Is this the new shape of urgent care in America, with a reception area but no receptionist and no patient paperwork, open space instead of walls, no magazines (but complimentary decaf Tazo tea) in the waiting area and oversize examination rooms?

C’mon in. But not for long: You won’t spend the day waiting to hear your name called at the new Hartford HealthCare-GoHealth Urgent Care centers in New London and Norwich. These are the latest in a plan to open as many as 15 urgent-care centers operated jointly by Hartford HealthCare and GoHealth Urgent Care, which manages close to 50 urgent-care centers in New York, the Portland (Ore.) metropolitan area and the San Francisco Bay Area — all in a casual, welcoming setting with its signature orange accents.

“This partnership will revolutionize the way urgent care is provided in Connecticut,” says Jeffrey Flaks, president and chief operating officer of Hartford HealthCare.

The New London location opens March 12 at 351 North Frontage Road. After the GoHealth Urgent Care center opens in Norwich March 19 at 624 West Main St., Suite 140, the Hartford HealthCare Medical Group Urgent Care location at 42 Town St., Suite 300,  and Uncasville location at 80 Norwich-New London Turnpike will provide only primary-care services.

Visitors to a typical GoHealth Urgent Care center are greeted by an electronic sign-in via mounted  tablet — are you a walk-in or did you check-in online? — swipe a driver’s license and insurance card at a card-reader stationed at the reception desk, then sign a couple things. That’s it, until they’re summoned by a member of the medical staff. The provider can retrieve your medical system using Hartford HealthCare’s Epic system and, while reviewing your prior conditions and medication list on a laptop, you can follow along on a widescreen display mounted on an examination room wall.

“Our customers want convenience, quality and great overall experience,” says Elliot Joseph, Hartford HealthCare’s CEO. “They have choices.”

Hartford HealthCare-GoHealth Urgent Care centers are usually staffed by a physician and/or a physician’s assistant, a radiology technician and medical assistants.

“Our best-in-class caregivers and team members are ready to provide a welcoming culture of care and effortless experiences that put our patients first,” says Todd Latz, CEO of GoHealth Urgent Care.

So what brings you here? The urgent-care center is a relatively new phenomenon, kickstarted by Obamacare as a less-expensive alternative to emergency rooms for patients who need immediate care for conditions that are not life-threatening.

Some examples:

  • Colds
  • Flu
  • Fever
  • Asthma
  • Allergies
  • Emphysema
  • Minor skin lacerations, cuts
  • Burns

Hartford HealthCare-GoHealth Urgent Care centers are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. To make an appointment, check wait times or to find other GoHealth locations, click here.