The interior of the CityMD urgent care clinic in the Journal Square section of Jersey City — Courtesy: CityMD
By Joshua Burd
For a business that started in Manhattan, New Jersey seemed like a logical extension for CityMD.
But the urgent care chain says that’s as much about culture as it is about geography or the 5 million people in the northern part of the state.
“We have found that our brand has strong recognition rates in the area,” said Nedal Shami, the chief growth officer. “For CityMD, it is a very promising new frontier.” The chain also positioned itself for success when it partnered with what is now Hackensack-Meridian Health as part of its expansion. CityMD opened its first New Jersey location in Paramus in October 2015, giving way to a dozen more in less than three years.
Shami said the locations typically span 3,000 to 5,000 square feet but, “depending on the market, we may go larger in order to get the façade that we believe is necessary to stay visible and top of the minds of future potential patients.”
The chain has also opened locations as small as 2,500 square feet “with the perfect clean rectangle in denser markets, which, of course, saves on total rent costs,” he said.
