There’s no reason to run to the emergency room, pay ER prices and potentially expose yourself to viruses in the waiting room when you visit the urgent care at Vail-Summit Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery. Located in the Medical Office Building next to St. Anthony Summit Hospital in Frisco, this urgent care is the go-to facility for locals and vistors when it comes to sprains, strains or breaks.

Nurse Practitioner Rayanne Harris treats all kinds of sports injuries, chronic back pain, joint issues, wounds and more as Vail-Summit Orthopaedic Urgent Care’s primary healthcare provider, and she’s specialty-trained in orthopaedics.

Harris joined VSON in 2015 and was immediately impressed by the organization.

“I felt VSON had an understanding of what the community needs and how to help those who live and work in the county,” she said. “It’s not just about numbers. It’s about getting to know people you treat and being involved with the community.”

VSON contributes to local nonprofits like the Summit Community Care Clinic, the Family Intercultural Resource Center, The Summit Foundation, Summit and Eagle County student athletes and The Cycle Effect.

It’s this dedication to community outreach that Harris has always loved.

After working for the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center, training with wilderness education leader NOLS and earning a bachelor’s in nursing from Johns Hopkins University, she eventually came back to the county she loves: Summit.

“I enjoyed being able to take care of people who are motivated to get back out to the sports they love, and I saw a lot of that,” she said.

As a family nurse practitioner in Fairplay and in a family practice working with Summit County employees, she gained experience in rural, family medicine.

“I got to know a lot of the struggles of people in rural communities, and after being a family nurse practitioner for four years, I wanted to work in a place where I could make a positive impact in a different way,” she said.

And VSON was the perfect fit.
“Our providers and staff have worked incredibly hard to have the opportunity to live and work in these communities.  Our families are here.  We are tied here locally, and we are proud to provide complete care within our counties versus having to send patients to Denver.”

VSON’s urgent care streamlines the diagnosis and recovery process, so people can return to their daily activities as soon as possible. It provides walk-in services that are typically shorter than wait times in the ER, and it’s open late to provide convenient care. Both locals and visitors with sports, trauma, overuse and work-related injuries have access to x-rays, MRIs and ultrasounds on-site, and then receive immediate treatment, such as suturing, wound care, joint reductions, custom casting and physical therapy. Follow-up appointments are made seamlessly with appropriate orthopaedic subspecialists, and patients who need surgery can sometimes meet their surgeon the day they walk in for a diagnosis. The clinic also accepts most insurances.

VSON’s healthcare philosophy revolves around truly listening to people. It is within this framework that Harris works with her patients and begins her care with a conversation.

“Patients have a say in their treatment — that’s an important part of the relationship,” she said. “I like to understand their process, focus and what they want from our interaction.”

One of the things patients want are casts and splints that they can remain active in. That’s why VSON is the only provider in the area to partner with ActivArmor, which makes custom 3D-printed casts and splints that are waterproof.

“Our team at VSON understands how important it is for patients to stay active, and we are committed to supporting our patients’ safety and quality of life while healing. It not only benefits their physical health, but it’s important for their mental health as well,” she said.

VSON has served Summit and Eagle counties for 30-plus years, and it’s increasing its services in Lake, Park, Chaffee, Gunnison, Grand and other rural counties. They keep their focus on families, workers and visitors to mountain towns by offering urgent care in their Frisco clinic until 7 p.m. daily, as well as walk-ins and same-day appointments in every VSON clinic location.

Note: Although VSON surgeons are performing surgeries at the new Dillon Health Center, Vail- Summit Orthopaedic Urgent Care is still located at 360 Peak One Dr. #180, Frisco, for walk-ins and treatment.