Ashley Blachford, Author at Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Optum Draws More Physicians Into Its Ranks

Once a pharmacy benefit management company, Optum has now grown under the UnitedHealth Group umbrella into a multifaceted line of business that brought in $182.8 billion in revenue in 2022. Just this year alone, Optum Health—the care-delivery arm of the enterprise—has added about 20,000 physicians to its ranks, bringing its total physician force to nearly 90,000, according to officials at an investor conference, as reported by Becker’s Hospital Review. Another 40,000 advanced practice providers are …

Staph Bacteria Implicated as the Cause of Itchy Skin

Researchers have uncovered evidence that bacteria can activate nerve cells in the skin and cause the itchy sensation that comes along with several common skin conditions, according to a recent study in Cell. The authors note: “Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterial pathogen associated with itchy skin diseases, directly activates pruriceptor sensory neurons to drive itch.” Their findings could help optimize treatment for inflammatory skin conditions like eczema and dermatitis. A summary of the study in Axios also cites …

Respiratory Triple Threat on Upward Trend

As the flu season gains momentum in the United States, a triple threat of viruses—influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)—is causing concern. Children under age 5 in particular are heavily impacted, and they made up more than 10% of visits for flu-like illnesses the week before Thanksgiving, according to federal data. Pediatric hospital beds were strained across the nation with about 75% in use. Mandy Cohen, MD, director of the Centers for Disease Control …

Abstracts in Urgent Care December 2023

Blood Pressure Monitoring—Cuff Size Matters Take Home Point: The use of an inaccurately sized automated blood pressure (BP) cuff resulted in significantly inaccurate BP readings. Citation: Ishigami J, Charleston J, Miller E, et. al. Effects of Cuff Size on the Accuracy of Blood Pressure Readings: The Cuff(SZ) Randomized Crossover Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2023 Oct 1;183(10):1061-1068. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.3264. Relevance: Chronic hypertension is a leading cause of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality, and accurate measurement …

Considerations for Holiday Hours in Urgent Care

Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc Urgent Message: Whether an urgent care center should be open 365 days per year or close on major or minor holidays depends upon factors that influence profitability such as patient demand, competitive positioning, staff availability, payer reimbursement, and the branding impact of after-hours accessibility. As urgent care operators look to the coming holiday season and begin their strategic planning for the new year, many are faced with the question of …

Tympanic Membrane Conditions Beyond Otitis Media in Urgent Care Practice

Urgent Message: Better understanding of tympanic membrane/middle ear conditions can inform more accurate diagnoses at the point of care. Citation: LaCour J. Tympanic Membrane Conditions Beyond Otitis Media in Urgent Care Practice. J Urgent Care Med. 2023;18(3):15-19 Author Affiliation: Jeff LaCour, MD, Compassio Medical Education. Video: Watch a video featuring Jeff LaCour, MD, that further explains tympanic membrane conditions with supplemental images. WATCH VIDEO Urgent care providers are often tasked to determine the source of …

25-Year-Old With Shoulder Pain

A 25-year-old male presents to urgent care with ongoing pain in his right shoulder. He denies trauma and reports the pain is deep within the shoulder joint itself. View the image taken and consider what your diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the following page.

64-Year-Old With Dyspnea and History of COPD

Case presented by Jonathan Giordano, DO A 64-year-old female presents in the urgent care complaining of dyspnea for the past 3 days. After asking a few questions, you learn the woman has a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). View the ECG captured above and consider what your diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the next page

Berger’s Disease in Urgent Care: A Case Report

Urgent Message: Although urgent care providers would not be equipped to make an initial diagnosis of Berger’s disease, it’s important to recognize the signs that may suggest this condition and refer patients for follow-up. Emily Pierson PA-C, Christina Gardner DHSc, MBA, PA-C Key words: Berger’s disease, hematuria, IgA Nephropathy, nephrology, urgent care, case report Abstract Introduction IgA Nephropathy (IgAN)—sometimes known as Berger’s disease—is the most common primary glomerular disease in the world. It often has …

51-Year-Old With Asymptomatic Rash

A 51-year-old man presents to urgent care concerned about an asymptomatic rash that developed over his face within the last month. On examination, pink and violaceous, annular, scaly papules, and plaques were seen on his cheeks and within his beard area and nasolabial folds. The patient appeared well and reported no systemic symptoms. View the image above and consider what your diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the …

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