StuWilli, Author at Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Original Research: HIV Screening in the Urgent Care Setting

Urgent message: Increasingly, Americans do not know their human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) serostatus. Implementing rapid HIV testing can allow your center to play a key role in identifying new cases of HIV and linking patients to care. Abstract Background: Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest that an increasing number of Americans do not know their human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) serostatus. The CDC recommends routine screening for all patients 13 to …

Extreme Caution: The HIPAA Dos and Don’ts When Responding to a Subpoena for Patient Medical Information

Urgent message: When health-care providers or urgent care centers respond to subpoenas for patients’ medical information, it is vital that they respond promptly, respond with exactly the information requested and nothing more, and protect patients’ privacy and confidentiality. Introduction When producing documents in response to a subpoena demanding patient medical information, a health-care provider must know the dos and don’ts to avoid privacy and confidentiality violations, sanctions, and penalties. A subpoena is a court or …

A 14-Year-Old with Vomiting and Bumps on the Tongue

In Bouncebacks, which appears periodically in JUCM, we provide the documentation of an actual patient encounter, discuss patient safety and risk-management principles, and then reveal the patient’s bounceback diagnosis. This case is from the book Bouncebacks! Pediatrics, by Michael B. Weinstock, Kevin M. Klauer, Madeline Matar Joseph, and Gregory L. Henry, and is available at www.anadem.com and www.amazon.com. Can you spot the red flags without knowing the outcome? Introduction Note: The following is the actual …

Urgent Evaluation of Traumatic Neck Pain

Urgent message: Clinicians must be able to determine the cause and severity of injury in patients with neck pain, especially in the very young, whose symptoms vary according to their developmental status, and in the elderly, who have weaker bones and degenerative changes. Introduction Avariety of patients from children to the elderly will present to an urgent care Center with the chief symptom of neck pain. Cervical spine (C-spine) injuries occur in 3.7% of adults …

Choose Employee Holiday Gifts Wisely to Strengthen Your Business

Workers have come to expect a certain amount of celebration come holiday time—often including end-of-year bonuses or gifts. This does not have to be a meaningless distraction from ensuring the urgent care runs efficiently and takes care of patients effectively, though; looking beyond “secret Santa” gifts and office parties can actually strengthen employee engagement and loyalty. Physicians Practice magazine suggests focusing on gestures that will be meaningful to the individual, such as the following: A …

Strong Referral Relationships Benefit Urgent Care and Partners

Helping patients manage chronic conditions typically falls to primary care providers or specialists. At the same time, those people are just as likely as other patients to walk into your urgent care center—if not more so. CityMD and Mount Sinai Health System in New York City have teamed up to formalize a referral system that is designed to benefit all parties concerned. Mount Sinai will encourage patients to visit CityMD clinics when they have a …

Positive Reviews Drive Urgent Care Traffic—But You Have to Earn Them

Patient reviews on websites like Yelp can encourage another patient to try a new urgent care center. A high volume of such reviews can improve its ranking in both Google Local and Apple Maps. One New York-based urgent care chain crossed the line—and the law—by paying thousands of dollars for positive reviews over a 2-year-period, though. The reviews in question were not even written by patients; the company engaged ad agencies and freelance writers who …

New Year Brings New CMS Patient Survey—But Probably No New Insights

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will ask Medicare beneficiaries how their healthcare providers are doing under the new Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), which was supposed to help improve the quality of care while lowering cost. No revelations are expected, however, because the survey is voluntary and CMS has taken a relaxed approach to getting providers on board with the new system. In addition, survey results—which, presumably, will be made public to …

UCA Webinar: Tips on Employee Discipline and Termination

Conversations involving discipline—or, especially, termination—are uncomfortable for all parties involved. If you’re a manager or supervisor, though, rest assured they’re in your future (if they’re not already in your past). However, responding to poor performance or misconduct the right way can leave you feeling empowered and confident that you’re doing what you can to protect your workplace as well as other employees. Vance Daniels, senior human resources advisor for G&A Partners, will offer advice on …

Login to JUCM