Full range of medical lab testing available at the NCH Outpatient Care Center

We’re on campus at Harper College in Palatine, open seven days a week

Strep throat, high cholesterol and the flu – what do they all have in common? They’re just some of the health conditions you can be seen and tested for at the new NCH Outpatient Care Center (OCC) at Harper College in Palatine.

The OCC opened August 1 on campus, but it’s not just for students. It’s for anyone needing primary or immediate care, physical therapy, lab testing or X-rays. This includes local residents, college students and employees, gym members and athletes.

The center’s purpose is to provide high-quality care that’s convenient for patients, says Courtney Snyder, D.O., a family medicine physician and one of the center’s two staff physicians. Mukesh Kumar, M.D., a family medicine physician, is the other.

Dr. Snyder recently shared some details about the new center, and the tests patients can receive there.

Q: What tests do you offer at the center?

A: Some testing is done on site and results are available immediately. These include:

1. Strep throat
2. Mono (nucleosis)
3. Urinary tract infection
4. Influenza
5. Glucose (blood sugar) levels for diabetes
6. Pregnancy test

We also have a lab on site that offers the full range of diagnostic testing available at NCH. Any blood or urine tests ordered by your physician can be collected and then processed at Northwest Clinical Laboratories (NCL). Results are then made available to your physician. You can also view your results on MyChart, the NCH electronic medical record patient portal.

Q: Can you just walk in and have a test done?

A: Yes. If a doctor has already ordered a test for you, you can have it done here and the results will go to your doctor. If you don’t have a doctor’s order, you’ll need to see a physician and have an exam. You should bring your insurance card and a list of medications you’re taking.

Q: Why go to the Outpatient Care Center instead of your doctor’s office?

A: Our office hours are very flexible. There aren’t many doctors’ offices that are open on the weekends, much less Sunday. We do X-rays and labs on site, which not many places have.

Q: What are the hours?

A: Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The lab closes two hours earlier.

Q: What types of special equipment or services do you offer?

A: We have an X-ray machine and technician on site, which is not common. One half-day a week, Sports Medicine Specialist Benjamin Hasan, M.D., is here; athletes often consult him for overuse injuries. We also have physical therapy with highly trained physical therapists right in the same building.

Q: Can you bring kids here for vaccines?

A: Yes. We have all of the required childhood vaccines – tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), measles and mumps, human papillomavirus (HPV), rotavirus (inflammation of the stomach and intestines), the hepatitis series, pneumonia, polio and others.

Q: What about for seniors?

A: Seniors can see our physicians for their ongoing medical care and have blood or urine testing done at the onsite lab. We also provide vaccines for seniors such as influenza and pneumococcal pneumonia and can discuss whether the new shingles vaccine is right for you.

Q: What types of insurance does the center accept?

A: Most types of insurance are accepted, except Medicaid and any HMO not affiliated with NCH. People with this type of insurance can still be treated, but their bill would be marked as “self-pay.”

Q: Is there anything you shouldn’t go to the Outpatient Care Center for?

A: We’re equipped to handle most things, and we can transfer you to the ER. But for real emergencies, call 911 or go straight to the emergency room.

Q: Where is the OCC located?

A: We’re on the Harper College campus in Building M, which is where the new Foglia Foundation Health and Recreation Center is located. As you enter the campus from Algonquin Road, turn left and park in the Building M parking lot. Look for our NCH signs.

Read more at nch.org/harper or call 847-618-0121 to make an appointment.

10 things you can do at NCH’s new Outpatient Care Center at Harper College

1. See a doctor or have a test done, even on a Sunday
2. Get immunizations for children, adults and seniors
3. Get any lab tests ordered by your physician
4. Get an X-ray
5. Have a complete sports physical
6. Get results of some tests within minutes at our on-site lab
7. Have your annual wellness and prevention exam to help stay healthy
8. Make an appointment to see one of our physical therapists
9. College-aged students can transition from a pediatrician to an adult primary care physician
10. Get treated for non-emergency illnesses and injuries