Letters from the Editor-in-Chief

With great excitement—and in full disclosure—I am writing this as the newly elected President of the College of Urgent Care Medicine (CUCM) and Urgent Care College of Physicians (UCCOP). It is truly a pleasure to have been elected during the most recent Urgent Care Conference this past April in Chicago, and I look forward to leading these organizations for the next 2 years. Now I am calling all urgent care clinicians—nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants/associates (PAs), and physicians—to become members of the Colleges. We are the professional organizations of urgent …
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“The more things change, the more they stay the same.” This quote by French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr in 1849 is what rings true for me as I reflect on the 20-year anniversary of The Journal of Urgent Care Medicine (JUCM). Over the last 2 decades, the landscape of urgent care has changed drastically. Some highlights of those changes include significant growth in the number of urgent care centers and the number of urgent care visits—both nationally and internationally—the inclusion of nurse practitioners and physician assistants in patient care, transitions …
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Countless times over the last year I have heard variations on a “we can’t” theme. It’s a specific and focused “we can’t” related to the services we are not able to provide to our urgent care patients. “We can’t do that test.” “We can’t use that medication in clinic.” “We can’t have our medical assistants do that.” Sadly, it is purely a reflection of education and training. However, as opposed to responding with increased training and educational support for our team members, we are restricting services and lowering the level …
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It is an absolute honor and pleasure to serve as the new Editor In Chief of The Journal of Urgent Care Medicine (JUCM). To begin, I want to thank Joshua Russell, MD, for his incredible work with the journal over the last 5 years. His effort, dedication, and endless hard work have forever changed the direction of JUCM and shaped its future. It is my sincere hope to continue his impactful work by publishing meaningful educational pieces and original research to advance the field of urgent care medicine. I absolutely …
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At least once a month, a friend or family member will text me—often for the first time in years—to share the summary of a recent visit to their local urgent care (UC). While these texts are universally unsolicited, I genuinely love receiving them. The unfiltered perspective cannot be matched by even the most sophisticated electronic medical record analytics or patient experience reports. This is because the stories they share with me, while anecdotal, provide a qualitative and holistic picture of how UC is actually practiced. Through all these exchanges, I …
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