Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

RSV Vaccine Approved For Younger Populations

The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine manufactured by Moderna, Inc. received approval last week by the Food and Drug Administration to prevent lower respiratory tract disease caused by RSV in individuals 18-59 years of age who are at increased risk for disease. The vaccine was previously approved in May 2024 for adults aged 60 years and older, according to a press release, and this new approval expands the age range for use to a younger …

NERUCA Builds Emergency Network Among Members

The North East Regional Urgent Care Association (NERUCA) is building an emergency communications network for urgent care centers across the Northeastern United States, according to a recent NERUCA newsletter. The goal is to improve real-time coordination and information sharing during public health events and emergencies. It’s asking members to provide their mobile phone numbers and emails for emergency alerts. NERUCA will stage a pilot emergency notification test later this summer. Members in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, …

Rural Nebraska Hospitals Combine Efforts

As more rural hospitals strategize to stretch their budgets, a group of 19 critical-access hospitals across Nebraska is launching the Nebraska High Value Network (NHVN). By combining efforts, the network members—which serve about 300,000 patients collectively—will collaborate on clinical and business efforts to gain economies of scale. The network is in discussions with other rural hospitals in Nebraska and expects to expand its reach, according to a press release. While the hospital entities will remain …

North Oaks Adds 2 Urgent Care Centers

In Louisiana, North Oaks Health System has acquired 2 new urgent care rooftops. By adding the former Lake After Hours Urgent Care centers to its network, North Oaks now has a total of 4 urgent cares, according to its website. The centers are open every day from 7AM to 8PM and accept most major insurance plans, Medicare, Medicaid, and self-pay. System stats: With more than 3,000 employees, North Oaks is one of the area’s largest …

Lindsey E. Fish, MD, Joins JUCM as Editor in Chief

JUCM is now under the leadership of Lindsey E. Fish, MD, who serves as Editor in Chief and will guide and expand JUCM’s clinical content to advance the practice and professionalism of urgent care medicine worldwide. Fish is the Medical Director of Denver Health’s Peña Urgent Care Clinic in Denver, Colorado, a Federally Qualified Health Center urgent care clinic that delivers more than 27,000 visits per year. In her Medical Director role, she is responsible …

Americans See the Benefit of MMR Vaccines, Believe Their Risk of Measles is Low

Most Americans (83%) believe the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination has benefits that outweigh the possible risks, according to a survey from the University of Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, 83% of the 1,653 adults surveyed also say they are not worried that they or someone in their family will contract measles over the next 3 months, which makes sense considering the current rates of MMR vaccination and its high (97%) effectiveness. When asked about the current …

Last Patient of the Day Left in Exam Room After Staff’s Departure

A patient recently told local news outlet Arizona’s Family that she was locked inside an urgent care center in Phoenix just as the staff was leaving for the day. After trying an exit door and setting off an alarm, the patient was later let out by a staff member who had already left the center. The patient—who spoke on the condition of anonymity—was seen at the end of the day and had been waiting in …

Federal Agencies Choose New Chiefs to Set Large-Scale AI Policies

A directive issued in April from the federal Office of Management and Budget calls on each federal agency to appoint a chief artificial intelligence (AI) officer by early June, according to Becker’s. New officers will be tasked with overseeing AI adoption, ensuring compliance with risk management protocols, and building an AI-ready workforce. In response, the Department of Health and Human Services created its new position of Chief AI Officer and named Peter Bowman-Davis, a Yale …

RSV Vaccine Likely Improved Last Year’s Infant Mortality Rate

The U.S. infant mortality rate declined in 2024 after remaining steady during the waning years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some health experts attribute this improvement, at least in part, to the new vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which became widely available for prevention of severe RSV among infants and young children during the 2024–2025 respiratory virus season. Provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows the national infant mortality rate …

Basic Hand Washing Offers Return on Investment in Healthcare

The World Health Organization (WHO) offered a reminder this week that healthcare organizations and frontline health professionals should prioritize and revisit their hand hygiene practices. As a well-established and low-cost practice, proper hand hygiene safeguards patients and clinicians from infection, WHO says. Protective gloves reduce the risk of infection transmission, but they should not be used as a replacement for basic hand hygiene. Gloves can become contaminated and are frequently misused—such as being worn continuously …

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