Practice Management
Urgent care has benefited from (or perhaps driven) the trend of patients wanting to see a qualified provider the same day they need to, without an appointment. Going hand-in-hand with that is the need to find such a provider. Enter social media. When people post a review on Yelp! or gift an urgent care center with a “like” on its Facebook page, people notice—and may be more inclined to visit that location. A new study …
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Awareness of the opioid crisis plaguing the country has risen sufficiently that responsible healthcare providers are realizing where there are opportunities to help—while more nefarious characters prey on those who fall victim to addiction. Just this week federal agencies pounced on 53 medical professionals, leveling charges that they were taking part in illegal prescribing and distribution of opioids and other dangerous narcotics in Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, and West Virginia. All told, they’re alleged to …
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As even the most frigid regions of the continental U.S. embrace spring and look forward to warmer weather, the time is right to start thinking about what that means to your urgent care operation. Besides seeing more warm-weather injuries and illnesses, as well as an influx of patients who are just passing through your community on vacation, there are seasonal opportunities to raise awareness of your business and reach people who may have been hibernating …
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New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show the number of measles cases continues to grow in the United States, and that more states are seeing cases than was previously known. From January 1 to April 4 of this year, 465 cases were confirmed in 19 states—all told, the second highest number of cases since measles was declared “eliminated” in 2000. The CDC cautioned that the case count is preliminary, so the …
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Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) against HIV infection is controversial. Proponents hail it as a long-overdue opportunity to save lives and stem a public health crisis. Some urgent care providers are exploring whether it’s a viable opportunity both clinically and economically. Then again, some clinicians and public health officials believe offering PrEP de-incentivizes patients from using safe-sex practices and making healthy sexual decisions. A newly published article in the Journal of the American Medical Association raises another …
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JUCM (both the journal and in this newsletter) is full of information and news about current trends in urgent care acquisitions and mergers. The Urgent Care Association’s newsletter is, too, and if you attended the recent UCA convention you heard plenty about how health systems are buying up small, and even not-so-small, urgent care operations. Some perceive that big health systems are gobbling up urgent care centers as an investment or in the spirit of, …
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Urgent care providers have gotten the message that rampant opioid prescribing has led to a public health crisis rooted in addiction and death. And it’s likely new prescriptions have dropped considerably as a result. However, knee-jerk attempts to stop taking them immediately also poses the threat of “serious harm” to patients, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Going cold turkey or dropping existing doses too suddenly has led to withdrawal symptoms, uncontrolled pain, …
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JUCM News readers know Walgreens has been making inroads toward urgent care by partnering with MedExpress in select locations. Now comes word that the chain drugstore giant is working with VillageMD to offer primary care for adults at five locations in the Houston area. By the end of this year, the plan is to start opening VillageMD primary care clinics next to existing Walgreens stores. Each will be called Village Medical at Walgreens, offering primary …
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In response to mounting cases across the globe, this week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called Candida auris an “emerging fungus” that poses a “serious global threat.” It spreads in healthcare settings via contact with exposed surfaces and person-to-person contact. It’s also resistant to some or all antifungal drugs, according to the CDC, making it an especially vexing concern. The most common symptoms include chills and fever that do not respond to antibiotic …
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The Urgent Care Association bestowed its Lifetime Membership Award on a true leader in the urgent care industry during its national convention in Palm Beach, FL this week—and it’s someone whose name will be familiar to JUCM readers. Alan Ayers, MBA, MAcc has been a part of urgent care’s growth for many years, from serving as a consultant to urgent care clients and holding multiple executive-level positions with Concentra, to leading various hospital-affiliated urgent care …
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