Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Urgent Care Centers Could Become Safe Haven For Surrendered Newborns in PA

In Pennsylvania, the state senate approved legislation to expand its safe haven laws, allowing urgent care (UC) clinics to serve as locations where parents can surrender unharmed newborns. Many states have safe haven laws that include drop off points at hospitals and healthcare facilities, but Pennsylvania would be only the second to name UC clinics specifically. Minnesota is the only other state that specifies “urgent care” rather than just “health facility.” However, in Minnesota, the …

UNC Opens Separate Campus Clinic For Test-and-Treat

On the campus of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, a walk-in health clinic operated by Campus Health opened just in time for a new school year. Open 9AM to 4:30PM Monday through Friday, students can access care at the “mini” clinic for mild illness, injury or infection for $30 per visit. Another separate clinic on the campus offers same-day care for more acute concerns, primary care, gynecology, and sports medicine with points of access to …

One Medical Partners With Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic has created a partnership with Amazon’s One Medical to bring new primary care clinics to northeast Ohio. The first clinic will open in 2025 with plans for future expansion, according to a press release. One Medical has membership-based services with a targeted focus on employer groups, now covering employee populations for about 10,000 employers. It provides same-day appointments and virtual care to members with a $199 annual fee (or $99 for Amazon Prime …

ED Boarding Costs Hospitals Twice as Much as Inpatient Care

Emergency department (ED) boarding has negative financial implications, according to a study in the Annals of Emergency Medicine. Researchers considered observational data for acute stroke patients admitted between January and February 2022 and found that the daily cost of ED boarding was nearly twice that of daily inpatient costs, even before considering the opportunity cost of keeping an ED bed occupied. For example, the total daily cost per patient with acute stroke who experienced ED …

California Health Workers Start Seeing Bump in Pay

In California, many healthcare workers will start earning a minimum of $18 an hour in their paychecks, while those at some larger health organizations will begin getting paid at least $23 an hour this week. A law signed last year was set to increase workers’ pay over the next decade starting in June, but the start date was delayed until this week because of budget concerns. A new $25 hourly rate will gradually go into …

After Helene, Ballad Health Opens 24 Hour UC to Close Gaps

Ballad Health announced the opening of a 24-hour Advanced Urgent Care clinic in Erwin, Tennessee, to address access issues after flooding overtook a local hospital during Hurricane Helene, according to WJHL. On September 27, more than 50 workers and patients fled to the roof of Unicoi County Hospital for an emergency evaluation where first-responder rescue helicopters transported everyone to safety as flood waters encroached on the building. Since then, the hospital has been closed indefinitely. …

AFC Adds 3 Urgent Medcare Locations to its Portfolio

American Family Care (AFC), has acquired 3 Urgent Medcare locations, previously owned by CRH Healthcare. The newly acquired clinics are located in greater Huntsville, Alabama. AFC plans to complete the openings of more than 40 new urgent care, primary care, and occupational medicine locations this year, following the openings of 64 rooftops in 17 states last year, according to a press release. In all, the company has 370 locations. CRH Healthcare has 85 locations in …

High Dose Stimulants Present Elevated Risk for Mania

A recent study of adult emergency department (ED) admissions published in Psychiatry Online found that patients taking high doses of prescription amphetamine drugs such as Adderall (>30 mg dextroamphetamine equivalents) have a 5.28-fold increased risk for developing psychosis or mania. Researchers compared 1,374 cases of individuals presenting with first-episode psychosis or mania to 2,748 control patients with a psychiatric hospitalization for other conditions. Data analysis suggests that 81% of cases of psychosis or mania potentially …

More Markets Will Feature 24-Hour Urgent Care Clinics

UMC Health System opened a new 24-hour urgent care (UC) in Lubbock, Texas, this month, and it’s a strong indicator of where growth trends may lead in 2025. While the UC market in general has gravitated to an 8AM to 8PM schedule, more extended-hours sites are emerging. Staffing remains the biggest challenge in this case, according to Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc, President of Urgent Care Consultants and Senior Editor of The Journal of Urgent …

ASD Services Fit With Existing UC Business Models

Urgent Message: Rapid growth in the autism spectrum disorder services (ASD) sector may present an expansion opportunity for urgent care operators who take the initiative to develop the necessary infrastructure. Citation: Ayers A. ASD Services Fit With Existing UC Business Models, J Urgent Care Med. 2024; 19 (1): 33-36 As the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continues to rise—now affecting 1 in 36 children in the United States—demand for accessible services is greater than …

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