Orthopedic Urgent Care in Tukwila and Covington
Proliance Orthopedic Urgent Care is a walk-in clinic for bone, joint and muscle injuries, with locations in Tukwila and Covington. You are seen by physician assistants with specific training in orthopedic conditions, the wait is usually very short, and you leave with a diagnosis and a plan.
An orthopedic urgent care is very different from a standard urgent care or an emergency room. Our providers evaluate and start treatment on orthopedic problems every day, so you get the right X-rays, the right brace and the right information from the first visit. When you need an MRI, we order it, and the urgent care books you to see me once the results are back.
For most injuries, this is the fastest way to get care. A visit is billed like a clinic visit, so it costs much less than a trip to the emergency room.
Two Locations
Tukwila
150 Andover Park W.
Tukwila, WA 98188
Covington
27005 168th Place SE, Suite 201
Covington, WA 98042
No appointment needed. Walk in during open hours. The Covington urgent care is held in the Covington Proliance clinic on Saturdays.
The Right Diagnosis and the Right Treatment From Day One
When a patient goes to an emergency room or a general urgent care for an orthopedic injury, they often get the wrong brace and the wrong information, and they generally do not get an MRI ordered. That means more waiting before anyone knows what is actually wrong.
Knowing what to do in the first week of an injury often speeds up care. I regularly see patients who come from an outside urgent care or emergency department in a knee immobilizer and were told not to move the knee. By the time they get an MRI and see me, the knee is stiff, and that can delay surgery.
The biggest advantage of an orthopedic urgent care is a quick diagnosis and accurate treatment. Our providers have specific training in orthopedic conditions, so they know which X-rays to take, which brace you need, what you should and should not do while you wait, and when an MRI makes sense.
From Injury to a Plan, Usually Within a Week
Often the fastest way to get care is to start at the urgent care. You get evaluated, you get X-rays, you get a brace or crutches if you need them, and your MRI is ordered, so that when you see me, all of the information is ready and we can talk about the problem and the plan.
Walk in
An orthopedic-trained physician assistant examines the injury, and X-rays are taken on site.
Start the right treatment
You leave the same day with the right brace, splint, cast or crutches, and clear instructions for the first week.
Get the MRI
If you need one, the MRI is ordered at the visit. Once insurance approves it, usually within a couple of days, you are scanned in Covington or Kent.
See Dr. Merritt
The urgent care books your visit with me, so we can go over the MRI and the plan together. Usually all of this happens within about a week.
A knee with a suspected ACL tear needs to get moving, not sit locked straight in an immobilizer. At the urgent care we start pre-surgical rehabilitation right away, order the MRI, and book your visit with me. By the time we meet, the swelling is coming down, the knee is moving, and if you need surgery, you are ready for it sooner.
All Ages, All of Orthopedics
We see patients of all ages, for every part of orthopedics, including the spine, hands and shoulders.
What You Leave With
- X-rays on site
- Casting and splinting
- The right brace
- Crutches
- MRI ordered when needed
- Follow-up booked with Dr. Merritt
Both locations have X-ray on site. We have musculoskeletal-specific MRI scanners in Covington and Kent that produce excellent images, and you will be sent to the one closest to you.
Billed Like a Clinic Visit
An orthopedic urgent care visit is billed like a clinic visit, so it is much less expensive than an emergency room visit. When an MRI is needed, insurance has to approve it first. That can take a couple of days, but for an urgent injury we can usually get it done within a week.
When to Go to the ER Instead
- The bone has broken through the skin, or there is an open wound over the injury
- The arm or leg looks significantly deformed
- The hand or foot is numb, cold or pale
- You think the shin bone (tibia) or thigh bone (femur) is broken
A fracture that is simple and closed, and does not need a significant reduction (setting the bone back in place), can be seen at the urgent care. Learn more about fracture care.
Orthopedic Urgent Care FAQs
Do I need an appointment?
No. Both locations are walk-in clinics, and the wait is usually very short.
Who will I see?
You will be seen by a physician assistant with specific training in orthopedic conditions. They evaluate injuries, read X-rays, start treatment and order MRIs when needed.
Do you see children and teenagers?
Yes. We see patients of all ages.
What kinds of injuries do you treat?
All of orthopedics: knees, hips, shoulders, hands and wrists, feet and ankles, and the back and neck. That includes sprains, strains, sports injuries, suspected ligament and meniscus tears, dislocations and simple fractures.
Is it more expensive than a regular urgent care?
A visit is billed like a clinic visit, so it costs much less than an emergency room visit.
Can you get me an MRI?
Yes. If you need an MRI, the urgent care orders it. Insurance has to approve it first, which can take a couple of days, but for an urgent injury we can usually get it done within a week. We have musculoskeletal MRI scanners in Covington and Kent, and you will be sent to whichever is closest to you.
Will I see Dr. Merritt?
The urgent care books your visit with me directly, either after your MRI or at the right time after the injury. Usually the whole process, from urgent care to MRI to seeing me, takes about a week.
I was put in a knee immobilizer at the ER. What should I do?
Come in to the urgent care. For many knee injuries, including a suspected ACL tear, getting the knee moving early matters, and a knee kept straight in an immobilizer for weeks gets stiff. We can make sure you have the right brace and a plan for the first week.
When should I go to the ER instead?
Go to the emergency room if the bone has broken through the skin or there is an open wound over the injury, if the arm or leg looks significantly deformed, if the hand or foot is numb or cold, or if you think the shin bone (tibia) or thigh bone (femur) is broken.
Common Injuries We See
You deserve to move freely again. We will help you take that step.
Call to book an appointment

(425) 291-1496