From the UCA CEO

This April issue of JUCM marks a meaningful milestone: 20 years of publication serving the Urgent Care community. It’s fitting that this edition will be in-hand at the 2026 Urgent Care Convention in Chicago, surrounded by many of the individuals who have helped shape this industry over the past 2 decades. Anniversaries provide an opportunity for reflection. They inspire us to look back with perspective and to look forward with intention. My own journey in Urgent Care began in 2004. I spent the prior 12 years working in a large …
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March has always felt like a turning point to me. The energy of the new year settles into steady motion, plans become real work, and the direction ahead starts to feel clear. For Urgent Care, that sense of momentum is especially strong right now. In February, leaders from across our field came together in Washington, D.C., for the Urgent Care Association Capitol Hill Advocacy Day. Those few days captured something important about who we are as an industry. When Urgent Care speaks with confidence, preparation, and unity, people listen. We …
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Steve Sellars February always seems to arrive with a sense of motion. The year is no longer “new,” plans begin to take shape, and the work ahead becomes clearer. For Urgent Care, that momentum feels especially meaningful right now. During the first week of February, the Urgent Care Association (UCA) convened leaders from across the country in Washington, D.C., for our 2026 Capitol Hill Advocacy Day. It was a powerful reminder of what happens when we come together, prepared, united, and confident in our story. Our leaders participated in meetings …
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As we begin a new year, I’m struck by both the resilience of the Urgent Care community and the urgency of the moment we’re in. Over the past several months, through conversations with operators, clinicians, vendors, and other partners, one message has been unmistakably clear: Urgent Care is ready to move forward together with renewed purpose, a stronger voice, and a sharper vision for the future. 2026 will be a pivotal year. The pressures facing healthcare are intensifying with rising costs, workforce challenges, shifting reimbursement strategies, and ongoing gaps in …
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As we close out 2025, I find myself reflecting on a year defined by both challenge and progress. It’s been a year of reconnection—of reestablishing relationships, realigning priorities, and recommitting to what makes Urgent Care such an essential part of healthcare. Whether through chapter conferences, advocacy meetings, or direct conversations with our members, one message continues to ring true: our collective story has never been more important to tell, and data is one of the most powerful ways we can tell it. Over the past several months, the Urgent Care …
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