Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

PPE Shortages Are Threatening the Lives of Providers; What Can You Do?

One thing that has become painfully clear as the COVID-19 pandemic continues is the fact that healthcare facilities are understocked on personal protective equipment. Of especially critical importance are reports that there are not enough N95 filtering facepiece respirators—the only type currently rated to protect the wearer from coronavirus—to meet current and growing needs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued an advisory on maximizing the life of each unit. Among the tips …

UCA Webinar: Understand Non-Payer Contracting or Accept That You Could Sign a Bad Deal

Urgent care operators probably hear the word contracting and think immediately of their dealings with payers. As such, they’re probably most familiar and comfortable with the dynamics of such agreements. What about the host of other legally binding agreements that are part and parcel of any business, though? The Urgent Care Association has engaged Kayla McCann Marty and Justin Knapp of McGuire Woods LLP to lead a webinar on this very topic. Non-Payer Business Contracting: …

Urgent Care Operators Are Taking a Divide-and-Conquer Approach to COVID-19 Demands

Business as usual is no longer an option for healthcare providers, including those who practice urgent care medicine. Whether your practice is seeing an influx of patients concerned that they’ve been infected with COVID-19 or not, it’s likely there are facilities in your area that are struggling under the weight of too many individuals seeking testing or treatment for the virus. A number of urgent care operators have adapted daily practices to meet the ever-changing …

Update: CDC and FDA Confirm Steps Underway to Identify—and Treat—COVID-19

In contrast to premature (and sometimes downright erroneous) mainstream media reports about quick fixes for the COVID-19 pandemic, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have both released reliable information about progress toward corralling the outbreak. First, the FDA has issued an emergency-use authorization for a point-of-care test for emergency use in patients suspected of having COVID-19. The Xpert Xpress SARS-CoV-2 test (Cepheid) is intended for use in high- …

Now Available: JUCM Webinar Flags Key Factors in Identifying COVID-19 in Urgent Care

With advice on COVID-19 seemingly changing several times a day, it’s essential to not let the volume of information overwhelm your ability to take care of your patients. Recognizing that, JUCM convened a webinar to highlight the utility of chest x-rays, among other methods, to help distinguish patients who have COVID-19 from those who merely have similar symptoms. Speakers Ana Echenique, MD, DABR and Michael Weinstock, MD led a discussion on red flags for the …

What the Families First Coronavirus Act Means for Urgent Care Operators and Employees

Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc is Chief Executive Officer of Velocity Urgent Care and is Senior Editor, Practice Management of The Journal of Urgent Care Medicine. Urgent message: The Families First Coronavirus Act creates an obligation for small- and medium-sized businesses to pay employees who take time off work for specified reasons caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Affected employers must be prepared to implement the Act’s leave programs on or before April 2, 2020. Urgent …

Update: Experity Issues New Guidance on Coding for COVID-19 Services

Our collective understanding of COVID-19 changes several times a day—as do procedures to ensure your urgent care operation receives the proper reimbursement for the indispensable services you provide. Just last week Experity released what was then new information on proper coding procedures; it’s outdated already, so the company has issued an update. Review it on the JUCM website to ensure you’ll be compensated fully and as efficiently as possible.

New Data: COVID-19 Has a Median Incubation Period of 5.1 Days

Patients (as well as relatives, neighbors, and acquaintances) have endless questions for urgent care providers about transmission of COVID-19. As the number of cases mounts many are likely to retrace their steps, mentally, to think about whom they’ve been in contact with, and how long ago they may have been around a large group of people. This begs the question, How long do I need to be concerned?, especially if they know someone who has …

HHS Eases Standards on Protected Health Information Amid COVID-19 Chaos

Patient confidentiality is rightly one of the cornerstones of the medical profession. If we want patients to be forthcoming, they need to feel confident that they can be completely open with their providers without their most private information being shared. However, when policies designed to protect patients instead become obstacles to administering care it’s time to take a hard look at those policies. That’s exactly what the Department of Health and Human Services has done …

Updated: Experity Issues Guidance on Optimal Coding for Services Related to COVID-19

COVID-19 has been officially declared a pandemic, and school districts, sporting events, and cultural traditions like St. Patrick’s Day parades are being canceled in order to lower the risk of transmission among large throngs of people. One thing that goes on, however, is the day-to-day operation of the urgent care center—the only difference being that your work is more essential than ever. Secondary to that, of course, is the need to be properly reimbursed for …

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