Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Florence May Have Left Town, but Related Health Concerns Linger

Hurricane Florence came and went, with most national media claiming that the Carolinas got off relatively easy compared with the disaster that could have ensued. While that’s small comfort to those who lost loved ones or property, to be sure, the fact is that urgent care centers still have work to do to help local patients in the region. Just days ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a Clinical Guidance urging clinicians …

NERUCA Calls on Stakeholders to Fight New Jersey Bill that Would Curb Urgent Care Growth

Fresh off a successful effort to stop a Massachusetts bill that would have imposed a tax on all urgent care charges, the North East Regional Urgent Care Association (NERUCA) is calling on urgent care providers, operators, and industry advocates to make their voices heard to fight a similarly onerous proposed bill in New Jersey. If passed by state legislators, Assembly Bill A4443 would, NERUCA warns, require annual licensure of urgent care centers; exclude urgent care …

UCA Webinar: Lower Costs and Increase Quality by Minimizing Staff Turnover

When a valued employee leaves your organization of their own free will, it costs your business money—at least 16% of the annual salary of that position, according to some surveys. First, you need to spend money recruiting, and then you lose efficiency while the new hire gets oriented. All the while, you have to start wondering who’s going to jump ship next. Or, you can do your best to ensure you keep the staff you …

New Study Shows Too Many Unsupported Opioid Prescriptions

A new study just published in the Annals of Internal Medicine reveals that almost 30% of opioids prescribed in clinics and physicians’ office in the U.S. are written without a documented reason. Over 66% of the almost 809 million prescriptions written during outpatient visits over a 10-year period were for noncancer pain; just 5.1% were for cancer-related pain. There was no indication of pain or pain-related diagnoses for the other 28.5%. The lead author of …

Spectrum Health Expands the Role of Medical Assistants—and Eliminates Urgent Care RNs

It’s been the belief of some urgent care operators and thought leaders that medical assistants are perfectly capable of handling many of the tasks registered nurses usually manage, at a lower cost to the operation’s payroll. Spectrum Health is now banking on it, as they’ve announced that RNs are being completely phased out of their clinics, with medical assistants picking up the majority of the work the RNs have been doing. The Grand Rapids, MI-based …

Free JUCM Webinar Explores the Viability—and Profitability—of Ultrasound n Urgent Care

The Journal of Urgent Care Medicine’s Innovators in Urgent Care webinar series will roll on with a new installment on Thursday, October 4 at 2 PM, Eastern, when Fabrizia Faustinella, MD, PhD, FACP hosts a discussion on how offering ultrasound imaging services can bolster your overall clinical care—and keep more patients in-house when they need that service. Dr. Faustinella is an associate professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Baylor College of …

Carefully Consider—and Communicate—Payment Policies

You can save yourself major headaches—and maybe even a lot of bad press—by ensuring the payment terms your urgent care operation accepts are well known to your patients. Ensuring your staff knows how to communicate clearly and compassionately with people who come to your locations for care will go a long way toward keeping the peace even when conflicts occur, too. That message may arrive a little too late for one Massachusetts urgent care center, …

Urgent Care and Other Healthcare Organizations Are Stepping Up to Help Storm Victims

People will continue to get sick, and probably stand a greater chance of being injured, during times of extreme weather like Hurricane Florence. Healthcare organizations in areas expecting to be affected are already getting the word out that they’ll be available to help those who need medical care. UNC Health Care, a North Carolina medical network, is one of them; they’re waving their $49 fee for online urgent care services during the storm period. Free …

Hurricane Florence Is Already Here—Will You Be Ready When Disaster Strikes Your Area?

Predictions for widespread destruction of property and threats to human life are everywhere as Hurricane Florence takes aim at the southeastern coast of the United States, with North Carolina and South Carolina expected to take the biggest hit. Unfortunately, according to a new survey released by DrFirst, many healthcare organizations say they lack confidence in their own disaster preparedness. And it’s not because they think they’re immune; 68% of respondents from acute, ambulatory, hospice, and …

Could High-Dose Acetaminophen Be a Good Alternative to Opioids for Acute Pain?

In trying to fight the ongoing, nationwide opioid crisis, researchers are working to find new options that will ease patients’ pain without putting them at risk for addiction. The most recent effort was a study, published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, of adult emergency room patients who were given either 1 mg intravenous hydromorphone or 1 g intravenous acetaminophen for acute pain. The primary outcome of this prospective, randomized, clinical trial was between-group difference …

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