Benefits of Utilizing Limited-Scope X-Ray Techs in the Urgent Care Setting

By Ashley Blachford  /  November 30, 2022
Urgent message: X-ray is an essential component of urgent care operations. Amid rising costs and staffing shortages, limited-scope x-ray techs…
Read More
Benefits of Utilizing Limited-Scope X-Ray Techs in the Urgent Care Setting

How Urgent Care Can Address Its Degrading Scope of Practice

By Ashley Blachford  /  November 30, 2022
Urgent message: Founded by emergency medicine doctors on a mission to keep nonemergent patients out of the ED, urgent care…
Read More
How Urgent Care Can Address Its Degrading Scope of Practice

The Rising Importance of Urgent Care in the Fight Against the STI Epidemic

By Ashley Blachford  /  November 30, 2022
Urgent message: After a brief hiatus during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rate of new sexually transmitted infections…
Read More
The Rising Importance of Urgent Care in the Fight Against the STI Epidemic

Managing Cough Without Codeine in the Urgent Care Setting

By Ashley Blachford  /  November 29, 2022
Urgent message: Opioid prescribing and opioid-related deaths have risen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although supported by the CHEST Diagnosis and…
Read More
Managing Cough Without Codeine in the Urgent Care Setting

Mysterious Skin Lesions in a Horse Trainer

By Ashley Blachford  /  November 29, 2022
Urgent message: Medical histories can help inform diagnosis, but clinicians must ensure their decisions are not swayed by erroneous historical…
Read More
Mysterious Skin Lesions in a Horse Trainer

Code Case Files: An Established Adult Male Patient with 2 Days of COVID-Like Symptoms

By Ashley Blachford  /  November 21, 2022
Bradley L. Laymon, PA-C, CPC, CEMC PRESENTATION A 47-year-old established male patient presented after 2 days of COVID-like symptoms (fever…
Read More
Code Case Files: An Established Adult Male Patient with 2 Days of COVID-Like Symptoms

A 16-Year-Old Female with Neck Pain After Swallowing

By Ashley Blachford  /  November 15, 2022
The patient is a 16-year-old female with right-side neck pain after inadvertently swallowing a chicken wing.  She has not eaten…
Read More
A 16-Year-Old Female with Neck Pain After Swallowing

An Unusual Case of Third and Fourth Metacarpophalangeal Joint Dislocations Following a Fall

By Ashley Blachford  /  November 1, 2022
Urgent message: Metacarpophalangeal dislocations involving digits other than the thumb or index finger may be somewhat atypical, but are known…
Read More
An Unusual Case of Third and Fourth Metacarpophalangeal Joint Dislocations Following a Fall

When a Fever is Not a URI: If It’s Not in the Differential, It Won’t Be in the Diagnosis

By Ashley Blachford  /  October 30, 2022
Urgent message: Fever in patients presenting to UC is often attributable to viral infections, urinary tract infections, otitis media, cellulitis,…
Read More
When a Fever is Not a URI: If It’s Not in the Differential, It Won’t Be in the Diagnosis

Is It Appendicitis? The Role of Clinical Scoring Systems, Labs, and Diagnostic Imaging

By Ashley Blachford  /  October 30, 2022
Urgent message: Ultrasound can provide essential data in the urgent care evaluation of suspicion of acute appendicitis. Facilitating a rapid…
Read More
Is It Appendicitis? The Role of Clinical Scoring Systems, Labs, and Diagnostic Imaging

Urgent Care News

Workplace Violence Is So Bad CMS Had to Remind Hospitals They Need to Protect Patients and Staff

JUCM News has reported on individual incidents of assaults on healthcare workers and patients periodically …
Read More

As If RSV, COVID, and Flu Aren’t Enough, Another Viral Threat Is Emerging

We’ve told you about the very real threat of a tripledemic as the current influenza …
Read More

The Threat of a Tripledemic Is Getting More Real—and Urgent Care Is on the Front Lines

In an average year, 35 states reporting “high” or “very high” levels of influenza would …
Read More

Antibiotic Duration for Skin and Soft Tissue Infections in Pediatric Urgent Care

Urgent message: Approximately one quarter of pediatric ambulatory visits result in antibiotic prescriptions, with over …
Read More

When Communicating with Patients, Tone Matters—and the Wrong One Can Cost You

Whether it’s declining to prescribe an antibiotic you know isn’t necessary to a patient who …
Read More

Web Exclusive Articles

Code Case Files: An Established Adult Male Patient with 2 Days of COVID-Like Symptoms

Bradley L. Laymon, PA-C, CPC, CEMC PRESENTATION A 47-year-old established male patient presented after 2 …
Read More

What Qualifies Someone to Take X-Rays in the Urgent Care Center? It All Depends on Where You’re Located

X-rays are high on the list of services patients expect urgent care centers to provide …
Read More

Repairing Parallel Lacerations in the Urgent Care Center

Urgent message: Parallel lacerations or those that simply occur in close proximity pose a unique …
Read More

Getting the Most Out of Your Urgent Care Google Ads Budget in 2022

Urgent message: As urgent care volume has dropped from pandemic highs, the average cost per …
Read More

Are Food/Drug Retailers Hiding their Retail Clinic “Failures?”

Urgent message: Over the past 15 years, the nation’s largest food, drug, and mass retailers …
Read More

Clinical Articles

The Rising Importance of Urgent Care in the Fight Against the STI Epidemic

Urgent message: After a brief hiatus during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rate of new sexually transmitted infections …
Read More

Managing Cough Without Codeine in the Urgent Care Setting

Urgent message: Opioid prescribing and opioid-related deaths have risen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although supported by the CHEST Diagnosis and …
Read More

When a Fever is Not a URI: If It’s Not in the Differential, It Won’t Be in the Diagnosis

Urgent message: Fever in patients presenting to UC is often attributable to viral infections, urinary tract infections, otitis media, cellulitis, …
Read More
It is Appendicitis?

Is It Appendicitis? The Role of Clinical Scoring Systems, Labs, and Diagnostic Imaging

Urgent message: Ultrasound can provide essential data in the urgent care evaluation of suspicion of acute appendicitis. Facilitating a rapid …
Read More

Practice Management Articles

Limited-Scope X-Ray Techs

Benefits of Utilizing Limited-Scope X-Ray Techs in the Urgent Care Setting

Urgent message: X-ray is an essential component of urgent care operations. Amid rising costs and staffing shortages, limited-scope x-ray techs …
Read More
degradation of urgent care’s scope of practice

How Urgent Care Can Address Its Degrading Scope of Practice

Urgent message: Founded by emergency medicine doctors on a mission to keep nonemergent patients out of the ED, urgent care …
Read More
DOT physicals and drug screens

DOT Physicals and Urine Drug Testing Represent a Growth Opportunity for Urgent Care Centers

Urgent message: Demand for DOT-related services for truck drivers is soaring. Urgent care centers can augment traditional insurance-paid visits with …
Read More

Find Prime Locations for Rapid Urgent Care Growth

Urgent message: Using a data-driven approach to predict performance, taking advantage of openings in traditional retail spaces, or utilizing resources …
Read More

Insights in Images Challenges

A 42-Year-Old with Swelling After a Kick to the Face

Click Here

A 40-Year-Old with Back Pain After a Fall

Click Here

A 79-Year-Old Male with Left Shoulder Pain and a History of Hypertension and CAD

Click Here

An 83-Year-Old Female with CHF, A-Fib, and New-Onset Confusion and Syncope

Click Here

A 32-Year-Old with Fever, Cough, Arthralgia, and Photophobia

Click Here

A 9-Year-Old Girl with a New Rash on Her Face

Click Here

JUCM CAREER CENTER

CASE REPORTS

Mysterious Skin Lesions in a Horse Trainer

Urgent message: Medical histories can help inform diagnosis, but clinicians must ensure their decisions are not …
Read More

An Unusual Case of Third and Fourth Metacarpophalangeal Joint Dislocations Following a Fall

Urgent message: Metacarpophalangeal dislocations involving digits other than the thumb or index finger may be somewhat …
Read More

Bullous Pemphigoid Reaction After Second Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine

Urgent message: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, unvaccinated people have shown higher rates of morbidity and mortality …
Read More

A Rare Case of Sequential Simultaneous Bilateral Mandibular Fractures

Urgent message: The angle of the mandible is one of the most common locations among bilateral …
Read More

Brain Abscess in an Immunocompetent Patient: Complex Pathology and Communication

Urgent message: Remain diligent in the evaluation of headache; though often a benign condition, the possibility …
Read More

HEALTH LAW

Who Can Take X-Rays in an Urgent Care Center?

Urgent message: Given that x-ray is a differentiating feature of “urgent care” and the current challenges …
Read More

What Qualifies Someone to Take X-Rays in the Urgent Care Center? It All Depends on Where You’re Located

X-rays are high on the list of services patients expect urgent care centers to provide when …
Read More

Avoiding Defamation Lawsuits in Urgent Care

Urgent message: People are unlikely to trust their healthcare to a provider with a sullied reputation, …
Read More

Can PAs and NPs Unionize in Urgent Care Settings?

Urgent message: Urgent care’s workforce has changed from primarily emergency physicians to physician assistants and nurse …
Read More

What’s the Best Policy for Unlocking an Urgent Care’s Doors when a Provider isn’t Present?

Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc is President of Experity Networks and is Senior Editor, Practice Management …
Read More

CLINICAL CHALLENGES

A 79-Year-Old Male with Left Shoulder Pain and a History of Hypertension and CAD

A 79-year-old male with past medical history of hypertension and coronary artery disease presents to urgent care with left shoulder …
Read More

A 32-Year-Old with Fever, Cough, Arthralgia, and Photophobia

A 32-year-old immunocompetent male presents with fever, cough, arthralgia, and photophobia for a few days. On examination, he had a …
Read More

A 42-Year-Old with Swelling After a Kick to the Face

The patient is a 42-year-old male who presents with nose and facial swelling after being kicked in the face while …
Read More

An 83-Year-Old Female with CHF, A-Fib, and New-Onset Confusion and Syncope

An 83-year-old female with past medical history of congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation presents to urgent care with confusion …
Read More

A 9-Year-Old Girl with a New Rash on Her Face

A mother brings her 9-year-old girl daughter to your urgent care center because she’s concerned about a rash that developed …
Read More

OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE

Update: The COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for Many Businesses Is Off—Again

Just when you thought you had clarity on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s mandate to vaccinate workers at businesses …
Read More

That Vaccine Mandate for Private Businesses That Was Called Off? It’s on Again—and the Clock Is Ticking

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s plan to require employers with 100 or more workers to institute a COVID-19 vaccine …
Read More

Your Occ Med Clients Need Your Support with the New COVID-19 ETS—Immediately

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration just issued an Emergency Temporary Standard intended to protect workers from getting infected with …
Read More

More People Are Trudging Off to Work on Site. Do You Know Who’s at Greatest Risk for COVID-19?

While some employers are content to maintain remote or hybrid work situations for their workers, either because of strong stances …
Read More

As Travel Opens Up, Opportunities to Offer COVID-19 Tests Could Be Lucrative

Urgent care has had it tough during the pandemic, but the travel industry has faced unprecedented challenges as Americans hunkered …
Read More

Revenue Cycle Management

Where Do You Start When Starting Your Urgent Care?

Heather Real There are many reasons to start your own urgent care, whether it be feeding your entrepreneurial spirit, investing …
Read More

New ICD-10-CM Codes in Effect as of October 1

It’s time for the major release of ICD-10-CM that occurs on October 1 every year. For 2023, this update reflects …
Read More

Primed for Growth: Why It’s Time to Consider Adding Primary Care Services to Your Urgent Care Center

Many patients don’t think about “urgent care” until the moment they need treatment. Likewise, few people think of urgent care …
Read More

A Half Century of Urgent Care: What Today’s Startups Need to Know

The urgent care industry is in its fifth decade and still growing! The driving forces of affordability and accessibility continue …
Read More

Decreasing Denials and Rejections Through Your Urgent Care Operating Model

A wise person once said, “If a claim is rejected or denied, the energy to get it paid is five …
Read More

DEVELOPING DATA

STIs Are Epidemic in the U.S.—but How Many of Those Patients Are Going to Urgent Care?

If you read this issue’s cover article on how important urgent care is in fighting the current surge of sexually …
Read More

Urgent Care Is Correcting Course on Antibiotic Prescribing

Just 4 years ago, a Research Letter published by JAMA Internal Medicine painted an unflattering picture of the antibiotic prescribing …
Read More

The Data Are Clear: Urgent Care Visits Almost Always Suffice for Low-Acuity Cervical Trauma

Reducing the need for patients to visit hospital emergency rooms (as well as the associated cost) is an essential attribute …
Read More

A Tale of Two Viruses: Rapid Flu and COVID-19 Tests in the Urgent Care Setting

JUCM has been fortunate to be on the forefront of research on SARS-CoV-2, from a headline-making article entitled Chest X-Ray …
Read More

Urgent Care—It’s a Millennial’s Market

In terms of services offered, urgent care “should” appeal to patients of all ages. And it does. But to which …
Read More

Abstracts in Urgent Care

Abstracts in Urgent Care – December 2022

Assessing the Ottawa Ankle Rule in Pediatric Patients? Subconjunctival Hemorrhage in Children How Much Cardiac Risk Is Acceptable to Patients? …
Read More

Abstracts in Urgent Care November 2022

Fever: To Treat or Not to Treat?Distinguishing Viral from Bacterial ConjunctivitisScapular Fractures and Blunt Chest Trauma in ChildrenSterile vs Nonsterile …
Read More

Abstracts in Urgent Care – October 2022

Ivan Koay MBChB, FRNZCUC, MD Achilles Tendon RupturePredictive Value of Seamen’s SignPT and Meniscus TearsManaging ACS in Rural AreasFollowing Up …
Read More

Abstracts in Urgent Care – September 2022

Vapocoolant and Digital Nerve BlocksDosing Dexamethasone in Pediatric AsthmaInfant Clean-Catch Urine ContaminationAntibiotic-Associated Diarrhea in ChildrenTreating Acute DiverticulitisTorus Wrist Fractures in …
Read More

Abstracts in Urgent Care – July/August 2022

Colchicine in Acute GoutPOCUS and Necrotizing FasciitisAssessing Patient SatisfactionMisinterpreting Pediatric RadiographsLung Ultrasound and Pediatric PneumoniaDiagnosing Pneumothorax A Review of the …
Read More

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Which ED Referrals Are Appropriate? The Problem of Perspective

Joshua Russell, MD, MSc, FCUCM, FACEP I didn’t want to send her to the ER, but what else could I …
Read More

The Value of Repeat Vital Signs

Joshua Russell, MD, MSc, FCUCM, FACEP I’m just going say it: we should repeat vital signs more often in urgent …
Read More

The Value of Vitals – Part I

Joshua Russell, MD, MSc, FCUCM, FACEP Recently, a PA I supervise called me about a young woman who came in …
Read More

Antibiotic Prescribing in “Gotham City”

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of being talked at about antibiotic stewardship. We all realize it’s a …
Read More

Playing in the Band

I got my first guitar when I was 14. It was an Alvarez acoustic with an electric pick-up, and I …
Read More

Please log-in/sign-up to download these issues.