see Medicare patients,” Rugh said. “At some point we’d like to be able to see them, but with current Medicare rules we can’t.”

Once word gets out, it’s expected 20 to 30 patients a day will be seen at the clinic, Rugh said.