On June 1, Bassett Healthcare Network opened a new convenient care clinic in the Cooperstown area.
The clinic, at Bassett’s Hartwick Seminary Specialty Services building at 4580 state Route 28 in Milford, right next to Cooperstown Dreams Park, is open year-round, seven days a week — and no appointments are needed. We’re here for you and your loved ones at Convenient Care, whether you are an established Bassett patient or not, for minor illnesses and injuries such as coughs, colds, flu, fevers, sprains, rashes and insect bites.
I am thrilled to bring this long-needed resource to the community. It’s something I’ve been championing since I first came to Bassett, and it is truly rewarding to see all the planning, fundraising, construction and recruitment efforts completed so that our caregivers can get to work. In just the first week of operations, the clinic provided care to 146 patients and completed 34 on-site X-ray scans. Fifty-seven of those patients walked in without an appointment. On our very first day, we saw patients ranging in age from 2 to 104 years old.
Access to health care is a vested community interest that impacts us all. When we are feeling ill or if we suffer an injury, we all want and deserve quality and timely medical care. This access is crucial in easing symptoms, getting a treatment or prescription, or possibly detecting a larger issue. In some cases, timely access can be lifesaving.
Bassett Healthcare Network is taking strategic and deliberate steps to grow services and expand care access for our patients and communities across Central New York. This vital work is an important pillar in our 2026-2028 strategic plan. Our Convenient Care locations are one piece of our larger network that allows us to create a more seamless pathway for patients. Importantly, this also means that people will not visit our emergency departments for minor needs, reserving ER services for the sickest patients who need more critical attention. We’re connecting people, whether they are residents or tourists, with the right care, in the right place, at the right time.
There are countless people to thank for making this clinic a reality. I am deeply grateful to the leaders, clinicians and other caregivers across Bassett Healthcare Network who worked diligently for many months. I wish to thank Jane Forbes Clark, chair of Bassett Medical Center’s board of directors, for her incredible support, vision and partnership on this project. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to the lead sponsors who supported the project, including Strategic Financial Services, Epic Landscapes, Leatherstocking Credit Union, Nixon Peabody LLP, and Terry and Keith Fulmer. This clinic also would not have been possible without funding from New York state. Last year, Bassett Medical Center was awarded more than $7.6 million through the Statewide Health Care Facility Transformation Program for several projects, including this new clinic. We are grateful to the state for being such excellent partners. And finally, I thank our patients and communities for entrusting us with your care.
In addition to the new location, Bassett operates Convenient Care clinics in Oneonta and Herkimer. On weekdays, they are open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. On weekends, they are open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Patients can secure a place in line before they arrive by calling the clinic of their choice or, established Bassett patients can make an appointment via the MyBassett app. To learn more, visit Bassett.org/ConvenientCare. We look forward to seeing you soon.