Innovative Express Care Celebrates Six Years of Exceptional Care

Six years ago, Innovative Express Care started as a dream to do healthcare differently. More than a decade in the Emergency Department at a large academic medical center had opened my eyes to gaps in the healthcare system. It also allowed me to realize the need for greater innovation and technology to improve the patient experience. I wanted to evolve the healthcare experience. 

Pairing Quality with Convenience

Long before telemedicine was mainstream (thanks COVID), Innovative Express Care used virtual visits to afford patients more convenience. Virtual visits work well for medication refills, symptom consults, and more, and they can be done from a patient’s home or office. 

Innovative also offers online scheduling. Patients can easily secure an appointment time that works within their schedule. Walk-in wait times are also published. 

Forward Thinking

As an independent clinic, Innovative is nimble. We execute on our ideas quickly. In 2016, we expanded our services to include medical cannabis certification. While legal in Illinois, most medical providers were not supporting patients who chose to pursue cannabis as a means of symptom relief. Innovative Express Care quickly became the go to clinic for patients who wanted to incorporate cannabis alongside traditional therapies for chronic pain and/or depression caused by a qualifying medical condition. 

Innovative Express Care was also among the first clinics in Chicago to offer Ketamine infusions for the treatment of severe depression, anxiety and PTSD. Demand for both medical cannabis certification and ketamine infusions ultimately spurred two new clinics, now known as Innovative Wellness and Innovative Ketamine. 

Caring for our Community

When COVID-19 hit Chicago, Innovative was among the first medical providers to respond to the need for community testing. We erected a medical tent in our parking lot to see symptomatic patients safely, while reducing exposure and the risk of transmission to other patients. Our team later moved to a larger site that allowed us to see over 1,500 patients every day. 

Still, every appointment filled daily. Patients demand prompted us to establish three additional testing sites. By fall, our testing capacity was more than 3,000 COVID-19 tests per day. 

Innovative Express Care was the first clinic in Chicago to offer COVID-19 antibody testing. We were also among the first clinics to have the COVID-19 vaccine. We have worked to curb this pandemic for more than a year at this point, and we will not stop until COVID-19 is behind us. 

Six Clinics Strong

• Innovative Express Care drew many patients who did not have a medical home and needed a primary care provider. Innovative Primary Care was born from this need and began seeing patients in 2016. Today, the busy primary care has five medical providers. 
• Innovative Therapy was also established to serve the needs of Innovative Express Care patients. A behavioral health component has allowed us to meet both the physical and emotional needs of our patients, while also providing consults on PTSD and ADHD. 
• Innovative MedSpa offers a full range of services, including facials, Botox, fillers, PRP therapy and more. 
• Innovative Ketamine is a leader in IV ketamine infusions for the treatment of depression, anxiety and PTSD. 
• Innovative Wellness continues to be Chicago’s choice for medical cannabis certification and cannabis consulting. 

What does the future hold?

In six years, we evolved from one standalone urgent care, to a full medical group. We call this Innovative Care. Our focus moving forward will be on primary care, urgent care and behavioral health. The combination of these services in one medical group will make Innovative Care unique. We will grow our three key practices, while nurturing the affiliate practices our patients also love. Innovative Care will be the “go to” place for primary care, urgent care and behavioral health on Chicago’s North side. Patients will continue to choose Innovative Care because we provide high-quality health care that is also efficient and convenient. Technology and innovative thinking improve the patient experience.

Innovative Care is healthcare evolved, and we look forward to continuing to execute on the mission we set for ourselves six years ago.