Practice Management
The healthcare industry was among the few sectors to post job gains in the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting. Healthcare added 43,000 jobs in September, keeping pace with its ongoing growth for the year. Ambulatory categories accounted for the highest gain, adding more than 23,000 positions in the market. Future forecast: Against the backdrop of the aging of America, health service demand is likely to remain high, and as a result, related job …
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has returned to publishing its seasonal FluView updates, reporting that for the week ending November 8, positive influenza tests are up 2% over the previous week, and 1,665 patients were admitted to hospitals with influenza. According to global reports, the mutated H3N2 flu virus is spreading faster than usual, and CDC found this subtype in more than 62% of subtyping performed for the past 2 weeks of …
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Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc, President of Urgent Care Consultants and Senior Editor of JUCM. The Southeast Regional Urgent Care Association (SERUCA) 2025 conference, held November 14–15, 2025, in New Orleans, focused on urgent care’s most pressing challenges: technology, workforce well-being, and clinical quality through stewardship. This article highlights key takeaways for operators, vendors, and clinicians. Promoting Clinical Excellence Through Stewardship Stewardship was a recurring theme. In a session on antibiotic use, Steven Goldberg, MD, …
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This week, Canada lost its measles elimination status, and as a result, the “Americas” region overall no longer has its verified elimination status as designated by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). The Americas first gained measles-free status in 2016, lost it 2 years later, and then re-established the elimination status in 2024. As of November 7, 2025, reports show 12,596 confirmed measles cases in 10 of the region’s countries with 28 deaths (23 in …
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Despite knowing about the risks of Lyme disease when engaging in outdoor activities, less than half of families responding to a survey say they take precautionary measures to avoid tick bites, as published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. The large survey of 44,330 American adults and 28,380 caregivers of young children shows that 88-93% of respondents say they are aware of Lyme disease, yet only 34-40% of adults and 40-42% of children’s caregivers take the …
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Kids using nicotine vape products are increasingly becoming daily users, according to a cross sectional study in JAMA Network Open. From 2020 to 2024, overall nicotine vaping among American kids in middle and high school declined, but daily use and dependence increased. In the national study of more than 115,000 youth, past-30-day vaping dropped. However, among current users, daily vaping nearly doubled—from 15.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 13.1%-18.0%) in 2020 to 28.8% (95%CI, 26.6%-31.0%) in …
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Virginia is seeing a surge in cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease, according to the state’s department of health. Reports show steep increases in visits to urgent care and emergency departments compared to the past 3 years, reaching a peak of about 4% of visits in recent weeks. The state is tracking about 60 reported outbreaks. Additionally, the District of Columbia has reported 197 emergency department visits related to the disease in September, primarily …
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Global plastic production has more than doubled since 2000, resulting in microplastic (any plastic fragment smaller than 5 millimeters) contamination in air, food, and water. Plastic contamination can cause concerning health effects, according to an online post in JAMA. Tiny plastic particles—generally those with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less—can enter the human body through inhalation or ingestion, and evidence shows they have been detected in multiple organs, including the lungs, brain, liver, and …
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As of October 8, 2025, there have been a total of 1,563 confirmed measles cases reported in 42 states this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The largest proportion of cases are among those ages 5-19 years (39%), and 92% of all cases are among unvaccinated people or those with unknown vaccine status. However, experts speaking to NPR believe the numbers are actually much higher than what has been reported and …
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The College of Urgent Care Medicine (CUCM) has formed a new special interest group for nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) who practice urgent care medicine. The purpose of the group is to connect NP and PA clinicians in the industry through a professional community to address topics unique to their roles, while amplifying their voices and contributions to patient care and organizational success. The group will promote continuing education, encourage leadership, and support …
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