Broken arm? Buckle up.

Kaiser Permanente’s urgent care clinic in Silverdale, the only clinic that Kaiser operates in Kitsap County, has curbed its hours to 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Going forward, Kitsap residents seeking in-network care in the evenings and early mornings will have to drive to the next-closest Kaiser urgent care in Tacoma.

Bainbridge residents Su Beecham and George Lewis both said that the reduction in hours was a “great loss.” Beecham recalled receiving “excellent care” at the clinic in the past, and recommended that fellow Kaiser members “go straight to Kaiser Tacoma urgent care and skip that hospital in Silverdale.”

Urgent care clinics handle ailments that are not life-threatening but still need medical attention, like some broken bones, burns, insect stings, dehydration, vomiting, lacerations and illnesses like strep throat or flu. While Kitsap has its fair share of clinics, Kaiser Permanente will only reimburse members who receive care while traveling outside of the network area. That means any costs associated with treatment outside of the clinic in Silverdale fall wholly on the Kaiser patient.

“This is really disappointing, considering Kaiser raised their premiums [in] January, citing rising doctor’s costs and so on. Now they are offering less services,” BI resident Theresa Nakagawa said.

Kaiser Washington could not be reached for comment.