Story by Blake Sandlin
Sports Editor
bsandlin1@murraystate.edu
Faculty, staff and students will have a new option for on-campus health care this year, Fast Pace Connect Urgent Care.
Fast Pace Connect is a virtual medical clinic which will be located in the old Health Services space in Wells Hall. The new service replaces free health services offered by the University after Murray State outsourced the program in April.
The replacement will instead charge students and faculty a flat fee of $85, which can be covered by the patient’s insurance or can be paid out of pocket for those without insurance or with high deductibles. Fast Pace regional marketing representative Lukas Pierce said the company accepts about 99 percent of insurers.
The clinic will operate from 8-4:30 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and 8-12 p.m. on Wednesday. The modern approach to health care might prompt some skepticism, but Pierce assured students that the service is quick and effective.
“You come in and a nurse or LPN will be there,” said Pierce. “They will talk to you and assist you, take you back to the room where we have our virtual medicine machine. What it is, it’s like Skype or Facetime, they’ll walk you through it, hook you up with the machine, take all your vital signs and then they will contact a provider in Waynesboro, Tennessee, which is where our headquarters is located.”
From there, Pierce said a physician can make an assessment from their remote location. They can examine patient’s ears, throat and everything in between using a computer. And while Fast Pace’s campus location is primarily reserved for minor illnesses, there are other options available.
If patients require more advanced medical care, such as EKGs or X-rays, they can visit Fast Pace’s second location in Murray, located on 506 N. 12th St.
The service will open on campus for the first time on Monday, Aug. 13. Fast Pace will also be set up in the Curris Center on Friday, Saturday and Monday to provide information and hold a giveaway for students.