Overcrowded hospital emergency rooms are a challenge across the country. With the growing volume of patients, Dr. Walter Gianelle knew there had to be a better way to provide access to urgent and immediate care. So, in 2005, the experienced ER physician partnered with two other specialists to form Your Doc’s In (YDI), which has grown into a leader in urgent care on the Eastern Shore.

Over the years, YDI has expanded, filling a gap for no-appointment-necessary urgent and occupational care. “Urgent cares are like the spokes in the wheel for unscheduled illness and injury,” Dr. Gianelle said.

Now, with the partnership between YDI and TidalHealth, the 125-year-old health system can even more efficiently direct patients to the care they need. TidalHealth holds a 50% share in the YDI franchise, with six locations. Peninsula Health Ventures, a TidalHealth company, will provide administrative support for both partners.

“This is an extension and natural progression of that single location relationship to be more closely aligned across the Delmarva Peninsula,” explained Dr. Gianelle, noting that the partnership started in 2016 at the South Salisbury practice across from the university. Now, all YDIs are aligned with TidalHealth.

In a statement about the partnership, TidalHealth president/CEO Steve Leonard, PhD, MBA, FACHE, said, “The Your Doc’s In partnership ensures our ability to provide residents with the right care at the right time and in the right location across Delmarva.”

Dr. Gianelle added, “We can take care of fractures, sutures and more — and we have certified labs in all of our offices, in addition to X-ray capabilities — so this really broadens what we do.”

He calls it an “urgent level of care,” and the robust services represent an extension of what healthcare patients can access through the TidalHealth system. Plus, the partnership assures continuity of care, should a patient require follow-up visits.

“We can provide really streamlined healthcare to the community,” Dr. Gianelle said. “This collaboration ensures that we remain partners in care, committed to the integration of services and focused on providing the best access at both emergent and urgent locations.”

YDI clinics are led by board-certified physicians and medical specialists. With the partnership, YDI’s providers and support staff still handle day-to-day care. CS