Ashley Blachford, Author at Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Pediatric Telemedicine Providers Judicious In Prescribing Antibiotics For ARTI

Acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) are common diagnoses among pediatric patients, and a recent study of 449,630 pediatric ARTI visits found antibiotics were prescribed less often during telemedicine visits than in-person visits, as published in JAMA Network Open. Antibiotic prescriptions were written during 46.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 45.1%-48.4%) of primary care in-person visits vs 34.6% (95% CI, 27.0%-42.3%) of primary care telemedicine visits with a difference of −12.1 (95% CI, −19.3 to −5.0) percentage …

Why Urgent Care Has Become Healthcare’s Front Door

Urgent care is evolving into an essential entry point for the healthcare system, driven by primary care shortages as well as shifting patient expectations, according to Andrea Giamalva, MD, Chief Medical Officer for Experity, in an interview with Medical Economics. She says urgent care is increasingly becoming the front door for many patients because so many Americans don’t have primary care relationships, especially younger generations. That means urgent care must be able to triage appropriately …

Resources Promote Urgent Care Awareness Month in May

May is Urgent Care Awareness Month, and the Urgent Care Association (UCA) is offering a 2026 resource kit with free downloads, including sample social media posts with hashtags, text, and images that are sized appropriately and ready to post. The messaging includes thoughtful truisms about urgent care’s positive impact for patients, such as “Urgent Care is more than a convenience, it’s everyday healthcare,” and “Because healthcare should work around your life—not the other way around.” …

Retailers Shift To GLP-1 Programs—What It Means For Urgent Care

Big retailers are still attempting to shape new clinical lines of business, betting that some of them will eventually become profitable. Attention has now turned to GLP-1s. Yet against this backdrop, healthcare’s market reality is still leading to scaled-back expansion plans, noticeable exits, and massive financial write-downs for some retailers. The market is rather hit-or-miss right now. For example, Amazon continues to open primary care clinics through health system partnerships (including about 200 sites, according …

How Off-Duty Statements Create On-Duty Liability

Urgent Message: There is effectively no right to “free speech” in a private employer-employee relationship. That means private healthcare employers have the authority to terminate staff whose off-duty statements violate professional ethics or harm the organization’s reputation. Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc Keywords: free speech; social media; healthcare liability; malpractice risk; first amendment; employment law; ethical standards; risk management In today’s polarized political climate, the line between private citizen and public professional hasn’t vanished, but …

The Risks of Fully AI-Driven Revenue Cycle Management

Kimberly Hardin, Josh Rainey As healthcare organizations look to modernize operations, the idea of a fully artificial intelligence (AI)-driven revenue cycle management (RCM) system is increasingly appealing in urgent care. Automating everything from coding and charge capture to claims submission and denial management promises efficiency, speed, and reduced labor costs. However, moving to a truly autonomous AI model introduces a range of risks that organizations must carefully evaluate before making the leap. Financial Exposure and …

Which Generation Uses Urgent Care The Most?

Understanding generational demographics is critical for any organization because age drives consumer behavior.¹ While the U.S. population is distributed relatively evenly across adult cohorts,² urgent care utilization—based on an analysis of 2025 Experity EMR visit data conducted by Urgent Care Consultants—skews heavily toward younger adults.³ Gen Z and Millennials combined (born 1981–2012) account for more than 51% of all urgent care visits despite representing only 43% of the U.S. population—a combined over-index of nearly 20 …

When a Headache is the Worst-Case Scenario: A Case Report of Glioblastoma

Urgent Message: While most headache presentations are not life-threatening, urgent care providers must remain vigilant in identifying patients with potentially serious conditions who require transfer to a higher level of care. Elizabeth Minchau, DNP, APRN-BC; Saira George, MD; Stephanie Rellick, PhD; Carmen N. Burrell, DO Keywords: headache; glioblastoma; aphasia; hypertension; personality changes; brain mass Abstract Introduction: Patients often present to urgent care (UC) clinics for headaches. While most headaches are non-life-threatening, the urgent care provider …

Abstracts in Urgent Care – May 2026

Variation in Pretibial Laceration Management Take Home Point: Assessment and management of pretibial lacerations lack consistent standardized guidelines, which is needed to improve patient outcomes. Citation: Shafi S, Shaw A, Koubeh W, et al. Management of pretibial lacerations: A systematic review. Injury. 2026;57(4):113101. doi: 10.1016/j.injury.2026.113101 Relevance: Pretibial lacerations are commonly encountered in both emergency departments (EDs) and urgent care (UC) settings, especially among older adults. Despite their frequency, management approaches vary widely across settings and …

Gynecologic Causes of Abdominal and Pelvic Pain: Diagnosis and Management

Urgent Message: Abdominal and pelvic pain are common presentations to urgent care. Clinicians need to maintain a broad differential to make the correct diagnosis and offer appropriate treatment. Anisah Chauhdry, MS; Naushair Hussain, DO; Michael B. Weinstock, MD Keywords: pelvic pain; ectopic pregnancy; pelvic inflammatory disease; ovarian torsion; ovarian cysts; dysmenorrhea Editor’s Note: The patient case scenario is hypothetical to enhance educational value. Abstract Causes of abdominal and pelvic pain in reproductive-aged women include many …

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