Walking into Statesboro Urgent Care is a delight to the senses. The cool pastel colors, friendly and experienced staff, soothing sounds, and pleasant fragrance seem more spa-like than medical office. It’s obvious in the design and details of the facility that importance was placed on the comfort and care of the patients. Elite care in a comfortable setting.
Offering urgent care and family health care services for adults and children, Statesboro Urgent Care is anchored and owned by two experienced doctors, Dr. Sreevalli Dega and Dr. Ian Munger. The two family physicians met during residency and moved to Georgia in 2013 after their wedding in Iowa.
Statesboro Urgent Care was built during the height of the Covid pandemic and opened in November 2020. Construction during the pandemic posed many problems, but also lead to some interesting innovations. The steadfast and dedicated approach by Dr. Dega and Dr. Munger was the reason the project was finished. Cost of goods, availability of goods, issues with getting permits from public services that were down, these all created backlogs, extra money, extra paperwork that slowed the process.
“We don’t have backing financially from outside sources, hospitals, or providers. This is owned by ourselves and the responsibility was ours alone,” stated Dr. Munger.
They credit the community and their connections to helpful people for assisting them along the way with getting in touch with the right people and the right areas to get things accomplished.
One design feature that arose from construction during the pandemic was the need for a drive thru Covid testing area that was discreet and protected from inclement weather. This feature was implemented and now serves as a unique, effective, and efficient part of the overall design.
Dr. Dega is Board Certified in Family Medicine with special training in Urgent Care Medicine, DOT physical training, workman’s compensation claims, and drug screening. She has been practicing Urgent Care Medicine full time since 2013.
Born and raised in India, Dr. Dega migrated to the United States in 2007 after completing her medical college and one year of internship. She went on to complete residency at Mercy Medical Center, Uni of Iowa hospitals in Iowa. She has been practicing medicine since 2012. Dr. Dega is on the board for East Georgia Regional Medical Center and also serves her community as a proud Rotary member and volunteers in the community thru Statesboro Service League.
Dr. Ian Munger is a full-time Emergency Medicine physician at East Georgia Regional Medical Center and serves as administrator and part-time physician at Statesboro Urgent Care. From Jacksonville/Haines City, Florida and Newton, Iowa, Dr. Munger is a graduate of the University of Florida and Central College with degrees in Biology and Fire and Emergency Services. His medical degree is from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Bradenton, Florida. Dr. Munger has been an ER physician for 12 years, but trained in Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine. His interest in primary care is due to urgent care medicine and community medicine. He is the EMS director for multiple counties in South Georgia.
Tar Wars tobacco and vape prevention education is the program that Dr. Munger and Dr. Dega support through the Georgia Healthy Family Alliance as Caduceus Society members, which is a gift level ranging from $10,000-$25,000. It clearly expresses generosity and strong support from Dr. Dega and Dr. Munger for Tar Wars.
For Dr. Munger, growing up with parents that smoked and witnessing them struggle with quitting, as well as seeing how accessible it was at a young age made him aware of the problems associated with tobacco and gave him insight into understanding how and when to target education to stop the start of the problem.
“Once that opportunity passes, it is very hard to catch up,” expressed Dr. Munger.
For Dr. Dega, she has seen patients in urgent care and also primary care (FQHC) with active or passive smoking at an early age and the family dynamics around it.
“I do believe prevention is better than cure. Educating these young adults at the right age and at the right time in a structured school environment with lot of resources will help us fight this battle,” stated Dr. Dega.
Dr. Dega and Dr. Munger have even decided to get trained as Tar Wars presenters to help initiate the outreach and implementation of the program into the schools in Statesboro.
When asked who is your favorite TV/movie doctor; Dr. Dega chose House, MD and Dr. Munger chose Doogie Houser, MD.
If you would like information about Tar Wars and ways to help support this tobacco and vape prevention program, please contact Alexis Klima at aklima@gafp.org or 404-321-7445 https://www.georgiahealthyfamilyalliance.org/