Ashley Blachford, Author at Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Medicare 2026 Therapy Services Update: Key Changes and What Providers Need to Know

Cindy Dickey; Tricia Krueger, CPC The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has introduced several important updates to therapy services for calendar year (CY) 2026. These changes affect reimbursement thresholds, telehealth services, coding practices, and payment reductions. Providers—including physical therapists (PTs), occupational therapists (OTs), and speech-language pathologists (SLPs)—should understand these updates to ensure compliance and optimize billing practices. One of the most notable updates is the adjustment of the KX modifier threshold. For CY …

The Structural Divide in Urgent Care Occupational Medicine

Data reveals that occupational medicine in urgent care is fundamentally top-heavy. As the table illustrates, the top 20% of clinics drive 29% of their total occupational medicine visit volume through employer-paid services (EPS) and workers’ compensation (WC) -paid services, averaging 12 daily visits. Conversely, the bottom 20% average less than 1 visit per day from these 2 payer types. Private-insurer or patient-paid services account for the balance of the visits overall. This stark disparity is …

Abstracts in Urgent Care – June 2026

Comparing Point-of-Care Ultrasound With X-Rays in Pediatric Physeal Injuries Take Home Point: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) demonstrated a high sensitivity in detecting traumatic bone and physeal fractures in children. However, it had only moderate concordance with x-rays (XR) in assessing the extension of the fracture into the joint space and Salter-Harris classification. Citation: Gurkan O, Kozaci N, Colak S, et al. Diagnostic accuracy of point-of-care ultrasonography in physeal fractures. Am J Emerg Med. 2026 Feb;100:198-204. doi: …

Our Voice Is Getting Stronger – Let’s Use It

As we move into June, I’ve been reflecting on the momentum we’ve built and what we do with it next. Our Convention in Chicago brought our field together in a powerful way. The conversations were thoughtful, practical, and forward-looking. We saw alignment forming around some of the most important issues we face: advocacy, workforce, reimbursement, and the continued evolution of our care model. Since then, that momentum has continued. Our work in Washington is advancing. …

Who Can Take X-Rays in an Urgent Care Center: A 50-State Framework

Urgent Message: This 50-state framework details who can legally operate x-ray equipment, as these laws dictate whether the industry’s predominant advanced practice provider-staffing model remains operationally and financially viable. Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc Keywords: urgent care; radiography; radiologic technologists; licensure; nurse practitioners; physician assistants According to the Urgent Care Association (UCA), on-site plain-film radiography is a defining feature of urgent care and is among the criteria for UCA Certification.¹ Yet across the 50 states …

The 2026 Urgent Care Top 100 By Number of Locations

Alan Ayers, MBA, MAcc Keywords: urgent care; ambulatory care facilities; joint venture; organizational affiliation The nation’s total urgent care center count reached 14,655 as of April 1, 2026, based on data provided by National Urgent Care Realty and Urgent Care Consultants. Of these, 6,056 locations (41.3%) are operated by a Top 100 entity. Hospital affiliations within the Top 100 remain the dominant model, with 55.9% of Top 100 locations participating in a health system relationship. …

Behçet Disease: Atypical Presentation in a Non-Endemic Geographical Region

Urgent Message: Behçet disease may present atypically in non-endemic regions, and ocular involvement requires urgent specialty evaluation to prevent irreversible vision loss. James McClellan, BS; Kimberly M. Rathbun, MD, PhD, MPH Keywords: vision loss; retinal vasculitis; panuveitis; Behçet disease; branch retinal artery occlusion; branch retinal vein occlusion Abstract Introduction: Behçet disease is a multisystemic inflammatory disease affecting large, medium, and small blood vessels that has an unpredictable and recurrent pattern. Behçet disease has a wide …

Application of an Algorithmic Prediction Model to Determine the Utility and Financial Viability of Tympanometry as a Diagnostic Tool in Urgent Care

Urgent Message: The prediction model developed for this study suggests that tympanometry may have value in evaluating cases of possible acute otitis media or acute hearing loss in urgent care centers. Jeff Lacour, MD; John Weissert; Dan Frankowski; Demetrio Aguila III, MD; Joshua Russell, MD Keywords: tympanometry; acute otitis media; otitis media with effusion; sudden sensorineural hearing loss; conductive hearing loss; urgent care Abstract Introduction: Tympanometry is a well-validated and rapid tool for assessment of …

Updated Evidence-Based Pediatric Asthma Management for the Urgent Care Provider

Urgent Message: Acute asthma exacerbations commonly present to urgent care, and providers must be well-equipped to recognize asthma exacerbations and be familiar with management recommendations. Samantha Shear, DO; Laura Calderon Suarez, MD; Maria Sara Valle Nodal, MD Keywords: pediatric asthma; asthma exacerbation; spirometry; inhaled corticosteroids; bronchodilator therapy; urgent care Abstract Overview: Asthma affects nearly 10% of children globally, with an estimated 95.7 million cases reported in 2021. This review discusses updates from the 2025 Global …

Circulatory Diseases Drive Higher Mortality in the U.S.

Compared with 17 other high-income countries, the United States had higher mortality rates from 1999–2022—adding up to 12.7 million excess deaths. Researchers found that annual excess deaths in the United States rose from 346,166 to 905,159 over the study period, as published in JAMA Network Open. By 2022, all-cause mortality rates were 1.38 times as high in the United States as in comparison countries. Circulatory diseases (eg, heart disease, hypertension, and stroke) were the leading …

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