Mercy Health is expanding access to specialty health care in Lorain County. A new virtual specialty care clinic is now open within Mercy Health – Oberlin Primary Care.

“Mercy Health continues to respond and adapt to the ever-changing health care needs of Lorain County and its surrounding communities, through new, enhanced points of care,” said Dr. Jim Kravec, chief clinical officer for Mercy Health – Lorain and Youngstown. “We know access to care close to home can significantly impact health outcomes for patients, which is why we’re expanding access in our communities.”

Mercy Health developed virtual specialty care clinics to give patients the option to have virtual appointments with their specialty care providers from the convenience and comfort of their primary care practices. Currently, virtual specialty clinic appointments at Oberlin Primary Care are available to cardiology patients, with plans to add specialties in the future. 

The virtual specialty clinic has its own room within the practice that is equipped with virtual conferencing technology to enable patients to interact with their specialty provider, while having a medical assistant on-site. These are typically follow-up or consultation appointments, and if blood work or other testing is necessary, that can be done on-site within the primary care office.

“Our virtual specialty clinics allow a patient’s primary care physician to provide even more comprehensive, patient-centered care, while also giving patients more convenient access to specialty care close to home,” said Tyson Ringle, vice president of operations, Mercy Health Physicians - Lorain. “These clinics give patients who may have limited or no internet connectivity an opportunity to access virtual specialty appointments, and it keeps patients, especially those who may be more vulnerable, from having to make long, unnecessary trips to the hospital.”

Ringle added, “Our virtual specialty clinics will not replace traditional in-person specialty care, but rather support it, by giving patients more options and access points to the care they need.”

In addition to this new clinic, Mercy Health continues to operate walk-in care locations across Lorain County to make seeing a primary care physician even more convenient. Patients can seek care at any of Mercy Health’s walk-in care locations and see a physician with no appointment on the books. Not only are these walk-in visits equivalent to an appointment with a primary care provider, but patients don’t have to worry about scheduling an appointment ahead of time.

Mercy Health operates six walk-in care locations in Lorain County and Erie County:    

Mercy Health —Lorain Walk-in Care
Medical Office Building
3600 Kolbe Road, Suite 120
Lorain, OH 44053
Hours: Mon-Fri: 9 AM -5 PM

Mercy Health —Oak Point Walk-in Care
5940 Oak Point Road
Lorain, OH 44053
Hours: Mon-Fri: 9 AM -5 PM I Sat-Sun: 8 AM -12 PM

Mercy Health —Oberlin Walk-in Care
224 W. Lorain Street, Suite 100
Oberlin, OH 44074
Hours: Mon-Fri: 9 AM -5 PM I Sat-Sun: 8 AM -12 PM

Mercy Health —Sheffield Walk-in Care
5327 Detroit Road, Suite B
Sheffield Village, OH 44054
Hours: Mon-Fri: 9 AM -5 PM I Sat: 8 AM -12 PM

Mercy Health —Vermilion Walk-in Care
1607 State Road, Suite 6
Vermilion, OH 44089
Hours: Mon-Fri: 9 AM -5 PM I Sat-Sun: 8 AM -12 PM

Mercy Health —Wellington Walk-in Care
840 Patriot Drive
Wellington, OH 44090
Hours: Mon-Fri: 9 AM -5 PM I Sat-Sun: 8 AM -12 PM