How the Best Clinics Earn Loyalty in One Visit or Less

What urgent care leaders are getting right — and how it builds trust from day one
As heard on Dx: The Podcast

In urgent care, the window to make a lasting impression is short. Patients often walk in stressed, uncertain, or frustrated. They’re not looking for perfection. They’re looking for clarity, confidence, and care. And if you get that first visit right, they’ll come back.

If you don’t? They won’t.

On Dx: The Podcast, we’ve interviewed some of the smartest minds in urgent care — operators who are doing more than keeping up. They’re redesigning the care experience to build loyalty from the very first visit.

Here’s what we’ve learned.

1. They treat the visit like the beginning of a relationship — not a transaction

“People gauge their experience on how they’re treated, not how perfect your clinical decision was.”
— Brent Kell, CEO, Valley Immediate Care (DX the Podcast, Ep 5)

Patients don’t know if you chose the exact right antibiotic or ordered the most cost-effective X-ray. What they remember is how they were greeted. Whether you listened. Whether the follow-up text came.

At Valley Immediate Care, Brent Kell’s team emphasizes post-visit follow-up and strong specialist referral partnerships — because even though the visit ends, the relationship doesn’t have to. That mindset builds loyalty from day one.

2. They simplify everything patients hate — and elevate what they love

“Our product is our service. And our service is our people.”
— Adam Braves, VP of Strategic Growth, Bon Secours Mercy Health (DX the Podcast, Ep 2)

Today’s patients are also retail consumers. They expect frictionless access and responsive communication. That means fast digital check-in, upfront info about cost or insurance, and zero waiting for a clipboard.

Bon Secours has made “simple, functional, not fancy” their standard. Because if a patient can walk in, get seen, and walk out — all while feeling respected and informed — that’s how you earn their repeat business.

3. They close clinical gaps by empowering teams with data and feedback

“You can’t build provider confidence without reps. And you can’t build consistency without feedback.”
— Dr. Brian Cruz, CMO, Midwest Express (DX the Podcast, Ep 1)

One visit can leave a lasting impression, especially if care feels inconsistent. That’s why Midwest Express uses peer-to-peer chart reviews and ED transfer metrics to identify training gaps early.

Instead of top-down correction, they lean into positive feedback loops that help providers learn from each other, building a culture of trust and reinforcing quality across 50+ locations.

4. They meet patients where they are — culturally, geographically, digitally

“You have to know who you’re caring for — and earn their trust from the first encounter.”
— Selena Gurley, VP of Accreditation, Fast Pace Health (DX the Podcast, Ep 3)

In rural or underserved areas, one negative experience can keep a patient from returning or even seeking care at all. Fast Pace learned that firsthand when cultural mistrust hindered engagement at a new clinic.

The solution wasn’t a campaign — it was showing up. Church visits. Community listening sessions. Hiring from the neighborhood. That work built trust, and trust brought patients back.

5. They let automation do the busywork — so people can focus on people

“Patients don’t want to press 1 or 2. They want their question answered.”
— Brian Schiff, CEO, FLIP (DX the Podcast, Ep 4)

Patients expect real-time answers, not endless phone trees. FLIP’s voice AI handles thousands of urgent care calls per day — scheduling visits, checking hours, and routing complex requests — without the burnout or dropped calls.

It’s not just about convenience. It’s about trust at scale. Every time a patient calls and gets what they need without waiting, you’ve made a loyalty deposit.

The Takeaway:

You don’t earn patient loyalty with one great feature. You earn it with one great experience — end to end.

The best urgent care operators are rethinking the visit lifecycle to include:

✅ Effortless check-in
✅ Personal, culturally competent care
✅ Smart use of automation
✅ Transparent referrals and follow-up
✅ Team training rooted in real feedback

Patients don’t come back because the visit was fast.
They come back because it felt worth returning to.

Catch up Before Season Two Begins August 2025

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