Did you know that you can receive non-emergency medical attention without driving through city traffic or hunting for a space in packed parking lots?
You can hop in your golf cart, head out to the corner of SunRiver Parkway and Country Club Drive, and find ample parking at the new ISC medical clinic at SunRiver.
Dr. Walt Ogden can monitor blood pressure and diabetes, conduct wellness visits, treat minor injuries and lacerations, address allergy problems, provide medication, and treat you when you’re feeling sick. He is currently available at the clinic Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday to provide urgent and primary care physician services. He hopes to be at the clinic full-time within a few months.
You won’t have to wait weeks for an appointment at the new clinic, you can get an appointment within a day or two. They also accept walk-ins.
Dr. Ogden graduated from the University of Utah, and received his M.D. from the University of Missouri, Columbia School of Medicine in 1973. He practiced family medicine in Orange, California for forty-three years, from 1973 until he retired in 2008, when he moved to St. George.
Being satisfied with retirement lasted about six months, then he began working at the Doctor’s Volunteer Clinic of St George, but it wasn’t busy enough. After two years, he started working at the Hurricane Family Clinic as well, where he is still working until they find his replacement.
“If you need to see a Doctor, we want to be convenient,” Dr. Ogden says. “If a resident, visitor, or family member of any age gets cut, sick, or injured, they can come to the clinic and be seen that day.”
During his six-and-a-half years in the St. George medical community, Dr. Ogden has become familiar with the area’s medical specialists. In addition to in-clinic services, he can provide primary care referrals when needed.
“Someone who moves here and has heart problems, can come and see me and I can refer them to a local cardiologist,” Dr. Ogden says. “Specialists want a referral from a primary care physician like me. They don’t want someone to come in directly to see them because the primary care physician can take care of many of the issues. Many specialty offices won’t take patients without a referral. If a primary care physician can handle a heart condition or diabetes at a lower level, the patient doesn’t need to see a specialist. We can provide the medical services patients with stabilized health conditions need. We can help them keep their blood pressure or diabetes under control right here without them having to drive into town.”
“When someone moves into town, and is running out of medicine, they need to be seen now,” Dr. Ogden says. “We can see them. We can also provide urgent care and convenient service to patients. I’ve talked to people moving to the area who can’t find a doctor. I am one of the few doctors accepting new patients.”
The ISC clinic at SunRiver plans to keep up with demand for services and add staff as needed. They want the clinic to be convenient, quick, and easy to get an appointment. They can also handle sports medicine and injuries. With the many sports activities at SunRiver, it’s good to know there is a close and convenient medical clinic. If you are injured you can get help quickly.
“We do house calls, too,” Dr. Ogden says. “We have an integrated model of medical care. I can provide regular office visits, primary care, house calls, assisted living care, and serve as the physician in charge of hospice care. We’re here to help the senior community with their health concerns through all the steps of life.”
The clinic accepts most insurances, Medicare, and accepts plan copays.
Why deal with the time and frustration of driving into St. George, battling traffic and scouring parking lots, only to sit around in a waiting room? Next time you need a doctor, hop in your golf cart, and cruise over to the ISC clinic at SunRiver. You’ll probably be in and out in less time than it takes to drive to town and find a parking spot.
Article: Jon Thompson | Photography: Kinzie Madsen