Practice Management
Virginia just joined a short list of states that are enacting legislation to help protect workers from exposure to COVID-19. Of course this is essential for all urgent care operators to know as employers, but the need is doubly great for those who offer occupational medicine services. In Virginia, some of the new rules fall in line with existing executive orders (such as requiring workers to wear a mask when adequate social distancing is impossible). …
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The National Government Services office issued yet another alert from the Department of Health and Human Services. This one concerns a new wave of phishing emails purported to be from the Small Business Administration, seeking private information regarding loan activity. NGS reports that the bogus emails, which spoof SBA’s loan relief webpage, include a malicious link. You can read the list of protective measures NGS advocates here. Ensure your team is aware of this threat, …
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It’s been established that viral load and frequency of exposure to infected individuals increases one’s risk of contracting COVID-19. This puts urgent care providers and other healthcare professionals at increased risk compared with nonclinicians who are able to limit contacts. A new study published online by the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that requiring patients to wear a mask offers significant protection to even those who are most likely to be exposed, supporting …
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Parents may feel conflicted about making their children wear a mask. They’re uncomfortable, it scares them, it’s uncool, and kids are just plain rebellious. But a new study published in the Journal of Pediatrics highlights that it’s essential not only for their protection as they start mingling more with peers, but your protection as well. The essential conclusion of the study is that some children carry very high viral loads—in fact, the study reports, “viral …
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While children are not immune to infection from COVID-19, so far it appears they’re less susceptible than adults. One risk factor that seems to negate whatever protection youth might offer: e-cigarette use. An article just published in the Journal of Adolescent Health reveals that adolescents who have ever used e-cigarettes are five times more likely than nonusers to receive a COVID-19 diagnosis. Kids who acknowledge using e-cigarettes within the past 30 days at the time …
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JUCM News readers know the urgent care industry took a pretty big hit in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re starting to come back strong, but retail clinics are having a harder time rebounding. RediClinic just announced it will close all 36 of its locations in Texas, in favor of expanding its telemedicine offerings for patients—for which they’re aligning with Rite Aid Virtual Care. Most of those locations were associated with H-E-B food …
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The intersection of wellness and the ability to work has never been more precarious than it is today. More and more businesses are opening up. People are heading back to work—some enthusiastically, some with trepidation about the risks. Urgent care operators who offer occupational medicine services could offer solutions and reassurance to all parties, provided they’re able to make the case with decision-makers. A new article in Personnel Today points out that the chaos and …
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If you’ve received a postcard purporting to be from the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), asking you to complete a “mandatory” HIPAA compliance risk assessment, be aware that it’s a fake. There is no such assessment required. National Government Services issued a warning to healthcare professionals to let them know that the URL and phone number included in the text of the postcard actually belong to a nongovernmental website for a group that offers marketing …
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Back-to-school time typically means parents are scrambling to make sure their children’s immunization status is current. This year, of course, how (or even if) schools should reopen is a hotly debated issue in many communities. Regardless of how that controversy works out in your neck of the woods, you have to be prepared to administer needed vaccines—and to answer questions. Anticipating this, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has produced a Vaccination Guidance During …
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Patients are understandably (albeit overanxiously) concerned about every little cough these days. You want to be reassuring, but also keep an open mind about the prospects of them having COVID-19. New research from the University of Southern California’s Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience sheds light on which symptoms are most likely to occur first in COVID-19 patients, in order: Fever Cough Muscle pain Nausea and/or vomiting Diarrhea Bear this in mind when counseling patients about …
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