If you’re sick or injured and can’t be seen by your primary care doctor right away, urgent care facilities offer a convenient alternative. Much less expensive than a visit to the emergency room, and with expanded hours when compared with a typical doctor’s office, it’s no wonder urgent care facilities are popular with people in need of medical care all over the U.S.
One urgent care facility in Wesley Chapel takes its role in helping meet the healthcare needs of the community to the next level.
Fast Track Urgent Care Center, located just off of S.R. 54 west of I-75, calls itself a “boutique” urgent care facility, because it offers not only a personal touch, but also expanded services that can make the inconvenience of a sudden illness or an unexpected injury a little easier to deal with.
For example, the center offers what it calls “Fast Pass,” an online check-in system. Although appointments are not required, patients can fill out their paperwork in advance and skip the line when they arrive at the urgent care facility.
“Our goal is to get you in and out within 30-60 minutes,” says Paul Nanda, M.D., who is the medical director for Fast Track’s four locations, including Wesley Chapel, South Tampa, Westchase, and Carrollwood. “We know you didn’t wake up that morning with plans to go to urgent care, so we want to make you better and get you back to your life as soon as possible.”
Dr. Nanda says Fast Track also offers free home delivery of medications. “If you’re not feeling well and have a fever, we know you don’t want to wait in line at the pharmacy,” he explains. “So, after your appointment, you can go home and we’ll bring your prescriptions to you within two hours.”
He adds, “We also handle all referrals in-house, so we actually make the phone call, ensure that the facility we refer you to will take your insurance, and set up the follow-up appointment for you,” says Dr. Nanda. “We help you navigate the healthcare system. And, we don’t just tell you to follow up with your primary doctor if you don’t feel better in a few days. We tell you to come back to us. We’re a boutique facility, so we give a higher level of care.”
Medical Staff
The staff at Fast Track includes a dozen Board-certified physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants. The team of experienced professionals rotate among the company’s four locations.
Fast Track Urgent Care Center was founded in 2005 by Tampa native Daron G. Diecidue, M.D., who is Board-certified in Family Medicine. Dr. Diecidue holds Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees in both Biology and Psychology from Florida State University in Tallahassee, and a degree in Chemistry from the University of South Florida in Tampa. He received his M.D. degree from the University of South Florida School of Medicine and performed his residency in family medicine at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg. He is an active member of the American Academy of Family Practice, the Florida Medical Association and the Urgent Care Association of America.
Meanwhile, Dr. Nanda has served as medical director of Fast Track Urgent Care since 2013. He also is Board-certified in Family Medicine. Dr. Nanda received a B.S. degree in Biology from Indiana University in Bloomington in 1996, and a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Immunology from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis in 1999, and his M.D. degree from the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine in St. Maarten in 2003. He completed his residency at Ohio State University in Columbus in 2007.
Dr. Nanda also interviewed for a residency at Bayfront Hospital in St. Petersburg. At that time, he says he, “fell in love with Tampa” and was hoping to find an opportunity to work in the area. When the opportunity arose to work with Fast Track Urgent Care Clinic, he says he jumped at the chance.
“I really like the office and its philosophy of how to treat patients,” Dr. Nanda says. “When I interviewed with Dr. Diecidue, the CEO, I found that he is doing things the way I would do them if I owned my own practice.”
Dr. Nanda was hired in 2013 and was quickly promoted to medical director. He says he is, “responsible for ensuring the practice consistently offers patient-oriented, evidence-based, cost-effective care” at Fast Track’s four locations, including the Wesley Chapel center.
“I was always taught that patients come first,” explains Dr. Nanda. “As providers, we are advocates who do what’s best for the patient. Sometimes that means we have to fight with insurance companies. Sometimes that means we don’t randomly prescribe antibiotics. Sometimes that means we help people navigate the healthcare system, which has become more and more confusing. We hire providers who agree with our patient-first philosophy, and we ask them to treat every patient like they would treat their own mom or child.”
For a complete list of the medical providers at the Wesley Chapel office, go to FastTrackUrgentCare.com.
Newest Location: Wesley Chapel
The Wesley Chapel office opened in February of this year. The location was previously a different urgent care center, so Fast Track Urgent Care was able to move in quickly when that location became available.
“We were looking to get into this area because it’s exciting — and growing — and there was a lack of really good urgent care facilities,” says Dr. Nanda.
He says the practice treats most conditions that a traditional family practice would treat, but without the wait times that can be associated with a primary care physician in today’s healthcare environment. He explains that Fast Track’s doctors don’t handle long-term management of a chronic condition, such as high blood pressure or depression, but when you’re sick or injured, that’s the time to come to the center.
“We treat everyone from infant to geriatric,” says Dr. Nanda. “The youngest patient I’ve ever treated in urgent care was two days old, and the oldest was 103,” although the clinic currently does not treat infants under three months old.
“For young, healthy people with no chronic conditions, in some cases we actually function as a primary care doctor,” says Dr. Nanda. “We’re not trying to take the place of a primary care physician, but you can come and see us whenever you’re sick or injured. We’re open 84 hours a week (12 hours a day, Sunday-Saturday), and we’re here to serve you and your medical needs. We make it as quick and easy as possible, and we take care of our patients with extra care services.”
He says another important role that the Wesley Chapel Fast Track Urgent Care Center plays is to give people an alternative to visiting the emergency room when they find themselves sick or injured, and their doctor’s office is either booked or closed.
“Healthcare is getting more and more expensive,” Dr. Nanda says. “While a typical emergency room visit can cost thousands of dollars (with no insurance), our average visit is just $125. We want to keep people out of the ER and get them feeling better.”
And, people do seem to be taking notice. On the center’s website, dozens of five-star reviews highlight what people love about Fast Track Urgent Care Center.
“Very quick, and attentive staff all around,” writes John P. “Best urgent care experience I’ve ever had.”
And, patient Carmen L. writes, “Fast Track is always the place I choose when I can’t get in to my own doctor. They always give exceptional service. I truly recommend Fast Track for your urgent care needs.”
Fast Track Urgent Care Center has four locations throughout the Tampa Bay area. The Wesley Chapel office is located at 5504 Gateway Blvd. and is open seven days a week, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. To make a reservation with Fast Pass or for more information, go to FastTrackUrgentCare.com or call 925-1903.
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