CAMBRIDGE — The Cambridge Urgent Care Centre will close later this month after more than a decade of providing health care primarily to people without a family doctor.

Many people who regularly visit the walk-in clinic at the corner of Hespeler and Dunbar roads will have a chance to become a patient of Dr. Beth Vallieres when the site reopens as a family practice in early April after renovations.

Vallieres owns Cambridge Urgent Care with Dr. Sandy Crowne, who is retiring.

“It’s sad, but also a new opportunity for me,” Vallieres said. “We do a lot of primary care here, though, so it will be a smooth transition.”

Vallieres has started a list for 1,500 new patients, with the priority going to people she sees often at the walk-in clinic. Then any remaining spots will be open to other clinic regulars and the community.

In just the few weeks since the Feb. 23 closing was announced, about 900 people have already signed up. Another local doctor with a full roster of patients will move into Dunbar Family Practice with Vallieres. The pharmacy and lab are both staying in the building.

“People have been very gracious about the closing,” Vallieres said.

She said patients have appreciated the care they got at the centre, which opened in 1997 to relieve pressure on Cambridge Memorial Hospital’s emergency department when the city was suffering from a severe shortage of doctors and many people had nowhere else to turn for care. The centre isn’t as busy as when it first opened because more doctors have opened practices in town.

“Lately, the family doctor situation has improved,” Vallieres said. “We’re hopeful it won’t be as large a burden on emergency.”

Each month the clinic’s 11 doctors see around 3,000 patients. About three out of four don’t have a family doctor, estimated office manager Helen Smith. The rest are people who can’t get in to see their doctor.

“We see a lot of regulars. It’s almost in a sense we are their family doctor,” Smith said.

Cambridge Memorial Hospital knows the walk-in clinic is closing and is bracing for the possible jump in visits to the emergency department.

Cambridge Memorial’s interim chief of staff Dr. Michael Lawrie said while many patients will be absorbed into Vallieres’ practice, that will leave about 30 patients a day without a doctor who would have gone to the walk-in clinic.

“That will impact on the emergency department,” Lawrie said. “We are aware and taking steps to handle that.”

Most of those patients will not have serious medical problems requiring extensive treatment or hospitalization. Patients who have less severe problems can be seen in rooms for quick treatments that don’t have beds or by the nurse practitioner, Lawrie said.

And not all will turn to Cambridge Memorial’s emergency department when there are other walk-in clinics and hospitals in the region.

“People shop around,” Lawrie said.

He said the hospital will have to wait and see what effect the clinic’s closing will have on the emergency department

Smith said it’s a loss for the community, but it also means many people will finally be able to get a family doctor.

“The people who are getting on the list are happy people,” Smith said.

Call 519-623-7348 to get on Vallieres’ waiting list.

jweidner@therecord.com