Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Legacy Health Urgent Care Clinicians Participate in Solidarity Strikes

Some 80 clinicians at Legacy Health recently announced 2-day solidarity strikes to show support for 140 of their coworkers—represented by the Oregon Nurses Association—who are already on an open-ended strike that started on December 2, according to the Oregonian. As of press time, about 50 nurse practitioners and physician assistants at Legacy-GoHealth Urgent Care clinics were committed to a strike during the holiday week as were 30 pediatric advanced practice providers who work at Randall …

ExpressCare Program Trains New X-Ray Operators

Responding to increasing demand for radiology technologists, ExpressCare Urgent Care Centers in Maryland launched a new Limited X-Ray Machine Operator (LXMO) Program earlier this year and has now graduated its first 9 students. The program offers medical assistants with at least 1 year of experience at ExpressCare or Children’s Urgent Care the opportunity to earn certification and obtain Maryland Board of Physicians registration, according to a press release from LifeBridge Health. After successfully passing a …

Death in California Attributed to Ingesting Deadly Mushrooms

California health officials are warning the public about eating wild mushrooms foraged in parks and backyards following a cluster of mushroom-related poisonings that resulted in 1 adult death and cases of severe liver injury in children. According to the state poison control system, 21 cases of suspected amatoxin exposure—likely linked to death cap mushrooms growing in a local park—have been reported. These highly toxic mushrooms are frequently confused with edible varieties due to their similar …

Vaccine Uptake Slows Overall, But Patients Trust Health Pros For Information

According to a survey of 1,015 adults released by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID), fewer adults are receiving vaccines for respiratory viruses this year. The study was conducted in November 2025 to evaluate adults’ attitudes and behaviors regarding vaccination for influenza, COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and pneumococcal disease in the United States. NFID found that 45% of respondents said they have received at least 1 respiratory vaccine since September 2025, with influenza …

Some Glucose Monitor Sensors Could Be Inaccurate; What To Do

Recently, Abbott Diabetes Care posted an alert for a subset of its FreeStyle Libre 3 and Libre 3 Plus continuous glucose monitor (CGM) sensors. Internal testing revealed that some sensors manufactured on a single production line may provide inaccurate, low glucose readings—potentially leading patients to delay or skip necessary insulin doses. The alert affects approximately 3 million sensors in the United States; about half are estimated to have expired or already been used. Globally, Abbott …

Contaminated Baby Formula Still Sitting on Store Shelves

As of December 3, 2025, the Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and several state health authorities have reported a total of 39 suspected or confirmed cases of infant botulism across 18 states, attributed to ByHeart baby formula sold in retail stores. Preliminary testing in California found multiple lots of formula contaminated with Clostridium botulinum type A. The 39 infants have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported. Onset of …

Pertussis Deaths Rise, New PCR Test Receives Approval

Pertussis Deaths Rise, New PCR Test Receives Approval Three infants in Kentucky have died of pertussis this year, including 1 death last week, according to public health officials. None of the infants or their mothers had been vaccinated. As of November 19, 2025, there have been 566 cases of pertussis in the state with additional cases anticipated by the end of the year. Texas has reported the most activity this year with at least 3,500 …

How Flu Season Is Emerging In Urgent Care

Not surprisingly, seasonal influenza activity is increasing nationwide, primarily among children and young adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent FluView dashboard reports a 5% rate of positivity for the week ending November 22, 2025, up from 2.9% the week before. Overall, activity is low, however, of the influenza A cases subtyped, H3N2 accounted for 82.3% of them. There is some concern over a variant of H3N2 called subclade K, which is …

Zantac Is Back—With New Storage Suggestions

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently authorized a new formulation of ranitidine (formerly sold as Zantac) more than 5 years after the agency called for all versions of the drug to be withdrawn because of concerns that it could degrade into a carcinogenic compound. According to the agency, it has now approved VKT Pharma’s 150-mg and 300-mg ranitidine tablets after extensive safety testing and manufacturing improvements. There are also updated, more stringent storage instructions. …

Walk-In Clinic Led By Pharmacists, Thanks to New Practice Rules in Iowa

Authorization rules released in Iowa over the summer now provide for an expanded scope of practice for pharmacists in the state, allowing them to diagnose low-risk health conditions, order labs, and prescribe medication. As a result, the Wells Hometown Drug retail pharmacy in Bloomfield, Iowa, recently opened its new walk-in clinic, led by a pharmacist who is able to see patients 6 years and older without physician oversight. The pharmacist-led model was enabled by Iowa’s …

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