Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Abstracts in Urgent Care – October 2025

Cannabis Use and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Adults Take Home Point: This study suggests that cannabis use has a strong, statistically significant association with adverse cardiovascular outcomes independent of tobacco use. Citation: Jeffers A, Glantz S, Byers A, et. al. Association of Cannabis Use With Cardiovascular Outcomes Among US Adults. J Am Heart Assoc. 2024 5;13(5):e030178. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.123.030178 Relevance: Animal studies have previously shown endothelial cell dysfunction, a precursor to endovascular disease, occurs with cannabis use. …

Credit Card on File Speeds Collections, Decreases Bad Debt

The credit-card-on-file practice requires a patient’s credit card at the time of service, which is used to cover balances after an insurance claim adjudicates. In addition to increasing total collections, charging the card on file also enables an urgent care to capture payments more quickly than time-consuming and costly collection efforts, such as mailing statements. In an Experity analysis of 392,699 comparable Blue Cross Blue Shield urgent care visits in 2024, 80% of patient responsibility …

Harbor Health Buys 32 VillageMD Clinics From Walgreens Portfolio

Harbor Health, a startup primary-care and specialty group that also offers individual and employer health plans, announced it is acquiring 32 clinics from VillageMD, which is now in the middle of a breakup as part of the $10 billion acquisition of Walgreens by Sycamore Partners. Some of the acquired VillageMD locations include those within Walgreens stores. Harbor Health grew from 3 clinic locations in 2022 to 11 clinics most recently, including 3 that offer extended …

Rural Network Strategy Includes Urgent Care

Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC) this week acquired RMS Healthcare Management’s Med First Primary & Urgent Care, a portfolio company of private equity firm Sverica Capital Management. Founded in 2007, Med First operates a hybrid model for both primary care and urgent care services, and it’s also one of the frontrunners in risk-based accountable care in the North Carolina market. The acquisition by CCNC is unique because Med First represents a private-equity-backed platform operating …

Campaign Increases Urgent Care Adherence to 5-Day Antibiotic Prescribing

In a quasi-experimental study involving 2 Denver Health urgent care centers, an antibiotic stewardship program known as the Take 5 Campaign increased the rates of adherence to a recommended 5-day antibiotic prescribing duration, according to a new study published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. “Antibiotic stewardship in urgent care is critical,” says Lindsey E. Fish, MD, study author and Editor in Chief of JUCM. “While many programs focus on decreasing inappropriate antibiotic prescribing, ensuring the …

FDA Warns More Kids Are Getting Sick From Exposure To Nicotine Pouches

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning clinicians and parents about the potential health risks of nicotine pouches, especially those that do not have child-resistant packaging. Reports of accidental exposures to nicotine pouches have increased with some cases leading to nicotine poisoning, and according to FDA, children can experience toxic effects after exposure to as little as 1-4 milligrams of nicotine. Symptoms can include confusion, vomiting, and loss of consciousness. In a statement, the …

High-Pressure Paint Gun Finger Injury: A Case Report

Urgent Message: While the initial clinical presentation of a high-pressure paint gun injury may not elicit concern, it is truly high-risk and requires emergent recognition and surgical intervention. Key words: High-Pressure Injection Injury, Paint Gun Injury, Finger Trauma, Pyogenic Tenosynovitis, Occupational Injury, Subcutaneous Paint Infiltration, Finger Compartment Syndrome, Finger Emergency Abstract Introduction: High-pressure injection injuries of the hand are rare but represent true surgical emergencies. Despite often appearing deceptively mild on initial presentation, these injuries …

Saying Goodbye

My friends, we have come a long way together in the last 5 years! Let me remind you of how far. My first JUCM column in my second term as CEO at the Urgent Care Association (UCA) in July 2020 was an admonishment to us all: We had to come together if we were ever going to create change on a national level. Over the next 5 years, you did precisely that. Through tremendous adversity, …

Pediatric Populations Represent 29% of Urgent Care Patients

Over the 12-month period ending June 15, 2025, 29% of urgent care patients were children and young adults aged 21 years or younger, while 71% were patients aged 22 years or older, according to an exclusive analysis of 35 million patient visits recorded in the Experity EMR. Further, the chart demonstrates the age breakdown of the population of children and young adults who visited urgent care. This analysis omits visits for employer-paid services and workers …

Artificial Intelligence With a Heart: How Front Desk Automation Is Rehumanizing Urgent Care

Saji Rajasekharan Urgent care is no longer the healthcare industry’s understudy or stopgap solution—it’s become a primary point of access for millions. According to Urgent Care Association, more than 200 million visits are made to urgent care centers annually in the United States, reflecting patients’ growing demand for fast, reliable, and accessible care.[1] Patient expectations mirror those of retail: seamless digital check-ins, price transparency, and instant answers. Meeting these demands isn’t a value-add—it’s a strategic …

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