Practice Management
Urgent message: After location, how to pay for an urgent care site is crucial to your success. Here’s how to think it through. MICHAEL ZELNIK, CCIM Once you’ve found the right location for your next urgent care (see An Urgent Care Site That Maximizes Revenue, JUCM, September 2011), your focus can turn to analyzing the risks and benefits of leasing or purchasing property in the trade area you’ve identified. This analysis should be more than …
Read MoreThese data from the 2010 Urgent Care Benchmarking Survey are based on responses of 1,691 US urgent care centers; 32% were UCA members. The survey was limited to “full-fledged urgent care center” accepting walk-ins during all hours of operation; having a licensed provider and x-ray and lab equipment onsite; the ability to administer IV fluids and perform minor procedures; and having minimal business hours of seven days per week, four hours per day. In this …
Read MoreDAVID STERN, MD (Practice Velocity) Q. What is the appropriate administration code for a Medicare patient who receives influenza, Pneumovax, and tetanus vaccinations? What are the proper administration codes for the same patient if he/she receives a tetanus and flu shot? Name Withheld A. For Medicare: Influenza vaccine administration is G0008 Pneumovax administration is G0009 Tetanus vaccine administration is 90471 Q. If you perform an annual Medicare wellness exam, can you bill for additional services …
Read MoreJohn Shufeldt, MD, JD, MBA, FACEP In last month’s column, I presented an overview of capital sources that can be used to fund your urgent care start-up or expansion. This month I will discuss the different sources of debt and equity capital. Much of the decision regarding which capital source is best for you is determined by your stage of development. For a startup, you will probably have to use traditional bank debt or raise …
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Urgent message: Using interpreters in the urgent care setting can help you provide quality healthcare and save time and money. Bruce Merley Imagine that it is late Friday night and you and a nurse are the last remaining staff on duty at your urgent care center. A couple arrives and the woman appears to have several facial cuts and bruises. When you greet them, the man responds in a language you do not understand. You …
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Urgent message: More and more urgent care clinics are wrestling with whether to offer digital or conventional x-rays. In this article, Registered Technologist Trip Hale offers expert advice on how to make the decision. Trip Hale, RT, (R) Introduction For today’s urgent care clinics, imaging is an internal part of providing complete diagnostic and treatment services. Because reimbursement for diagnostic studies is lower for physician-owned than for hospital or outpatient imaging facilities, a well-planned and …
Read MoreThese data from the 2010 Urgent Care Benchmarking Survey are based on responses of 1,691 US urgent care centers; 32% were UCA members. The survey was limited to “full-fledged urgent care centers” accepting walk-ins during all hours of operation; having a licensed provider and x-ray and lab equipment onsite; the ability to administer IV fluids and perform minor procedures; and having minimal business hours of seven days per week, four hours per day. In this …
Read MoreJOHN SHUFELDT, MD, JD, MBA, FACEP You’ve researched the industry, have a site picked out, and have a name reserved. Now comes the million dollar question. Wait, that is the question: Where do I get a million dollars to start an urgent care? Do you really need a million? My noncommittal “attorney answer” is: “possibly.” I have had friends lose a lot more than that before being forced to close the doors. That said, you …
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Urgent message: Registration specialists, medical assistants, and techs may be your lowest-paid employees, but the success of your urgent care is in their hands—and their success is in yours. ALAN A. AYERS, MBA, MAcc, Experity Urgent care is a service business whose long-term viability depends on patient loyalty and word of mouth. That’s why urgent care entrepreneurs spend tens of thousands of dollars in selecting the right locations, equipping them with the latest technology, and …
Read MoreThese data from the 2010 Urgent Care Benchmarking Survey are based on responses of 1,691 US urgent care centers; 32% were UCA members. The survey was limited to “full-fledged urgent care centers” accepting walk-ins during all hours of operation; having a licensed provider and x-ray and lab equipment onsite; the ability to administer IV fluids and perform minor procedures; and having minimal business hours of seven days per week, four hours per day. In this …
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