Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

HIPAA Reminder About Snooping

Even after years of training programs, clarifications, and guidance, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) continues to confuse healthcare professionals. A top 3 list presented in Physicians Practice outlines some cautions and misunderstandings about this comprehensive patient-protection law. Much of the list centers on proper protocol for workers in healthcare settings who might have access to the medical records of their fellow employees—in other words, “snooping behavior.” You can’t escape the …

Gestational Diabetes and Long-Term Health

A recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine involving more than 91,000 female participants 25 to 42 years old reveals that moms with a history of gestational diabetes face a slightly increased risk of mortality over a 30-year period compared to those without a history of the condition. The researchers found that women reporting a gestational diabetes diagnosis were 1.28 times more likely to experience mortality—a rate of 1.74 per 1,000 person-years compared to 1.49 …

WellNow Fellowship Program Recognizes New Graduates

The fall 2023 class of fellows completing the WellNow Urgent Care Traditional and Accelerated Fellowship program turned their tassels and celebrated their graduation day at the end of September. Since 2018, a total of 216 fellows in 6 states have graduated from WellNow’s development programs, and 90 percent of graduates have gone on to serve in full time positions as advanced practice providers (APPs) at WellNow centers. According to Chief Medical Officer Robert Biernbaum, DO, …

STD Rates Increase 6% In 1 Year

In recent years, the United States has witnessed a surge in cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), notably chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea, as per data sourced from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and analyzed by US News & World Report. In 2021, gonorrhea cases showed a 28% increase, and syphilis cases showed a spike of 74%. The cumulative burden of STDs was pronounced with more than 2.5 million reported cases of chlamydia, …

Carbon Health Inks Risk-Based Contract with UHC

In a recent webcast, Steve Cain, CEO of UnitedHealthcare of California, and Myoung Cha, Chief Strategy Officer of Carbon Health, announced that the insurer will begin an at-risk primary care arrangement for the state’s commercial PPO market in partnership with Carbon Health, starting in January 2024. The deal represents Carbon Health’s first at-risk arrangement. Under the contract, Carbon Health will be accountable for the total cost of care for UnitedHealthcare’s PPO-covered lives in the state over the …

Costco Adds Telehealth to Member Perks

Telehealth provider Sesame has inked a deal with retail giant Costco to deliver virtual primary care visits for $29, according to Bloomberg. Patients, who must be members of the retailer’s warehouse club, pay strictly out-of-pocket for the visits. Providers won’t require insurance credentialing either. The strategic brand extensions of major retailers like Costco and Walmart rely on their established consumer relationships and the fact that they’re already in the daily orbit of most families. Brand recognition …

Airport Tech Does Healthcare Flyby

As a $4.1 trillion industry, healthcare has a history of attracting all sorts of nontraditional players. CLEAR, the private-market version of expedited airport security, is the latest to land in the space. The company hopes to leverage its passenger identity technology to create a universal patient identity system. By partnering with institutions such as the University of Miami Health and Wellstar Health, CLEAR aims to streamline information into a single, secure account. The big health …

MedWise Continues Growth in Oklahoma

MedWise cut the ribbon on its 13th clinic in Oklahoma this month. Spanning 3,057 square feet, the Tahlequah location includes x-ray facilities, diagnostic testing, seasonal vaccinations, and other traditional urgent care services. MedWise announced plans for expansion in the near future with three more clinics expected to open around the state in Bartlesville, Claremore, and Broken Arrow. New payer too: The organization recently added BlueCross BlueShield Native Blue to its list of payer partners, according …

Delicious Relief from Functional Dyspepsia

A Thai study published in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine concluded that curcumin, a natural compound derived from turmeric, had comparable efficacy to omeprazole in treating functional dyspepsia. Baseline dyspepsia scores were comparable between the groups participating in this randomized, double-blind, controlled trial of 151 patients. They were divided into those receiving curcumin alone, those receiving omeprazole alone, and those receiving curcumin plus omeprazole. Participants in the combination group took two 250 mg curcumin capsules, four times a …

Obesity Prevalence Still on the Rise

New population data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals a concerning increase in adult obesity prevalence, with 22 states now reporting rates at or above 35%. By comparison, 19 states were in that position in 2021. The upward trend is concerning because just a decade ago, no state had obesity prevalence rates above 35%. In the data presentation, the District of Columbia was the only place in the nation with …

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