Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Pediatric Cases of Valley Fever Rising In California

In a 25-year retrospective study of pediatric coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever) at the University of California Los Angeles, researchers found a rise in the number of cases and in the severity of cases, with numbers surging in the past 3 years. Patients were classified to have either: primary coccidioidomycosis, which were patients that were asymptomatic or had localized pulmonary infection; or disseminated coccidioidomycosis, which were patients with a site of extra-pulmonary disease. Among the 81 patient …

AFC Partners With Henry Mayo Newhall in California

AFC Urgent Care has announced a new partnership with the nonprofit Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Santa Clarita, California, for existing AFC clinic locations in Valencia and Canyon Country, according to a press release. With a coordinated model, the urgent care centers can refer patients to the hospital’s care sites for follow-up, specialty visits, or higher levels of care as appropriate. Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital also operates its own branded urgent care center, located on …

California Hep A Outbreak Continues—and Could Last Years

We told you in August about a hepatitis A outbreak that killed eight people in San Diego County, CA. The worse news is that hep A continues to spread throughout California—and could continue to do so for years to come, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions. At least 569 people have been infected, including 17 who have died, since last November in San Diego, Santa Cruz, and Los Angeles counties. They’re among …

Ex-Employee Suspected of Stealing Opioids from California Urgent Care Center

An urgent care center in Atascadero, CA has been robbed of hundreds of Norco (acetaminophen and hydrocodone) capsules, with a market value of more than $10,000—and the prime suspect is a former employee, according to police there. The drugs disappeared over a 2-year period, with the perpetrator altering patient records so it appeared the center needed greater quantities than were ultimately stocked. No arrests have been made, to date, but local police are working with …

Urgent Care Specialties Meld as a Ped Orthopedic Center Prepares to Open in California

We’ve seen pediatric urgent care take root. Orthopedic-oriented urgent care centers continue to flourish. Now the Orthopaedic Institute for Children (OIC) expects a combination of the two will offer patients the best of both worlds, and is set to start construction in Los Angeles on a new pediatric orthopedic urgent care center that will more than double the size of the current ortho trauma wing. In addition to projecting the facility will help OIC keep …

California Looks at $400 Billion (with a B) Single-Payer Bill

Some California legislators are hoping to push through a single-payer healthcare bill that would cost the state an estimated $400 billion—more than the entire national budget of Honduras (and 116 more countries across the globe). If passed, the bill would in effect eliminate health insurance companies there and provide government-funded health coverage for all residents. If it needs to be said, funding the plan would require “significant tax increases,” according to legislative analysts. On the …

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