Practice Management
It’s been the contention of the urgent care industry for a long time that patients who do not have truly emergent complaints should not be in the emergency room, where they’re likely to face long waits and incur greater costs than they need to. For those patients, urgent care centers are the more sensible option. Data showing a link between the available of urgent care and reduced ED traffic were slow in coming, but over …
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As you likely know, a gunman opened fire at Northside Family Medicine and Urgent Care in Atlanta this week. One person was killed and several others injured; reportedly, none were workers in the urgent care center. A suspect was arrested after an hours-long manhunt. Multiple media sources suggested that the accused was seeking care in the facility. The New York Timesquoted the alleged perpetrator’s sister as saying her brother is “not mentally stable,” while his …
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Regardless of one’s personal perspective on the move by some states to restrict access to abortions, there is a very real concern that such legislation could ultimately worsen provider shortages. As reported by MedPage Today, new data from the Association of American Medical Colleges show that already-declining numbers of medical-school graduates applying for positions are falling faster in states that have enacted legislation restricting abortions. The dip is especially precipitous in obstetrics and gynecology, as …
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Provider burnout is probably most associated with having too many clinical responsibilities competing for your attention, combined with the ever-present threat of oversights and errors that could harm a patient and ultimately decimate your practice. And while that’s all a significant part of the mix, the COVID-19 pandemic raised the specter that burnout can result from being underactive, as well, according to an article from the American Medical Association. That observation came from Shawn C. …
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If the results of a survey from AMN Healthcare are correct, most nurses currently employed in the hospital setting will be doing something else, or at least nursing somewhere else, within the next year. Of the 18,000 nurses who participated in the research, only 15% said they expect to “continue working as I am” in a year. Much of the blame is being placed on the COVID-19 pandemic; 18% of participants said they’re likely to …
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An after-hours fire that struck St. Peter’s Urgent Care – North in Helena, MT should serve as a wake-up call for any urgent care operators who are unsure whether they’ve taken adequate preventive steps and have a plan in place in case such a disaster does occur. As reported by the Independent Record, the source of the blaze was a lithium battery that caused a printer to overheat. It tripped the alarms and sprinkler system …
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Just a few weeks ago, we told you that the recently discovered COVID-19 variant XBB.1.16 has been reported and increasing in prevalence in at least 18 U.S. states and 22 countries. Now the variant has been dubbed Arcturus, and researchers at the Mayo Clinic report that it has a distinctive effect on individuals who are infected compared with other COVID variants: conjunctivitis. Further, according to the COVID Tracker maintained by the Centers for Disease Control …
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Every urgent care operator wants to see patients return again and again. It means they’re happy with the care they receive, and the economic benefits for the business are obvious. Seeing the same patients return a day or two after a visit with concerns related to their initial complaint is another matter. An article just published in Physicians Weekly reveals insights that could help you predict which kids are most likely to bounce back, however—and …
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The urgent care industry has done a great job of educating the public that UC is an ideal setting for most presentations short of life- or limb-threatening concerns. When the urgent care center is the closest healthcare facility in a dire situation, however, some patients and caregivers are likely to arrive with the hope that your team is prepared. That exact scenario unfolded when a patient experiencing “unbearable” chest pain presented at UConn Health Canton …
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The odds of seeing a car or other vehicle come crashing through the front of your urgent care center are awfully small—until it happens, of course. Imperial Health Urgent Care in Lake Charles, LA was on the receiving end of just such an event recently when a driver apparently shifted their vehicle into “drive” instead of “reverse” and plowed through the front end of the facility. As reported by KPLC 7 News, there were no …
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