By Nathaniel Smith, Editor
Care First Urgent Care in Pekin is celebrating their one year anniversary this Saturday, February 1. Due to this special occasion, Care First Urgent Care will be hosting an open house event on Saturday to provide a little fun this weekend in Pekin.
Located at 7820 S Voyles Rd, New Pekin, the open house event will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will feature raffle drawings, cookies, goodie bags, gift cards, and more.
“Everyone is welcome to stop by for the open house; you don’t have to be sick to come in and meet us,” said Savanna Voyles. “We would love to see you and get to know you!”
Care First Urgent Care was established on February 1, 2024 by Linda Web Tucker. Unfortunately, Linda is no longer with us. She was diagnosed with stage four cancer in August of 2024, and she later passed away on September 16. However, her legacy still lives on in the urgent care.
“Linda was a Washington County alumni, so she opened Care First simply because she wanted to give back to the community,” said Savanna. “She recently passed away, so we’re basically just trying to keep her legacy going. We all got matching purple jackets in memory of her because purple was her favorite color.”
A near and dear tradition that Linda started was her Holiday Tree. The tree is left up all year long in the office, and it is decorated for each and every holiday.
“Linda had this tree up in the office that she would decorate year-round, and we have been maintaining that tradition as a way of remembering her,” Savanna said.
When asked what sets Care First Urgent Care apart from other urgent care facilities in the area, Savanna cited their warm, welcoming nature, little-to-no wait times, and the fact that their goal is to give back to the community.
“We love helping the community and giving back to it as much as we can,” said Savanna. “It’s a small town; everybody knows everybody, and we are focused on forming lasting relationships with everyone who walks through the door. Accompanied by no wait time, our slogan is ‘Where Care Comes First,’ and that is very important to us.”
Savanna began working at Care First Urgent Care in the very beginning when it first opened, and Nicole, the nurse practitioner, began in May of 2024.
“We take our time with people. That really sets us apart from other urgent cares in the area,” said Nicole. “My philosophy with patients is I may not be able to fix all your problems, but at the end of every visit I want you to feel seen and heard and that someone cares about you. I’m not here to get you in and out as fast as I can. My focus is ‘what can I do to make you feel better?’”
Be sure to stop by Care First Urgent Care sometime on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to meet the lovely urgent care staff and win some prizes!