LUTCHER — St. James Urgent Care opened this year in Lutcher with a stated goal, hospital leaders said, to create access to a level of care previously unavailable in the local area.

That access increased this month as the Urgent Care welcomed Blue Cross Blue Shield and Peoples Health to its list of approved insurances.

“Making care as affordable as possible is one of many components of increasing access, so this was a goal from day one — and still is,” Director of Marketing Kassie S. Roussel said. “Becoming an approved provider with certain insurance companies is a process for Urgent Care Clinics, but we are happy to do our part if it means helping more patients.”

Physician Clinic Manager Jennifer Rodrigue said Urgent Care staffers have received wonderful feedback from the community.

“Patients have been extremely impressed with our caring staff and consistently compliment how quickly and smoothly they get seen and treated,” she said. “They also love knowing that if something happens outside of normal clinic hours, they don’t have to drive out of town to get the care they need. When people are sick or hurt, they don’t want to wait to get help.”

St. James Urgent Care, staffed with an experienced team including a nurse practitioner, medical assistant and medical receptionist who work together to treat patients thoroughly and quickly, is available to patients when primary care physicians’ offices are closed.

Patients can walk-in to see a licensed practitioner from 5 to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays at St. James Urgent Care, located in the medical plaza next to the hospital.

Employees of the St. James Parish School System, St. James Parish Sheriff’s Office and many local industries are insured through Blue Cross Blue Shield, hospital leaders said, so the latest expansion helps a lot of community members access Urgent Care without having to travel.

Board-certified emergency department physicians oversee nurse practitioners at the facility and can be consulted if a need arises.

For more information or to contact the clinic, call 225-258-2040.