Ashley Blachford, Author at Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

RSV Vaccine Effective For Older Adults

The real-world effectiveness of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination among U.S. adults aged 60 years and older during the 2023–2024 RSV season was found to be 75.1% (95% confidence interval, 73.6–76.4%), according to research published in JAMA Network Open. Vaccine effectiveness was evaluated against acute respiratory infection, urgent care or emergency department visits, and hospitalizations. Among those 60 years and younger, the vaccine was 75.8% effective (73.2-78.1%) against urgent care or emergency department visits …

Cleveland Clinic Adjusts Its Prepayment Policy

In response to some public criticism, the Cleveland Clinic last week re-engineered a controversial policy that would have required patients to pay insurance co-pays upfront or risk having their appointments canceled on the spot. Initially set to begin June 1, the policy faced backlash from patient advocates and city officials, who warned the pay-first requirement could limit access to care for low-income families. The original pay-first policy excluded Medicaid and traditional Medicare enrollees as well …

Patients Wait Average of 31 Days For Appointments in Metro Areas

A recent survey reveals that scheduling a physician appointment now takes an average of 31 days—a 19% increase from 2022 and a 48% rise since 2004. Conducted in early 2025 by AMN Healthcare, the survey included 1,391 physician offices across 15 major U.S. metropolitan cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Miami, focusing on 6 medical specialties. The findings highlight community challenges for patients looking to access timely care. Wait times vary by specialty. For …

Herpes Simplex Virus Infections: An Overview of Testing for the Urgent Care Clinician

Urgent Message: Polymerase chain reaction testing is recommended for patients with lesions that could represent herpes simplex virus infection. It is imperative that urgent care clinicians understand the utility and characteristics of such testing as well as the implications of findings. Brittney Tice, FNP, DNP; Joseph Something, PA; Benjamin Zimmerman, PhD Editor’s Note: The patient case scenario is hypothetical. Abstract In the urgent care (UC) setting, patients commonly present with nominal requests for herpes simplex …

13-Year-Old With Inversion Injury

A 13-year-old boy presents to urgent care after “rolling” his left foot. He explains that he tripped on a cement curb while riding his skateboard. He has foot and ankle pain that is worse with weight. 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.

Dyspnea in an Asthmatic Patient Following an Influenza Infection: A Case Report

Urgent Message: While patients with asthma will frequently experience exacerbations following viral respiratory infections, the urgent care clinician must be cautious when assuming dyspnea is due to asthma. As dyspnea can be caused by a wide variety of conditions, it is important to maintain a broad differential diagnoses, even in patients with underlying asthma. Tracey Quail Davidoff, MD, FCUCM Key words: Influenza, Dyspnea, Asthma, Congestive Heart Failure, Myocarditis, Diagnosis Momentum Abstract Introduction: Patients commonly present …

2025 Urgent Care’s Top 100 – By Number of Locations

The following table summarizes the 100 largest urgent care operators by number of locations as of April 1, 2025, based on data provided by National Urgent Care Realty and Urgent Care Consultants. Because of the significant number of private operators that also operate facilities with hospital partners, the list delineates health-system-affiliated locations. Duplication is avoided by placing joint venture centers under the operating partner. Data is reported by the parent entity as opposed to regional …

Abstracts in Urgent Care – June 2025

Can Doctors Predict Patient Outcome from a First Impression? Take Home Point: In this systematic review, the first impressions of “sick versus not sick” and appropriate patient disposition had reasonable predictive value for patient outcomes but was not sufficiently accurate to supplant thorough clinical assessment. Citation: Treloar E, Abraham A, Smith E, et. al. Can first impressions predict patient outcomes? Acad Emerg Med. 2025 Mar;32(3):351-354. doi: 10.1111/acem.15053. Relevance: In busy environments such as urgent care …

33-Year-Old With Pleuritic Chest Pain

A 33-year-old female presents to urgent care with pleuritic chest pain that is gradual in onset over the preceding several days and worse when lying flat. She denies fever, cough, and shortness of breath. She is well appearing with normal vital signs. An ECG is obtained. View the ECG and consider what your diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the next page.

63-Year-Old With Sudden Visual Disturbance

A 63-year-old man presents to urgent care with sudden-onset floaters and blurred vision in his right eye for one day. He denies trauma, headache, or flashes of light. He has no history of similar symptoms. His past medical history includes hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Vital signs are normal. Visual acuity measures 20/40 OD and 20/25 OS. No facial asymmetry or eyelid swelling is noted. Visual fields are intact bilaterally. A non-dilated fundoscopic exam is …

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