Dr. Lisa Clay, MD
Board-Certified Family Physician | Co-Founder & Medical Director
PHYSICIAN-LED URGENT CARE IN CARMEL, INDIANA
Dr. Lisa Clay, MD
Founder & Medical Director, Monarch Medicine Urgent Care
Board-certified family physician · Nineteen years of clinical experience · Urgent care, not primary care
About Dr. Clay
I am Lisa Clay, the physician who started Monarch Medicine Urgent Care in May 2024.
I have practiced family medicine for nineteen years. Before Monarch, I spent those years inside the system — in clinics, in emergency rooms, watching patients move through waiting rooms full of people who needed less attention than they got, or more.
I started Monarch because I wanted to do urgent care differently. Same-day access. Real exam time. A physician who reviews your X-ray images with you, explains what we are seeing, and helps you understand the next step. Pricing you understand before treatment. Your visit notes flowing back to your primary care doctor through MyChart so your record stays intact.
Monarch Medicine is urgent care, not primary care. We are the place you come when you cannot get into your PCP today and you do not need an emergency room. That is what we do, and we want to do it well.
I built Monarch with my husband Todd, who leads the operations and business side of the clinic. I lead the clinical practice. Together we built a small clinic in Carmel, Indiana that we hope feels different from the moment you walk in.
Education & Credentials
- Medical Degree: University of Illinois School of Medicine
- Board Certification: Family Medicine, American Board of Family Medicine
- Residency Training: Family Medicine Residency, Muncie, Indiana
- Licensure: State of Indiana Medical License (verifiable through the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency)
- Years of Practice: Nineteen years across family and urgent care medicine
My Care Philosophy
Urgent care should not feel rushed just because it is same-day care. People come to us when something is wrong, when they are worried, or when they cannot wait three weeks for an appointment.
My job is to listen, examine, explain what I think is happening, and help you leave with a plan you understand.
Areas of Clinical Focus
Urgent care for children, teenagers, adults, and seniors. The conditions I see most often:
Acute Illness
Cold, flu, COVID, RSV, strep, sinus and ear infections, bronchitis, UTIs, mild allergic reactions, asthma symptoms without severe breathing distress, migraines, gastroenteritis.
Injury
Sprains, strains, minor fractures, lacerations requiring stitches, burns, animal bites, splinter and foreign object removal, splinting and crutches.
Pediatric Urgent Care
Fever, ear infections, strep, RSV, COVID, hand-foot-mouth, croup, minor injuries, asthma exacerbations.
Women's Health
UTIs, vaginitis, yeast infections, mastitis, STI testing, pregnancy testing.
Diagnostic Imaging & Lab
Digital X-ray, EKG, rapid testing (flu, strep, COVID, RSV, mono), urinalysis, LabCorp blood draws.
Physicals & Compliance
IHSAA sports physicals, healthcare student physicals (CastleBranch, Complio), pre-op evaluations, employment physicals, camp physicals, Tdap booster, TB testing, immunity titers.
When to call 911 or go to the ER instead: chest pain, stroke symptoms, severe breathing trouble, severe allergic reaction, major trauma, uncontrolled bleeding, or any life-threatening symptoms. Urgent care is for non-life-threatening illness and injury.
What I Do Not Do
I am not a primary care physician. I do not manage chronic disease, do annual wellness exams, or maintain an ongoing PCP panel. For those, you need your primary care doctor. If you do not have one, IU Health, Ascension St. Vincent, and Community Health Network are good places to check for primary care availability in the Carmel area.
FROM PATIENTS WE HEAR FROM OFTEN
Common Questions Patients Ask
Can I make Dr. Clay my primary care doctor?
No. I am an urgent care physician, not a primary care doctor. Some insurance directories list Monarch Medicine in primary care results — that is a directory error, not a service we offer. We work alongside your primary care doctor, not as one. If you do not have a PCP yet, IU Health, Ascension St. Vincent, and Community Health Network are good places to check for primary care availability in the Carmel area.
Does Dr. Clay see every patient who walks in?
No. I am one of the physicians on the Monarch team. We are physician-led, which means every patient is evaluated by a physician on our team — not through a non-physician-only visit model. But I do not personally see every visit. The available physician on duty will see you when you walk in.
Can I request to see Dr. Clay specifically?
Yes — ask when you book or call ahead. I cannot guarantee availability for walk-in visits, but if I am on duty when you arrive, we will do our best to honor that request.
Does Dr. Clay have admitting privileges at IU Health or Ascension?
Monarch Medicine is an outpatient clinic. We do not admit patients to a hospital. When inpatient or specialist care is needed, we refer and coordinate through Epic and MyChart so your care continues seamlessly.
What insurance does Dr. Clay accept?
The same as Monarch Medicine: Anthem BCBS, United Healthcare, Aetna, Cigna, and Encore/IU Health Plans. We are not in network with Medicaid or Humana. Self-pay is also available — see our self-pay pricing.
How can I reach Dr. Clay between visits?
Through MyChart messaging if you have an existing visit on file with Monarch. For urgent clinical concerns, call (317) 804-4203 during open hours. For after-hours emergencies, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Does Dr. Clay see children?
Yes. I provide pediatric urgent care for children of all ages, including same-day evaluation for fever, ear infections, strep, RSV, COVID, and minor injuries. For well-child visits and routine immunizations, see your child's pediatrician.
DR. CLAY'S WRITING
Health Articles by Dr. Clay
I write articles for the Monarch blog to help patients understand common conditions, when to come in, and when to wait it out. Browse the latest below.
IHSAA Sports Physicals Are Now Valid for 2026–27 — Walk In Today
IHSAA Sports Physicals Now Valid for 2026–27 | Walk-In | Monarch Medicine Carmel Home › Blog › IHSAA Sports Physicals Now Valid for 2026–27 Sports Physicals April 1st has passed. Here’s what student-athletes in Carmel, Westfield, Noblesville, and Fishers need to know before fall tryouts. Written by Dr. Lisa Clay, MD Founder & Medical Director,…
When to Bring Your Child to Urgent Care for a Cold or Flu — A Parent’s Guide
When to Bring Your Child to Urgent Care for a Cold or Flu | Monarch Medicine Dr. Lisa Clay, MD Founder & Medical Director, Monarch Medicine Urgent Care Board-Certified Family Physician · Carmel, Indiana Kids get sick. A lot. The average child gets 6–8 colds per year, and during flu season, that number can feel…
Why MinuteClinic Referred You to Urgent Care — And What to Do Next
Why MinuteClinic Referred You to Urgent Care — And What to Do Next | Monarch Medicine Dr. Lisa Clay, MD Founder & Medical Director, Monarch Medicine Urgent Care Board-Certified Family Physician · Carmel, Indiana If you’re reading this, you probably just left a MinuteClinic visit frustrated. You waited, got checked in, and then the nurse…
Community Clinic at Walgreens vs. Urgent Care in Carmel — What’s the Difference?
Community Clinic at Walgreens vs Urgent Care in Carmel, IN | Monarch Medicine Dr. Lisa Clay, MD Founder & Medical Director, Monarch Medicine Urgent Care Board-Certified Family Physician · Carmel, Indiana If you’ve driven past the Walgreens at 1424 S. Range Line Road in Carmel and noticed they have a walk-in clinic, you might assume…
What Can Urgent Care Do That a Retail Clinic Can’t?
What Can Urgent Care Do That a Retail Clinic Can’t? | Monarch Medicine Carmel Dr. Lisa Clay, MD Founder & Medical Director, Monarch Medicine Urgent Care Board-Certified Family Physician · Carmel, Indiana Retail clinics — the walk-in counters inside CVS, Walgreens, and Kroger — are convenient for simple needs. But the gap between what they…
Can Urgent Care Do Stitches? Yes — Here’s What to Know Before You Go to the ER
Can Urgent Care Do Stitches? Yes — Skip the ER | Monarch Medicine Carmel Dr. Lisa Clay, MD Founder & Medical Director, Monarch Medicine Urgent Care Board-Certified Family Physician · Carmel, Indiana The short answer is yes — urgent care can do stitches. But not all urgent cares, and not all retail clinics. If you’re…
Pediatric Urgent Care: A Parent’s Guide to When Your Child Needs to Be Seen
Pediatric Urgent Care: When to Bring Your Child In vs. Wait | Monarch Medicine Dr. Lisa Clay, MD Founder & Medical Director, Monarch Medicine Urgent Care Board-Certified Family Physician · Carmel, Indiana Every parent knows the feeling — your child wakes up at night with a fever, a rash appears out of nowhere, or they…
Why Physician-Led Urgent Care Matters — And When the Difference Between MD and NP Changes Your Outcome
Why Physician-Led Urgent Care Matters — MD vs NP Explained | Monarch Medicine Dr. Lisa Clay, MD Founder & Medical Director, Monarch Medicine Urgent Care Board-Certified Family Physician · Carmel, Indiana Most patients don’t ask who’s going to see them at urgent care. They walk in assuming they’ll see a doctor. At many clinics —…
When Does a Cut Need Stitches? A Wound Care Guide from a Physician
When Does a Cut Need Stitches? A Wound Care Guide | Monarch Medicine Carmel Dr. Lisa Clay, MD Founder & Medical Director, Monarch Medicine Urgent Care Board-Certified Family Physician · Carmel, Indiana You’re bleeding. You’ve got a kitchen knife cut, a fall on concrete, a broken glass injury, or your child split their chin open…
Adult Ear Pain: It’s Not Always an Ear Infection — Here’s What Else It Could Be
Adult Ear Pain: Common Causes & When to See a Doctor | Monarch Medicine Carmel Dr. Lisa Clay, MD Founder & Medical Director, Monarch Medicine Urgent Care Board-Certified Family Physician · Carmel, Indiana When adults come in with ear pain, the assumption is usually “ear infection.” But in adults, ear pain (otalgia) has a wider…
WHERE DR. CLAY PRACTICES
Monarch Medicine — What We Do
Urgent Care in Carmel
Walk-in same-day care for illness and injury, seven days a week.
Full Services List
Every service Monarch offers, organized by category.
Self-Pay Pricing
Transparent rates for patients without insurance.
Healthcare Student Physicals
CastleBranch, Complio, Tdap, TB testing, titers.
WHAT PATIENTS SAY
Read What Carmel Families Say About Monarch
Real reviews from real patients, pulled directly from Google. We have earned a 5.0 rating across more than 170 reviews. Read what your neighbors are saying.
Walk In and See a Physician on Our Team
Same-day urgent care in Carmel. No appointment needed. Most insurance accepted.
Book An Appointment Call (317) 804-4203
Mon–Fri 8am–6pm · Sat–Sun 9am–12pm
90 Executive Drive, Suite A & B, Carmel, IN 46032
How This Page Is Maintained
This is the bio page of Dr. Lisa Clay, MD, Founder and Medical Director of Monarch Medicine Urgent Care. Education, board certification, and licensure listed here are current as of May 2026. Indiana medical license verification is publicly available through the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency. Page content is reviewed quarterly and updated when credentials change.
The health information provided on this website and in Dr. Clay's articles is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalized medical guidance. For life-threatening conditions, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.