Unpaid Medical Bills Will Remain Part of Consumer Credit Reports

Unpaid Medical Bills Will Remain Part of Consumer Credit Reports

A federal judge has overturned a previous Biden administration rule that would have removed about $49 billion in medical debt from consumers’ credit reports. The rule until now had been caught up in court battles. Even so, last year, the 3 major credit bureaus voluntarily said they would exclude medical debts under $500 from their reporting. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) estimated that if implemented, the rule could have erased medical debt from the …

Read More
GoHealth Urgent Care Inks Joint Venture With Community Health Network

GoHealth Urgent Care Inks Joint Venture With Community Health Network

GoHealth Urgent Care has announced another health system joint venture, this time with Community Health Network in central Indiana. As part of the deal, 6 existing Community MedCheck urgent care centers will transition later this year to the Community-GoHealth Urgent Care brand, according to a press release. Future growth through new rooftops is also part of the long-term strategy. Earlier this month, GoHealth announced a similar joint venture for 81 UPMC centers in Pennsylvania and …

Read More
Smart Ring With AI Model Predicts Viral Respiratory Infection 

Smart Ring With AI Model Predicts Viral Respiratory Infection 

It seems that artificial intelligence (AI) models can detect early acute systemic inflammation in response to viral respiratory tract infections (VRTIs) through biometric data collected from wearable devices, according to a small study published in Lancet Digital Health. In the prospective study, 55 healthy adults aged 18–59 years were monitored before and after receiving a live attenuated influenza vaccine, which simulated real-world infection. Participants continuously wore a smart ring, smart watch, and smart shirt, which …

Read More
Pay For Urgent Care Physicians Grows the Most, Although Still Low on the List 

Pay For Urgent Care Physicians Grows the Most, Although Still Low on the List 

A new analysis examining survey data from 37,000 physicians across all healthcare specialties found the average physician reported a 3.7% increase in pay, following a nearly 6% increase from the same survey just a year ago, conducted by physician-networking platform Doximity. The perpetual gender gap—in which women physicians are paid significantly less than their male counterparts—shows no sign of catching up. In this year’s survey, there is a 26% gap between women and men after …

Read More
GoHealth, UPMC Joint Venture Cuts Ribbons on Rebranded Centers

GoHealth, UPMC Joint Venture Cuts Ribbons on Rebranded Centers

Following their announcement last fall to enter into a joint venture, GoHealth Urgent Care and UPMC health system have now cut the ribbons on a number of rebranded centers in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, bringing their network of urgent cares to a total of 81 centers across the 2 states. The partnership marked the initial entry of GoHealth in the western Pennsylvania market, and as part of the deal, UPMC’s existing urgent care centers were …

Read More
UCA Names Steve Sellars As New CEO 

UCA Names Steve Sellars As New CEO 

Since the announcement in early 2024 anticipating the retirement of CEO Lou Ellen Horwitz, the Urgent Care Association (UCA) and its board of directors have engaged in a national candidate search and succession planning to lead the association going forward. This week, UCA named Steve Sellars as its new CEO. Well known by industry stakeholders, Sellars brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in urgent care to the table. He previously served as CEO …

Read More
Flu Vaccines Now Making Their Way To Providers, Pharmacies 

Flu Vaccines Now Making Their Way To Providers, Pharmacies 

Several pharmaceutical manufacturers have announced the start of their outgoing shipments of influenza vaccines to healthcare providers and pharmacies in preparation for the 2025-2026 flu season, including GSK, CSL Seqirus, and Sanofi, according to a post by CIDRAP. Historically, every spring, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee meets to recommend which flu strains to include in the seasonal vaccine—recommendations that allow manufacturers to begin production. At the same time, the Centers for Disease …

Read More
AM/PM Urgent Care Creates Joint Venture With Englewood Health

AM/PM Urgent Care Creates Joint Venture With Englewood Health

A new joint venture combines a hospital system in New Jersey with an urgent care network, creating AM/PM Urgent Care with Englewood Health. Established in 2013, AM/PM Walk-in Urgent Care is owned by CEO Wesley Thek, MD. Its partner, Englewood Health, has 100 locations, delivering inpatient and outpatient care. The combined entity serves 2 counties in New Jersey with 8 urgent care centers as well as virtual care. Over time, the plan is to expand …

Read More
Private Equity Investment In Urgent Care, By Number Of Centers, 2025

Private Equity Investment In Urgent Care, By Number Of Centers, 2025

Fifteen years after the initial private equity platform investments in NextCare, FastMed, and MD Now, the number of urgent care rooftops backed by private equity has grown to 18% of the nation’s 14,423 urgent care centers, as of May 12, 2025. The total number of urgent care rooftops with private equity investment grew by 11% from 2,359 last reported by JUCM in April 2024 to today’s 2,622. Much of this growth has occurred organically and …

Read More
42-Year-Old With Facial Injury

42-Year-Old With Facial Injury

A 42-year-old man presents to urgent care on a Sunday afternoon. He explains that he was playing a game of pick-up football in his neighborhood and suffered a rough kick to the face from another player. His nose is swollen, and he’s clearly in pain. An x-ray is ordered to capture a lateral view of the nasal bones. Review the image and consider what your diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case …

Read More
Log In