Industry

JUCM News readers know that state and federal regulations adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic are being rescinded or are expiring in waves, with direct and indirect effects on urgent care. With May 11 marking the end of the official federal public health emergency, the Association of American Medical Colleges’ AAMC News reports that some 17 million people formerly covered via emergency Medicaid enrollment are now likely to lose that coverage, with approximately 6.8 million not …

Medical and mainstream media are again full of articles reporting on the urgent—and steadily growing—challenge of ensuring people experiencing a mental health crisis get care when they need it. Most recently, the Journal of the American Medical Association published research revealing that children and young adults, in particular, present to emergency room with mental health complaints in greater numbers than ever, including a steep increase in visits related to suicide. The article notes that while …

It’s been the contention of the urgent care industry for a long time that patients who do not have truly emergent complaints should not be in the emergency room, where they’re likely to face long waits and incur greater costs than they need to. For those patients, urgent care centers are the more sensible option. Data showing a link between the available of urgent care and reduced ED traffic were slow in coming, but over …

Regardless of one’s personal perspective on the move by some states to restrict access to abortions, there is a very real concern that such legislation could ultimately worsen provider shortages. As reported by MedPage Today, new data from the Association of American Medical Colleges show that already-declining numbers of medical-school graduates applying for positions are falling faster in states that have enacted legislation restricting abortions. The dip is especially precipitous in obstetrics and gynecology, as …

Provider burnout is probably most associated with having too many clinical responsibilities competing for your attention, combined with the ever-present threat of oversights and errors that could harm a patient and ultimately decimate your practice. And while that’s all a significant part of the mix, the COVID-19 pandemic raised the specter that burnout can result from being underactive, as well, according to an article from the American Medical Association. That observation came from Shawn C. …

If the results of a survey from AMN Healthcare are correct, most nurses currently employed in the hospital setting will be doing something else, or at least nursing somewhere else, within the next year. Of the 18,000 nurses who participated in the research, only 15% said they expect to “continue working as I am” in a year. Much of the blame is being placed on the COVID-19 pandemic; 18% of participants said they’re likely to …

It took much longer than it should have, but after decades of proving its case urgent care is widely accepted as not only an efficient setting, but also a destination of choice for anyone looking for excellent care. Likewise, the business community is finally picking up on the fact that urgent care companies are substantial players in the healthcare marketplace and as employers. Most recently, as reported by Becker’ Hospital Review, LinkedIn’s Top Companies 2023: …

With a shortage of mental health professionals leaving too many patients without resources when they desperately need them, emergency rooms have been seeing far more patients presenting in emotional distress than ever. As JUCM News readers may recall, a smattering of urgent care centers and mental health providers have sought to help ease that burden by establishing UCCs dedicated to patients’ behavioral health. According to an article published by Cambridge Day in Massachusetts, though, Community …

It’s unlikely a patient would think to tell you this directly, but new research published by the journal Health Affairs shows that in the COVID-19 era physicians and nurses are more trusted for health information than federal, state, and local health agencies. While 37% of 4,208 participants in a telephone survey said they trust the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide solid information, 54% said they trust physicians “a great deal” while 48% …

You might assume that utilization of telehealth continued what had been steady growth in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. You’d be mistaken, however. In fact, telehealth claim lines actually plummeted by 76% from 2020 to 2021, according to the FH Healthcare Indicators and FH Medical Price Index 2023 report. At the same time, it goes on to say, urgent care claim lines jumped 14% while ambulatory surgical centers dropped 7% and emergency room …