Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Recognizing and Managing Adrenal Crisis in Urgent Care: A Case Report

Urgent Message: Adrenal crisis is uncommon in the urgent care setting, but it can be rapidly fatal if diagnosis is missed. Early administration of hydrocortisone and fluid resuscitation with correction of electrolyte abnormalities are essential to reduce mortality. Clayton R. Halford, PA-C Keywords: adrenal crisis; adrenal insufficiency; Addison disease; hypoglycemia; hyperkalemia; pediatric endocrine emergency Abstract Introduction: Adrenal (Addisonian) crisis is a rare but life-threatening endocrine emergency that can present to urgent care with nonspecific symptoms. …

The Impact of an Urgent Care Point-of-Care Ultrasound Program on Patient Transfers to the Emergency Department

Urgent Message: Training urgent care providers to use point-of-care ultrasound resulted in fewer patient transfers to the emergency department for soft tissue/musculoskeletal and first-trimester pregnancy complaints, while also streamlining care in this single-center program. Keywords: point-of-care ultrasound; urgent care; emergency department transfer; soft tissue infection; musculoskeletal complaints; first-trimester pregnancy Lindsey E. Fish, MD, FCUCM; Genie Roosevelt, MD; Amanda G. Toney, MD Abstract Introduction: The use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is expanding into multiple clinical areas …

The Next Chapter: From Alternative to Essential

As I continue to meet with operators, clinicians, policymakers, employers, and healthcare leaders, I continue to hear many of the same challenges: reimbursement challenges, rising healthcare costs, workforce shortages, limited access to primary care, and growing pressure on emergency departments. At the same time, I’m hearing something else: growing recognition of the important role Urgent Care plays in addressing these challenges. For years, Urgent Care was often viewed as an alternative, a convenient option when …

Onboarding and Credentialing Challenges for Urgent Care in Today’s Payer Environment

Kim Hardin Urgent care organizations continue to face growing operational pressure as payer requirements become increasingly complex. Among the most significant challenges impacting revenue cycle performance today are provider onboarding and credentialing delays. In an environment where staffing shortages, payer consolidation, and administrative burden continue to rise, efficient credentialing has become critical to financial stability and patient access. Credentialing is the process of verifying a provider’s qualifications, licenses, education, training, malpractice history, and eligibility to …

The Anatomy of a 1-Star vs 5-Star Google Review

While many urgent care operators measure their overall Google ratings—focusing staff on capturing as many “5-stars” as possible—few understand the specific staff behaviors and patient experience that drive positive and negative reviews. To identify the differences, Urgent Care Consultants analyzed the content of 3.1 million Google reviews across 3,665 urgent care centers. The table breaks down the specific themes driving positive and negative experiences. A positive gap indicates a theme more prevalent in 5-star reviews, …

Quantifying the Front Door: A Blueprint for Tracking Urgent Care Downstream Referrals and ROI

Urgent Message: Health systems must reframe urgent care from a low-margin cost center to a strategic front door that drives significant returns by utilizing technology to track and maximize “keepage”—the retention of high-value downstream referrals that otherwise leak out of the network. Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc Keywords: urgent care; referral management; downstream revenue; health system strategy; patient retention; return on investment Urgent care is no longer just an access point; it is the strategic …

63-Year-Old Female With Growth on Scalp

A 63-year-old woman visits urgent care with the chief complaint of an asymptomatic scabby growth on her scalp that developed 10 months prior and is gradually getting larger. The patient has no systemic symptoms and is otherwise well. She has a history of working as a welder in a metal fabrication plant for the past 35 years. On dermatological examination, an eroded and crusted plaque is seen on the frontal scalp. A punch biopsy reveals …

Calling All Clinicians to Join the Colleges

With great excitement—and in full disclosure—I am writing this as the newly elected President of the College of Urgent Care Medicine (CUCM) and Urgent Care College of Physicians (UCCOP). It is truly a pleasure to have been elected during the most recent Urgent Care Conference this past April in Chicago, and I look forward to leading these organizations for the next 2 years. Now I am calling all urgent care clinicians—nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants/associates …

Abstracts in Urgent Care – July-August 2026

Pediatric Antibiotic Prescribing: In-Person Vs Telemedicine Take Home Point: Telemedicine integrated within primary care was associated with more judicious antibiotic prescribing without increased follow-up visits or inappropriate antibiotic use. Primary care telemedicine may improve access to care while supporting antibiotic stewardship efforts. Citation: Ray K, Wittman S, Kelly M, et al. Primary Care Telemedicine vs In-Person Antibiotic Prescribing for Pediatric Respiratory Tract Infections. JAMA Netw Open. 2026;9(5):e2610062. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.10062. Relevance: Acute respiratory illness (ARI) is a …

86-Year-Old With Palpitations

An 86-year-old male presents to urgent care with intermittent palpitations for the past several days. He says he has a history of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.An ECG is obtained. View the ECG and consider what your diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the next page.

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