Gateway Urgent Care opened its doors in the spring of 2011 on KY 54 in Owensboro. After exponential success propelled by “customer love,” the group quickly expanded to boast five locations across the tri-state.
Managing Partner John McNulty developed the clinic’s philosophy from a Mac Anderson book he read titled Customer Love. This simply means that he and his team treat every patient that walks through their doors as a customer, going above and beyond to offer an unparalleled clinical care experience.
“In our world of retail medicine, there are several clinic options within 1,000 feet of our KY 54 office,” McNulty said. “We want to treat every patient that enters our doors like a child of God and create as pleasant of an experience as possible.”
Gateway prides itself on shorter wait times. In fact, they conducted several analyses to determine the best way to decrease the average wait time.
“After implementing a plan, our average wait times went from 45 to 16 minutes,” he said. “We did it specifically and intentionally. We want to treat everyone with kindness, love, and great medical care and get them in and out quickly so they’ll return.”
McNulty said their growth as a company is a direct reflection of their staff. To reference their hiring approach, he cited another book titled You Can’t Send a Duck to Eagle School, also by Mac Anderson.
“We hire ‘eagles’ — people that soar above the rest, problem solvers with a great attitude,” he said. “The individuals on our staff embrace the amazing customer love philosophy, and that’s the kind of people we seek. We seek eagle attitudes, not ducks that wallow in the mud.”
This is evidenced by Kristen Beers, who climbed the ranks from part-time at the front desk 12 years ago to become the COO over all of the clinics. Another direct result of Gateway’s “eagle” approach is Anna West, who began triaging, moved to the front desk, was promoted to assistant manager, and now serves as the chief financial officer.
McNulty added that they also take patient care to the next level by providing an easy-to-read billing process. They employ their own billing team, specifically trained in medical billing and how to answer the phone and treat patients with care.
Gateway’s second location came in 2014 when they opened an office in Newburgh. They expanded to North Green River Road in Evansville four years later, adding a second Evansville location on South Green River Road just one year after that. They opened a second Owensboro location on Frederica Street during the fall of 2021.
While the Kentucky locations operate as Gateway, the Indiana locations are called Mercy as an homage to the Sisters of Mercy, who once ran Our Lady of Mercy of Hospital in Owensboro.
Visit mercyurgentcare.com to learn more about Gateway and Mercy Urgent Cares.
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Today, with a membership base of nearly 1,000, the Chamber is a guiding force in community and business development initiatives, serving as the center of business advocacy for the Greater Owensboro region.
To learn more about becoming the Chamber Member of the Week or inquire about Chamber membership, contact Shelly Nichols, Chamber Vice President, at 270-926-1860 or [email protected].
