A local franchise of walk-in clinic chain American Family Care will open at 1942 E. Main St. in June in Cortez.
The clinic will offer services seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The 3,693-square-foot building will feature seven exam rooms, a physician’s office, a nurse’s station, procedure room, X-ray room and office and storage spaces.
Situated on a 28,671-square-foot lot, the facility will offer 29 parking spaces.
American Family Care has over 200 clinics across 26 states, and is known for providing nonemergent services such as physicals, checkups, X-rays and lab tests.
Bloom Care LLC is heading the franchise, although the company is also referred to as Smith Group, after owner Spencer Smith, a Cortez native.
Cortez is a smaller market than the company typically takes root in, but it is Smith’s hometown, he said.
“We wanted to bring the convenience of urgent care to Cortez,” Smith said.
The American Family Care location will be the sixth for the company – with three other locations in Boise, Idaho, one in Farmington and another opening in Grand Junction in April, Smith said.
The company also franchised Tire Max in Cortez, as well as various Big O Tires and Aaron’s stores, and does commercial and residential real estate work.
The city of Cortez approved the project in October.
The clinic will hire about 14 employees. Clinics previously were staffing up to 25 employees, but a decline in COVID-19 testing services has lowered that number, Smith said.
American Family Care will join the Southwest Medical Group Walk-in Care facility in providing urgent care to Cortez residents. Southwest Health’s quick care clinic is also open seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.
Smith said the new clinic will provide a “greater convenience factor” as well as extended hours.
The first American Family Care clinic opened in 1982 in Birmingham, Alabama. The company plans for more than 500 locations in the country within the next five years, according to its website.
The company estimates franchise startup costs to run between $1,008,000 and $1,441,500 on its website.
