News Story Detail

The future of NorthBay Health arrived September 9 when its leadership team and community leaders celebrated the grand opening of a new urgent care clinic in American Canyon.

The clinic’s festive, ribbon-cutting ceremony marked NorthBay’s first of its kind in Napa County and is located alongside its existing primary clinic at 416 Napa Junction Road. The opening is part of a broader expansion plan and will have an immediate impact for patients in American Canyon, as well as those in East Vallejo, Southern Napa, Western Fairfield-Green Valley, and Cordelia. Studies estimate the American Canyon urgent care clinic will serve 6,300 patients in the first year, and more than 8,000 patients shortly thereafter.

Urgent care clinics offer immediate medical attention for non-life-threatening conditions, serving as an alternative to the emergency room, with typically shorter waits and lower costs. Urgent care providers treat a wide range of conditions from common colds and flu to stitches and broken bones.

“When we announced our new ambitious plans for growth, we committed to bringing medical care to the areas where patients need it most,” said Mark Behl, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NorthBay Health. “We are honoring this promise today by creating a new urgent care clinic in American Canyon. This significant milestone reflects our vision for NorthBay’s future by growing our presence in Napa County while upholding our commitment to patients.”

Behl underscored NorthBay’s commitment when he added, “Napa County. We know that this region is underserved, and we can improve the health and well-being of this region.”

The American Canyon urgent care clinic is part of NorthBay’s bold first phase of expansion. Administrators recently announced a new, $250 million Ambulatory Network Strategy – an investment that will lead to the construction of several more clinics. A total of between six and ten new urgent care and primary care clinics will open throughout the region by 2030. A new urgent care clinic is already slated to open in Dixon in November, with one in Rio Vista scheduled to debut in the first quarter of 2025. Yet another clinic will open its doors in Winters later next year. In the end, NorthBay projects the new clinics could serve a combined 200,000 new patients annually.

Each new clinic – like American Canyon – will be strategically located where essential medical services are most needed. NorthBay selected American Canyon as the next location for an urgent care clinic after an extensive consultation with residents, community leaders, and elected officials.

“Our ambulatory strategy is a commitment to bring healthcare access to within fifteen minutes of everyone who lives in Solano County,” said Paul McGinty, NorthBay’s Chief Experience Officer, and Foundation President. “So over time – with this five-year goal – we want to be in every community. We want to be in every neighborhood so that for urgent care and primary care, you don’t have to drive more than fifteen minutes to get access.

“This will relieve the burden of our emergency room, which is better for everybody. And by having multiple options for people, they will eventually be able to look online and go, “Oh, look, it’s an hour wait here, but it’s only a 20-minute wait in American Canyon.’ That’s future state.”

Valerie Zizak-Morais, American Canyon Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, enthusiastically welcomed the opening of the new urgent care clinic. American Canyon is a bedroom community of 22,000 residents, although it has been without an urgent care clinic since the COVID pandemic.

“We’ve been here 31 years, and we see this as central to the growth of our community, and that we’re being seen and our needs are being recognized,” Zizak-Morais said. “When people decide where they want to live, accessible healthcare is one of the main things they consider. As it is now, we have to drive hours to an ER and routinely wait for hours in the ER.

“That will no longer be the case.”

The timing couldn’t be more perfect for the community. Based on a boom of housing development, American Canyon is projected to grow by another 10,000 people within the next five to seven years.

“As a primary care physician for American Canyon, I am proud to represent NorthBay and support the American Canyon community in their health and wellness,” said Frances Benko, D.O. “NorthBay’s drive to provide exceptional care, advanced technology, and state-of-the-art medical practices close to home, continue to be the reasons patients seek out our physicians.

“Today, we’re growing with these families by expanding our services to now include urgent care. This new offering will allow us to bring the same quality and compassionate care that our patients associate with NorthBay in a way that is even quicker and more convenient.”

American Canyon’s urgent care and primary care clinic offers state-of-the-art technology and equipment, meaning a wide variety of healthcare scenarios can be managed onsite. For instance, the clinic features a lab that can produce data in seconds, a wireless EKG machine, and a spacious X-ray machine – technology not found in every urgent care clinic.

“We know there is a need here,” said Blake H. Cleveland, M.D., and Medical Director of NorthBay Urgent Care Services. “And not only will we be able to serve in an urgent care capacity, but we’ll be able to bring NorthBay and all our resources that we have through this front door and to this community. That includes pediatrics, general surgery, cardiology … and many other services.

“We’re not just treating your sprains and sports physicals and sutures. This clinic will be an access point for total care.”

In the American Canyon, East Vallejo, Southern Napa, Western Fairfield-Green Valley, or Cordelia area and in need of urgent care? Just walk in! Learn more about our urgent care services at NorthBay Health.