Published on
Steve Sellars
February always seems to arrive with a sense of motion. The year is no longer “new,” plans begin to take shape, and the work ahead becomes clearer. For Urgent Care, that momentum feels especially meaningful right now.
During the first week of February, the Urgent Care Association (UCA) convened leaders from across the country in Washington, D.C., for our 2026 Capitol Hill Advocacy Day. It was a powerful reminder of what happens when we come together, prepared, united, and confident in our story.
Our leaders participated in meetings on Capitol Hill to show what Urgent Care means in real life – the families we help after hours, the patients who avoid unnecessary emergency department visits, the employers who depend on us, and the communities that count on us. We weren’t there to complain, but to contribute. Our message was clear: Urgent Care is essential to everyday healthcare.
Our voice, grounded in data, quality outcomes, access, and experience must shape policies that protect and strengthen our model. Advocacy is not theoretical; it’s practical and essential to the future of our field. For those of us who participated, that day on Capitol Hill didn’t feel like “politics.” It felt like stewardship.
One theme that continues to surface in our member conversations is that Urgent Care thrives when we stay connected to the larger industry. Engagement at the industry level is not a distraction, it strengthens our work. By learning together, sharing openly, and collaborating on challenges like workforce shortages, reimbursement, and regulatory pressures, we drive innovation and avoid solving problems in isolation.
That is why I am especially excited about what’s coming next—a convention you truly shouldn’t miss! Registration is now open for the 2026 Urgent Care Convention, taking place April 11–14 at the Historic Hilton Chicago, and I genuinely believe this is a “can’t miss” gathering for anyone connected to our field.
No other area of healthcare has transformed access like Urgent Care and there’s no better place to see that progress than at this convention. Discover emerging best practices, evolving care models, regulatory updates, workforce strategies, technology innovations, and policy trends. Connect with operators, clinicians, vendors, and innovators who often engage in conversation as you encounter them in the hallways.
The relationships built here are destined to last. They guide strategy, open doors, and make us better. UCA is one of the few places where you can:
- Collaborate with others facing the same pressures you face
- Stay ahead of market trends
- Turn insight into real operational change
Showing up doesn’t just benefit your organization, it strengthens the entire field.
I’ve had the privilege of working on the payer side and within large health systems. I’ve seen different corners of healthcare up close. But my affiliation with UCA and this community has truly been the highlight of my professional life in healthcare administration.
The purpose, practicality, innovation, and heart of this community, the drive to roll up sleeves, solve problems, and keep patients at the center remind me every day that Urgent Care is not just filling gaps, it’s reshaping access to care.
As we move through 2026, our focus remains on advocacy, data, quality, collaboration, and unity. There’s work ahead, but we have momentum, credibility, and a clear vision.
Thank you for what you do every day in exam rooms, at front desks, behind the scenes, and in boardrooms across the country. Your work matters. Your voice matters. And when we stand together, we are stronger, louder, and impossible to ignore.
I look forward to seeing you in Chicago, and to everything we will build together in the months ahead.
