Practice Management
According to detailed state-level data collected by Experity across urgent care centers, Texas (30.9%) and Utah (30.8%) are leading the nation in COVID-19 positivity rates through August 18, 2025. Summer’s big picture, dating back to June 1, shows the 7-day positivity rate overall has grown from 5% to 20% for U.S. urgent cares—a rate that is lower than this time last year. Positivity rates in 2024 peaked at 31.3% in August, according to Experity. With …
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The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) this week released an immunization schedule including evidence-based guidance for COVID-19 vaccines for children and adolescents. What some see as controversial, however, is the fact that the AAP schedule doesn’t align with recent government agency announcements. Specifically, AAP recommends the COVID vaccine for all children 6 months to 23 months of age as well as older children who are in several risk groups. By contrast, the latest Food and …
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New York health officials have now reported 5 deaths in connection with a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Harlem, which has affected at least 92 people since late July, according to a health department press release. More than a dozen people have also been hospitalized as of this week. Leaders confirm that 10 buildings in the area tested positive for live Legionella bacteria, including a city-run hospital and sexual health clinic, which have now completed remediation …
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Adding a new urgent care rooftop represents a significant investment by a health system. At the same time, every new urgent care ideally opens up a reliable referral stream for the institution’s other services to boost patient volume. This has been the prevailing model for health systems, but some markets are now witnessing a shift toward joint ventures and acquisitions rather than new builds, according to a report in Modern Healthcare. Alan Ayers, MBA, MAcc, …
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One year after approval, the nasal formulation of the flu vaccine is now available in 34 states for at-home use for individuals 2 through 49 years of age, according to an announcement. Consumers can order the FluMist nasal spray online directly from manufacturer AstraZeneca after completing a screening and assessment, and if appropriate, receive a prescription for home delivery of the self-administered vaccine. Consumers can also leverage their insurance benefits, according to the announcement. FluMist …
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Recent updates to blood pressure (BP) guidelines published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology have lowered the threshold for initiating hypertension treatment among low-risk patients. According to the 2025 joint guideline from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology, adults without clinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) and with an estimated 10-year CVD risk below 7.5% should begin antihypertensive therapy if their average systolic BP remains at 130 mm Hg or …
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Healthcare organizations typically have strict dress codes for clinical staff as a way to identify who’s who. But it turns out that when a clinician wears a white coat, it affects patients’ perceptions of professionalism, trust, and communication, according to a review of 32 studies presented in BMJ Open. Patient preferences for physician attire varied significantly by clinical context, medical specialty, and physician gender, however. In primary care settings, casual attire was found to be …
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Under the extreme temperatures in Maricopa County, Arizona, 35 heat-related deaths have been confirmed this year so far by the county medical examiner’s office. However, the real-world total is possibly much higher, according to an analysis by The Guardian. The state is on track to witness its hottest August on record with temperatures hitting at least 110°F nearly every day so far. In Philadelphia, 5 heat-related deaths have been confirmed, and Maryland’s Department of Health …
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Children often experience less severe symptoms from the SARS-CoV-2 infection, and a study in the Journal of Infectious Diseases found that kids’ frequent rhinovirus infections may be at least one factor that offers protection from both the risk and severity of SARS-CoV-2. Participants in this 6-month study (May 2020-February 2021) who had rhinovirus in the previous 30 days had a 48% lower risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 and, if infected, showed 9.6-fold lower viral loads (p=0.0031). …
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As an alternative to the emergency department (ED), urgent care has an opportunity to meet the needs of the older adult population and earn their business. An Australian study published in BMC Geriatrics assessed what older adults value most in urgent care services through a survey that presented “discrete choice experiments”—in which respondents choose between hypothetical scenarios. Among the 995 people aged 65 years and older who participated in the survey, researchers found the strongest …
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