Practice

Just in time for the Thanksgiving break, incidence of COVID-19 is creeping up again in many areas within the United States. While that’s probably not surprising, given the ongoing relaxation of masking rules and slow uptake of vaccination among children, it is alarming when one considers that families and friend groups who passed on large group celebrations last year are gearing up to mass together for turkey day next week. According to data published by …

Patients can get flu shots—and now, COVID-19 vaccines—in a lot of locations other than your urgent care center. And certainly providing a couple of vaccines is not going to be a significant revenue stream. However, with so many people still in need of both, encouraging as many of them as possible to receive both vaccines could be viewed as a public service—and one that could help introduce you to countless families who could become long-term …

Low awareness of potentially lifesaving preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV may be leaving Black, Hispanic, and Latino patients at a disproportionate risk for illness and death compared with other patient populations according to an analysis of National HIV Prevention Program Monitoring and Evaluation data published recently by JAMA Network. Hispanic and Latino people make up 18% of the U.S. population but accounted for 29% of new U.S. HIV diagnoses between 2015 and 2019. Black Americans …

Even though rising COVID-19 vaccination rates are helping to slow the spread and severity of the virus, a lot of patients are still putting off care that could help them reduce their risk for serious health consequences. According to a new report from NPR and Harvard University, as aired on Houston Public Radio, as many as one in five American families continue to delay care for everything from routine treatments to serious illness. Seeing as …

A mom brings her son to an urgent care center because she’s concerned he could have a sinus infection. It would be the quintessential urgent care presentation that resolved successfully in minutes—if it didn’t become a public relations nightmare for the operator and staff instead. The problem began with what one of the nurses referred to as the facility’s “policy” to not treat patients who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19, and the fact that …

Federal government-imposed travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic are getting both looser and tighter at the same time. Gone is the ban on incoming travelers from 33 other countries—provided those visitors are fully vaccinated. At the same time, however, the new regulations make it harder for unvaccinated American citizens to reenter the country. Whereas previously they could get on a U.S.-bound plane if they could show proof of a negative test within 3 days …

News that COVID-19 cases and related deaths are falling in some parts of the country coincides with fall festival season—meaning more of your prospective patients are going to be milling around blocked-off Main Street perusing crafts and sipping on apple cider. With the pandemic still simmering, however, such community events are also a timely opportunity to offer not only COVID-19 vaccine, but also flu shots. Consensus is that we dodged a “twindemic” last year largely …

The fact that COVID-19 cases in adults continue to occur in great numbers—and (mainly unvaccinated) patients continue to die—may overshadow the fact that the rate of new cases nationally is dropping. As of October 6, according to data collected by The New York Times from state and local health agencies, new daily cases are now at their lowest point since August 6 of this year. This has led Scott Gottlieb, former head of the Food …

Scrubs? Traditional white coat (with a dress shirt and tie for men or a blouse and a skirt for women, or more casual)? How about a polo with your facility’s logo emblazoned on the chest? It’s not just a matter of what you’re comfortable wearing, or your employer’s dress code. Patients get definite perceptions of the care they’re about to receive based on your sartorial choices—to the extent that they may trust you more or …

Vaccination and taking responsible safety measures have done much to reduce risk for infection with COVID-19, and probably done just as much to ease anxiety over getting sick with the virus. Even if a patient doesn’t come within a mile of an infected person, though, it’s getting more likely that the pandemic will have an adverse effect on their healthcare and on your ability to run a smooth operation. According to a report from Reuters, …