LUTCHER — St. James Parish Hospital announced the 2016 opening of the area’s first local Urgent Care, which will operate within David Reynaud Medical Plaza next to St. James Parish Hospital in Lutcher.

St. James Urgent Care will be open from 5 to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday. Patients will be able to walk-in, see a licensed practitioner and have access to on-the-spot testing and treatment for urgent, non-life threatening medical needs.

“As a working mother, I am thrilled to have the peace of mind that if my child needs care after hours, which we know always seems to happen — we can now jump in the car and have access to this service locally,” said Danielle Martin LeBlanc, local patient.

Hospital officials said St. James Parish Hospital has provided quality emergency care to the community for more than 60 years. As healthcare has evolved, the need for after-hours coverage for urgent, more common issues has grown. St. James Parish Hospital leaders have worked diligently to bring this new level of service home to you, hospital CEO Mary Ellen Pratt said.

“Our objective is to keep patients local and provide an alternative to those needing services outside of our clinic hours,” Pratt said. “We are excited about this opportunity to offer additional services to our community.”

An official opening date will be announced at a later date.