Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Practice Management

 

Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Urgent Care Workplace

By bnapolitano  /  June 11, 2018
Urgent message: Recent high-profile sexual harassment allegations in Hollywood and Washington beg the question as to whether urgent care operators
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Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Urgent Care Workplace

The Quality of Care at Urgent Care Centers

By  /  February 10, 2009
Urgent message: New data reveal that urgent care compares favorably with other practice environments when it comes to select key
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The Quality of Care at Urgent Care Centers

Head Injuries and Cirrhosis: Does everyone need a CT Scan?

By bnapolitano  /  June 1, 2018
Urgent message: The decision of whether or not to image a patient with a head injury has significant implications—for the
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Head Injuries and Cirrhosis: Does everyone need a CT Scan?

Developing a Reimbursement Policy for CME and Other Employee Expenses

By bnapolitano  /  June 1, 2018
Urgent message: Every urgent care center should have a clear policy outlining which employee expenses, including CME-related expenses, it reimburses
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Developing a Reimbursement Policy for CME and Other Employee Expenses

A 20-Year-Old Male with Nasal Pain Following an Injury

By bnapolitano  /  June 18, 2018
Case The patient is a 20-year-old male who presents 2 days after getting hit in the face with an elbow during
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A 20-Year-Old Male with Nasal Pain Following an Injury

Urgent Care News

Onc Journal Advocates Trying to Keep Cancer Patients Out of the ED

The emergency room presents bit of a paradox for many cancer patients, according to a …
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CDC: Antibiotics Are Still Being Overprescribed for Respiratory Infections—Including Flu

Far too many prescriptions are being written for patients with acute respiratory infections, including influenza, …
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New Jersey Moves to Make Out-of-Network Charges More Transparent

Legislators in New Jersey have passed legislation aimed at increasing the transparency of health care …
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Will Rising Out-of-Pocket Costs Drive More Patients to Urgent Care?

Employers and insurers can expect to see a 6% increase in healthcare costs in 2019, …
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Last Flu Season Was the Deadliest Ever for Children—and Most Victims Weren’t Vaccinated

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting that the 2017-2018 flu season saw …
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Web Exclusive Articles

Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Urgent Care Workplace

Urgent message: Recent high-profile sexual harassment allegations in Hollywood and Washington beg the question as …
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The Dangers of Sitting Down on the Job

Urgent message: Prolonged sitting has been called the “new smoking” causing a host of diseases, …
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Beware of Digital Distractions in the Workplace

Urgent message: While the launch of handheld technologies, email, messaging, and social media brought an immediate …
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Patient-Centered Urgent Care is Our Objective

Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc is Chief Executive Officer of Velocity Urgent Care, LLC and …
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Avoid CLIA-Waived Testing Violations in Urgent Care

Urgent message: Most of the laboratory testing that occurs in urgent care consists of simple, …
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Clinical Articles

Head Injuries and Cirrhosis: Does everyone need a CT Scan?

Head Injuries and Cirrhosis: Does everyone need a CT Scan?

Urgent message: The decision of whether or not to image a patient with a head injury has significant implications—for the …
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Concussion Management in Urgent Care: A Primer for Implementation

Urgent message: Sports-related concussions are particularly dangerous injuries due to their complex nature and difficulties associated with diagnostic and return-to-play …
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Management of Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Low Back Pain in the Urgent Care Setting

Urgent message: A systematic approach to evaluating, diagnosing, and treating low back pain in the urgent care setting reduces unnecessary …
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Tattoos and Piercings: What the Urgent Care Provider Needs to Know

 Urgent message: Tattoos and piercings are becoming commonplace, but patients who experience complications with these forms of body art may …
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Practice Management Articles

developing-reimbursement

Developing a Reimbursement Policy for CME and Other Employee Expenses

Urgent message: Every urgent care center should have a clear policy outlining which employee expenses, including CME-related expenses, it reimburses …
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Thinking Differently About Paid Time Off

Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc is Chief Executive Officer of Velocity Urgent Care, LLC and is Practice Management Editor of …
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Facility Design: Cultivating Collaboration in the Back Office

Facility Design: Cultivating Collaboration in the Back Office

Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc is Chief Executive Officer of Velocity Urgent Care and is Practice Management Editor of The …
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0318-Practice-Management-Feature-Image

The Case for an Interprofessional, Postgraduate NP/PA Fellowship in Urgent Care

Christina Gardner, DHSc, MBA, PA-C; Alexandra Nassif, PA-C; Connie Brooks, MSN-FNP; and Kim Roe, MBA, RRT  Urgent message: Postgraduate fellowship …
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Insights in Images Challenges

A 41-Year-Old Woman with Wrist Pain After Falling

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Pain and Changes in Appearance in a Child’s Eye

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Constipation in a 67-Year-Old Man

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Red Painful Eye with Visual Loss

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Man with Decreased Vision in One Eye

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55-year-old woman with injury to her right finger

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JUCM CAREER CENTER

Urgent Care Physician Opportunities – Bon Secours Medical Group – Greenville, SC May 15, 2018

URGENT CARE PHYSICIANS – HealthPartners – Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN May 13, 2018

Medical Director – OhioHealth Urgent Care – OH May 10, 2018

Family Medicine and/or Emergency Medicine Physicians – Main Line Health – Broomall, PA May 9, 2018

Urgent Care Physician – Sansum Clinic – Lompoc, CA May 8, 2018

Download Past Issues

June 2018 How Urgent Care Gets the Competition Up and Running
 June 2018
May 2018
 April 2018 
 March 2018
 February 2018

CASE REPORTS

Cervical Fasciitis—An Unusual Cause of Neck Pain

Urgent message: Though neck pain is a common complaint among patients presenting to urgent care centers, …
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An Uncommon Clinical Presentation of Ovarian Torsion

Urgent message: Abdominal pain is an extremely common complaint in the urgent care setting. The differential …
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Cardiopulmonary Emergency Masquerading as Gastrointestinal Symptoms

Nihar B. Gala, MD Urgent message: The ability to distinguish between urgent and truly emergent conditions …
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A 38-Year-Old Man with Chest Pain

Urgent message: When a relatively young patient presents to urgent care with chest pain, there may …
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Neck Rash on a 21-year-old Male

Urgent message: Acanthosis nigricans has a strong association with obesity and insulin resistance. Assessment involves a …
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HEALTH LAW

Effectively Utilizing 90-Day Probationary Periods for New Employees

Urgent message: A 90-day probationary period suspends the standard employment rules for new employees, enabling them …
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New Rules for Beneficiary Inducements at Urgent Care Centers

Urgent message: Unlike other retail businesses, which commonly provide gift cards and other incentives in marketing …
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The Importance and Validity of Nondisclosure and Nonsolicitation Clauses for Urgent Care Center Owners

Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc is Chief Executive Officer of Velocity Urgent Care, LLC and is …
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Misunderstanding Occupational Medicine Services ‘Protocols’

Misunderstanding Occupational Medicine Services ‘Protocols’  Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc is Chief Executive Officer of Velocity …
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Law Enforcement and Healthcare: When Consent, Privacy, and Safety Collide

Urgent message: Urgent care providers are likely to encounter law enforcement officers in the workplace at …
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CLINICAL CHALLENGES

A 34-Year-Old Woman with an Unidentified Insect Sting

Case The patient is a 34-year-old woman who has just returned from the first camping trip of the year with …
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A 17-Year-Old Male with Knee Pain After a Fall

Case The patient is a 17-year-old male who presents to urgent care with anterior knee pain after a fall while …
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A 42-Year-Old Man with a ‘Flipping’ Sensation in his Heart

Figure 1.   The patient is a 42-year-old man with a sensation he describes as his heart “flipping” intermittently for …
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A 45-Year-Old Woman with Acute Chest Pain

Case The patient is a 45-year-old woman who presents after experiencing chest pain for the past 2 hours. She has …
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A 51-Year-Old Male with a Persistent Cough

Case The patient is a 51-year-old man who presents to urgent care complaining of a persistent cough. He reports it …
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OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE

New Quest Diagnostics Data Show Drug Use Among Workers Remains High

It may come as no surprise to urgent care providers who offer occupational medicine services such as drug testing, but …
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Beware Patients Who’ll Go to Great—Great—Lengths to Pass Drug Tests

The opiate crisis and legalization of marijuana in some states has upped the ante for occupational medicine providers charged with …
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Proposed Law Could Diminish Need for Workplace Drug Testing in California

As we’ve discussed here previously, the more widespread legalization of marijuana use around the country is presenting any number of …
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Telemedicine Meets Occ Med Rehab in New Concentra Initiative in California

Workers who need to rehab injuries can now do so without schlepping to a physical therapy practice under a new …
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Foundation of Occupational Medicine in the Urgent Care Setting

Urgent message: Much has been written about the integration of occupational medicine into urgent care practice. However, doing so successfully …
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Revenue Cycle Management

New Medicare Cards

Q: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) started issuing new Medicare cards to beneficiaries in April of this …
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Reduction in Reimbursements for Modifier -25

Q: Last fall, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield sent a notice to physicians in several states regarding their intent to …
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The Incidentals of ‘Incident-to’ Billing

Q: I plan to hire physician assistants and other nonphysician providers in my urgent care clinic. I understand that I …
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Turning Patient Accounts Over to a Collection Agency—the Right Way

Q: Should patient accounts ever get turned over to a collection agency? A: The altruistic nature of running an urgent …
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Get the Most Out of Providing Medicare Wellness Exams

Q: Are there specific requirements for Medicare wellness exams and who can perform them? A: Medicare offers an initial preventive …
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DEVELOPING DATA

One More Look at Head Injury Presentations in Urgent Care

In this issue, we’ve offered an urgent care perspective on which patients presenting with head injury are most likely to …
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When is On-Demand Care Most In-Demand?

The combination of convenience and quality is the hallmark of the urgent care industry. As time goes on and patients …
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A Snapshot of Flu Vaccination Rates

The ongoing 2017–18 flu season is already one of the worst in recent memory. Recently released data from the Centers …
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Focusing on the Growth—and Healthcare Savings—of Urgent Care

We all know urgent care has been growing steadily, nearly since its inception. Hard data on the size of the …
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The Complementary Nature of Occupational Medicine and Urgent Care

As detailed in the first entry of our new occupational medicine series (Foundation of Occupational Medicine in the Urgent Care …
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Abstracts in Urgent Care

Abstracts in Urgent Care – June 2018

Some Oral Antibiotics Up Risk for Kidney Stones Key point: Oral antibiotics are associated with an increased risk for nephrolithiasis …
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Abstracts in Urgent Care – May 2018

Factors Influencing Provider Efficiency—or Inefficiency—in the ED Key point: Emergency department study on provider efficiency has relevance to urgent care …
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Abstracts in Urgent Care – April 2018

ACP Eases Up on A1c Ceiling for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Key point: The American College of Physicians suggests …
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Abstracts in Urgent Care – March 2018

Confirmed Flu Ups Short-Term Risk for MI Key point:  Patients with laboratory-confirmed influenza are almost six times more likely to …
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Abstracts in Urgent Care – February 2018

Revisiting Parameters for Treating Hypertension Key point: New guidelines have lower thresholds for diagnosis and treatment of hypertension. Citation: Whelton …
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Slow Medicine: ‘Unprescribing’ America

#TimesUp; #NeverAgain; #Privacy; #OpioidCrisis; #BlackLivesMatter…. The last year has been a dramatic one for turning points in long-festering social issues …
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Chasing Flu: Predictably Unpredictable

I have managed urgent cares for nearly 20 years and can officially say that predicting flu is for fools! Perhaps …
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The Change Gang: Adopting a Disruptive Culture

We’ve all heard it: Why do we have to change? This is the way we’ve always done things! Change is …
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Hiring Right Requires the Right Approach

Employing an organizational psychologist or paying for expensive employee screening services is simply not in the cards for most urgent …
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Expectations Disease

There are a few things from residency training that resonated so profoundly for me that they permeate everything I have …
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