Not long ago, a woman came into Care Medical Group’s urgent care clinic with bloodied palms.
She’d been jogging at Lake Padden and fallen, cutting her hands in the process. The first runner to encounter the injured woman on the trail told her CMG was her best choice for treatment.
Instances like this are a testament to the high-quality care of CMG. Dr. Richard Wei, owner and medical director of the long-time Bellingham medical clinic, says word of mouth — no matter how unusually it’s provided — is CMG’s number one source of new patients.
“We get a lot of referrals from very happy and satisfied patients,” says Dr. Wei, who has operated the clinic since purchasing it in 2011.
Located at 4043 Northwest Avenue, CMG provides a variety of convenient and affordable medical services, including walk-in urgent care, adult primary care, and by-appointment occupational medicine and physical therapy. Founded in 1997, CMG was originally located off the Guide Meridian near the intersection of East Kellogg Road.
A Higher Level of Care
Dr. Wei — an expert in urgent care, sports medicine, and occupational medicine — came to Bellingham from New Orleans, where he established several physical therapy, urgent care, and occupational medicine clinics. In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, the city was never the same. In 2010, due to the devastation, Dr. Wei decided to move his family to Bellingham to purchase CMG.
After purchasing CMG, Dr. Wei changed the clinic’s focus from primary care to broad specialization in urgent care, physical therapy, occupational and sports medicine. Having moved to a new, state-of-the-art facility (which Dr. Wei designed) that was completed shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic began, CMG provides patients an “under one roof” concept: x-rays, lab work, audiograms (hearing tests), electrocardiograms (EKGs), and physical therapy, all of which can be done on-site.
The clinic’s occupational medicine department also provides a litany of other services, including physicals, quantitative FIT testing, work capacity evaluations, Hazmat physicals, asbestos and lead screening, workplace injury treatment, and drug and alcohol testing. CMG provides occupational medicine to more than 200 regional employers, and Dr. Wei is also occupational medical director for the City of Bellingham, the fire department, and the police force.
Surviving and Thriving
Like virtually all medical facilities, the COVID-19 pandemic created challenges for Care Medical Group. The increased volume of patients certainly put more stress on clinic staff, but in foreseeing the threat that COVID-19 would pose as the virus spread, CMG quickly prepared.
CMG prepared for the pandemic by stocking up on personal protection equipment (PPE), such as N95 masks, eye goggles, face shields, isolations gowns, and gloves. The clinic had enough supply to last them through all of 2020. In addition, the facility has a negative-pressure airflow system providing high-efficiency particulate filtering, which pulls the infected air out of the clinic to prevent and protect clinic staff and patients from spreading viruses.
During the pandemic, CMG contributed to the community by providing on-site testing for COVID-19 to help prevent the spread. CMG expanded their services hours and included COVID-19 nasal swab and antibody tests on a walk-in basis and telemedicine appointments.
The Care You Need, When You Need It
In addition to Dr. Wei, CMG is staffed with four physician’s assistants, a certified physical therapist, and support staff that keep the clinic operating at the high level of service indicative of its motto: Care you need, when you need it.
“I am so proud of how CMG has grown in the last decade,” says Dr. Wei. “The high standard of care I have set for the clinic shows in the many lives saved. Either by detecting early cancer or by determining a hidden heart attack that is masked by atypical chest pain. The community that CMG serves shows its gratitude by continuously referring their friends and loved ones to CMG, of which I am forever grateful.”
Whether you’re dealing with an injury, such as a sprained ankle or illness such as a cold; looking for a primary care provider; or needing more specialized treatment and tests, Care Medical Group is here to help. CMG helps the community in providing urgent care, sports medicine, primary care, occupational medicine, and physical therapy. The clinic has convenient walk-in and by-appointment services, and they are open Mon-Fri 8am-7pm and Saturday 9am-4pm. For more information, check out their website at www.caremg.com or call 360.734.4300.
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