Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Practice Management

 

Urgent Care News

Do Business with the Federal Government? Stop Asking About Applicants’ Criminal Histories

In case you missed it, urgent care centers and other healthcare employers who have contracts …
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Update: States Are Dropping Pandemic Rules for Healthcare Workers. What’s the Status in Yours?

Just last week we told you the federal government is allowing COVID-19 emergency declarations to …
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Follow-Up: Will Closing the Window on COVID Emergency Declarations Undo Progress in the Opioid Crisis?

As regular JUCM News readers know, the May 11 expiration of federal, pandemic-related emergency declarations …
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New Data on Teenage Substance Abuse Are Out, and the Numbers May Surprise You

While access to marijuana and other illicit substances may have been hindered during the social …
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Leverage Local Media to Remind Patients That You’re There for them

Georgia Urgent Care in Milton, VT just restored their capability to offer x-rays and bone-density …
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Web Exclusive Articles

A New 4-Year-Old Patient with Fever and Sore Throat After a COVID Exposure

Bradley L. Laymon, PA-C, CPC, CEMC PRESENTATION A mother brings in her 4-year-old, who has …
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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 …
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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 …
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Repairing Parallel Lacerations in the Urgent Care Center

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

Human Trafficking in the Urgent Care

Human Trafficking in the Urgent Care Setting: Recognizing and Referring Vulnerable Patients

Urgent message: As it is common for human trafficking victims to present to urgent care, providers should be able to …
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Key Signs and Symptoms of Severe Illness in Urgent Care: Cervical Necrotizing Fasciitis and Necrotizing Mediastinitis

Urgent message: Cervical necrotizing fasciitis and necrotizing mediastinitis may ultimately occur in patients presenting with symptoms of odontogenic infection. While …
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A Cause of Dizziness Not to Be Missed

Urgent message: Most cases of vertigo are benign. This includes etiologies such as benign paroxysmal position vertigo, labyrinthitis, and psychogenic …
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A Common Complaint, an Unlikely Diagnosis: Psoas Abscess in the Urgent Care Center

Urgent message: Psoas (or iliopsoas) abscess, although rare, is a cause of back pain associated with high morbidity and mortality …
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Practice Management Articles

Urgent Care Growth Is Poised to Continue in 2023

Urgent message: Urgent care operators of all sizes are poised for continued growth in 2023. In this post-COVID environment, look …
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Triage in Urgent Care Feature

The ‘Triage’ Misnomer in Urgent Care

Urgent message: While the term “triage” refers to one distinct step in emergency department throughput, in urgent care the concept …
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urgent care in 2023

2023 Trends for Urgent Care

Urgent Message: Five trends will drive urgent care strategy in 2023, including its continued response to COVID-19, building bridges with …
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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 …
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Insights in Images Challenges

JUCM CAREER CENTER

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March 2023: Human Trafficking: Recognize the Signs, Know How to React

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CASE REPORTS

An Itchy Back with New Moles: A Case Report of Occult Malignancy

Joshua Russell, MD, MSc, FCUCM, FACEP Key words: paraneoplastic syndrome, gastric cancer, seborrheic keratosis, case report …
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Atypical Chest Pain Reveals Rare T-Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma: A Case Report

Urgent message: Not all patients presenting to urgent care with chest pain require immediate transfer to …
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Cost-Effective Management of Deep-Vein Thrombosis

Urgent message: Utilization of validated scoring systems and clinical decision-making tools can enable the urgent care …
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Mysterious Skin Lesions in a Horse Trainer

Urgent message: Medical histories can help inform diagnosis, but clinicians must ensure their decisions are not …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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Avoiding Defamation Lawsuits in Urgent Care

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

A 35-Year-Old with Ankle Pain and a History of Gunshot Wound

A 35-year-old male presents with progressive pain in his ankle. He reports a history of a gunshot to the foot …
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A 20-Year-Old Female with Weakness, Vomiting, and a History of Alcohol Abuse

The patient is a 20-year-old female who presents complaining of 1 day of generalized weakness and vomiting. She has a …
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A 33-Year-Old with New, Painful ‘Lumps’ on Her Legs

A 33-year-old female presents with painful “lumps” on her legs that developed over the past few days. She decided to …
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A 28-Year-Old with Tibial Pain After Prolonged Exercise

A 28-year-old male presents complaining of anterior shin pain. He shares that he is a runner training for a marathon, …
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A 52-Year-Old Male with Shortness of Breath and a History of Multiple Cardiologic Issues

A 52-year-old male with a history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and recent myocardial infarction (1 month ago) presents to urgent care …
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OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE

Does Concentra’s New Acquisition Foreshadow a New Era for UC and Occ Med?

On the surface, it seems like the kind of event that has become commonplace in urgent care: A large, national …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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Revenue Cycle Management

Are You Chasing Profitable Growth, or Just Growth?

Heather Real With today’s urgent care operators challenged with increasing expenses and stagnant reimbursements, many thoughtful entrepreneurs turn to ancillary …
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Tips for Payer Reviews

Monte Sandler Insurance plans are scrutinizing claims more than ever before. Common questions from our clients are: What does this …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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DEVELOPING DATA

Healthcare Visits by Victims of Human Trafficking Are Limited, but Often Include Urgent Care

As noted in this month’s cover article (Human Trafficking in the Urgent Care Setting: Recognizing and Referring Vulnerable Patients), isolation …
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COVID-19 Has Had a Strong Impact on Pediatric Presentations—Well Beyond the Virus Itself

The effects of SARS-CoV-2 itself on various populations in the United States and internationally have been well-documented. Likewise, an ever-growing …
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Evolution of the Urgent Care Staffing Model During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The scourge of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected urgent care practices deeply, beyond what you already know firsthand. In addition …
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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 …
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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 …
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Abstracts in Urgent Care

Abstracts in Urgent Care – March 2023

Accuracy of Dipsticks in Diagnosing Infant UTIs Vestibular Suppressants and Vertigo Management of Sudden-Onset Headaches: New Questions Hemorrhage in Elderly …
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Abstracts in Urgent Care – February 2023

Quinolone Eardrops and the Achilles Tendon Antibiotics and Sepsis in Neonates What Temperature Is Too High in Infants? Patient Literacy …
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Abstracts in Urgent Care – January 2023

Taping Plus Standard Care for Upper Body Injuries Yoga and Migraine The Challenge of the Limping Child Relieving the Pain …
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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? …
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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 …
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Conquering the Fear of Penicillin Allergy: The Boogeyman of Urgent Care

I had time to see one more patient as my shift was winding down. “Wound check. That should be a …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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