Have you ever had to wait for hours at an emergency room, while people with non-emergency types of illnesses get treated? People who don’t need to be at the emergency room go all the time. Mostly, it’s because they don’t have a regular doctor or they have no other place to go. The good news is that the marketplace is producing alternatives in supermarkets and retail stores. The first wave started about 30 years ago at the so-called “doc-in-the-box” clinics. Now, these mini clinics are popping up in warehouse clubs, Target stores and supermarkets. Think about how many of these places now have pharmacy counters, eyeglass stores, hearing centers, banks and gas stations. The next move is to put a doctor in the store. The medical shops take up about 150 square feet and, for $50 or less, you can see someone within minutes. Sometimes there are nurse practitioners or physician’s assistants on staff. If your condition is serious, they’ll send you somewhere else. But it’s a much quicker cycle of seeing people. Publix is now opening clinics in Tampa, Orlando and Miami. There are also veterinary practices that are open only on nights and weekends, so they can charge higher rates. So, these are solutions to problems we’ve been dealing with for years. The caveat you must remember is that human beings are going to make mistakes. You cannot guarantee perfection when dealing with humans.