Ashley Blachford, Author at Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

New Bouncebacks! Medical and Legal Edition Informs Patient Safety, Reduces Risk

The new Bouncebacks! Medical and Legal 13th Anniversary Edition book, created by JUCM Senior Clinical Editor Michael B. Weinstock, MD, has the potential to change practice by improving patient safety while also decreasing legal risk to the clinician. Bouncebacks! offers actual chart documentation for challenging cases, chapters on legal issues (including “How to Spot the Well-Appearing Patient Who Will Soon Be Dead,” and “Litigation Stress: A Personal Story”), specific documentation recommendations, and deposition and trial …

UH Building Up Urgent Care in Ohio to Match Cleveland Clinic

In the northern Ohio market, University Hospitals (UH) has paired with WellStreet Urgent Care to open a flurry of UH-branded urgent care centers in suburban locations. Within 2 years, the joint venture is aiming to have 36 UH urgent care centers open across the region—directly competing with the existing 36 centers currently operated by UH rival Cleveland Clinic, according to Cleveland.com. UH has selected sites near its primary care offices to better close the loop …

Zoning Upends Bon Secours Urgent Care Plans

Urgent care site selection can be tricky business. Once operators have sized up their addressable market, considered the competition, and estimated the available workforce, opening their doors may seem like a cinch. However, local zoning approvals must figure into site selection strategy as well. Last week, city councilors in Celina, Ohio, voted down a rezoning measure, which ultimately prevented Bon Secours Mercy Health from building a 4,200-square-foot urgent care on a former manufacturing site in …

Ascension Acquires Independent Urgent Care in Kansas

Ascension’s Via Christi Hospital in Kansas has acquired K+STAT Urgent Care, according to local WIBW News. While Via Christi is managing all assets and operations as of November 1, K+STAT will continue to see patients in the same location under its established brand. Via Christi has 6 hospitals and 75 care sites in the state. K+STAT is a single-site urgent care directed by 8 board certified family physicians, according to the website, and it’s the …

30-Year-Old With Back Pain

A 30-year-old woman presents to urgent care with pain in her lower back and pelvis. She denies any injury or accident that might be causing her pain. She has just returned to full-time work after having a baby. An x-ray is ordered. Review the image and consider what your diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the following page.

59-Year-Old With History Of Hypertension

A 59-year-old male with a past medical history of hypertension presents with dyspnea and pleuritic chest pain in urgent care, and an ECG is obtained. View the ECG captured below and consider what your diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the next page.

25-Year-Old With Hand Rash

A 25-year-old man undergoing chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, and dexamethasone for acute lymphoblastic leukemia arrives in urgent care because he’s developed a painful, burning palmar eruption. On examination, tender, shiny, erythematous papules and plaques were seen on the palms and fingers as well as the soles of his feet. View the image above and consider what your diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the following page.

AHA Teams Up With FBI on Healthcare Violence Resources

The American Hospital Association (AHA) and the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit collaborated on a new bulletin that offers the first in a series of practical resources to help mitigate violence in healthcare settings. The goal is to promote greater adoption of violence prevention strategies and address the escalating threats and acts of violence against healthcare facilities and workers. As the program moves forward, AHA will provide updated resources for providers to implement threat assessments and …

Consider Patient Environment And Critter Infestations That May Cause Pruritus

Scabies, bedbugs, and body lice commonly cause pruritus and rash, and accurate diagnosis of the symptoms should include consideration for social drivers of health, such as housing status and living environment, according to a recent literature review presented in JAMA. It’s concerning because pruritus may persist after scabies treatment—largely due to misdiagnosis and inadequate treatment—and persistent scratching can present a risk for skin infection. While bedbug bites usually resolve after 1 week without treatment, professional …

New Oral Drug Approved For UTIs

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the combination sulopenem etzadroxil and probenecid, an oral antibiotic, to treat bacterial urinary tract infections (UTI) in adult women caused by Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, or Proteus mirabilis. Manufacturer Iterum Therapeutics anticipates a commercial launch for the drug, branded as Orlynvah, in 2025, according to Reuters. The oral drug is taken twice daily for 5 days and can be used to treat uncomplicated UTIs in women who …

Login to JUCM