Practice Management
The United States is already grappling with a deadly resurgence of the COVID-19 virus, but news from the United Kingdom indicates we could see a dire situation turn even worse if we’re not careful. The government there, perhaps wary of repeating mistakes that allowed the virus to run rampant last spring, has already implemented a partial shutdown of nonessential businesses and services in order to discourage widespread contact among the public. This is not “just” …
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In such a topsy-turvy year, it only makes sense that a changing urgent care landscape is making headlines as 2020 comes to a close. First, WellNow Urgent Care announced that it has acquired Hometown Urgent Care & Occupational Health and its 34 locations across Ohio and Michigan. That move nearly doubles WellNow’s size and moves it onto the list of top 10 urgent care companies in the country. Not to be outdone, FastMed Urgent Care …
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The winter holidays are notorious for causing increases in trips to the emergency room. With hospitals already congested (again) due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s likely patients who slice a finger open while carving a roast, eat a questionable clam, or just have an ordinary sore throat will opt to visit an urgent care center instead of the ED. If you’ve done a good job in marketing your center, they’ll probably just hop in the …
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Federal, state, and local health officials have urged Americans to alter their winter holiday traditions by limiting exposure to friends and family they don’t typically spend time with, in order to keep a lid on the burgeoning COVID-19 case load across the country. Many will take that advice, but others hope to strike a safe balance by getting tested for the virus and following through on gatherings (assuming they test negative, of course). The issue …
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Amazon and Whole Foods employees were told this week that weekly, no-cost testing for COVID-19 is available to them—and encouraged—on a weekly basis. Amazon is especially keen on ensuring frontline workers in California get tested at least once a week, given recent updates in workplace standards there. Currently, tests are being administered on site by Concentra, though not during an employee’s regular working hours. However, according to a report posted by CNBC, workers are promised …
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A pair of new COVID-19 self-test kits received approval from the Food and Drug Administration this week. The biggest—and possibly most concerning—difference between the two is that one is available without a prescription. The first, BinaxNOW from Abbott, was already approved for, and being administered by, healthcare professionals. Now, however, patients who want to be tested can log on to an Abbott app with their smartphone to be connected to a healthcare provider at eMed. …
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Media coverage of two British healthcare workers who experienced anaphylaxis after receiving the Pfizer/BioNT version of the COVID-19 vaccine last week led to widespread presumption that the vaccine should not be given to patients with a history of allergic reactions to vaccinations. In an effort to dispel that notion, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an announcement stating that the vaccine is believed to be safe for use in all patients, but that …
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Obesity, hypertension, lung ailments, and any number of conditions have been linked to increased risk for complications in patients with COVID-19. While chronic kidney disease has not often gotten much attention, a new study published by PLOS ON indicates that CKD could actually be the leading risk factor for hospitalization in infected patients. The paper reflects analysis of the electronic health records of 12,971 individuals, 1,604 of whom had CKD; of those, 354 (22%) required …
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Readers of JUCM News know the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shortened the amount of time it recommends quarantining for certain people with, or who have been exposed to, COVID-19. Now the College of Urgent Care Medicine is advising urgent care providers to read the proverbial fine print in that guidance. The CUCM stresses that the CDC statement offers “acceptable alternatives” to the quarantine periods, in spite of the fact that multiple media reports …
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With several COVID-19 vaccines heading for approval and rollout, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Each state has required every state to submit plans for statewide administration, including distribution and how populations within the state will be prioritized. Of even more relevance to the urgent care operator, the plans are also expected to include provider enrollment details. If this is news to you, or if you’re fuzzy on the details, you should be aware …
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