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Urgent Message: The urgent care industry is pivoting from a phase of rapid footprint expansion to one of sustainable sophistication, driven by the integration of AI, the diversification of high-value services (like behavioral health), and a rigorous focus on operational and financial resilience to meet modern consumer expectations.
Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc is President of Urgent Care Consultants and is Senior Editor of The Journal of Urgent Care Medicine
For the past decade, the prevailing strategy in urgent care was defined by rapid footprint expansion—opening more doors in more markets. However, at the 2026 Urgent Care Centers Congress in Las Vegas, the narrative shifted decisively. The industry is pivoting from “growth at all costs” to a phase of “sustainable sophistication.” The overarching theme, best described as The Intelligent Evolution, emphasizes that future success lies not in simply being bigger, but in being smarter, safer, and more operationally resilient.
The AI Revolution: Operationalizing the “Logistics Mindset”
Artificial Intelligence was the dominant topic, but the conversation moved beyond hype to practical application. Alan Ayers (Urgent Care Consultants) opened with a compelling argument for adopting a “logistics mindset.” He noted that patients now benchmark urgent care against their best digital experiences, such as Amazon or Uber, expecting “frictionless fidelity.” Ayers explained how AI has the potential to automate the “whole visit journey” from intake to discharge.
On the clinical side, David Wood (Kittitas Valley Urgent Care) provided a crucial reality check regarding AI in medicine. While acknowledging tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity as powerful “super-intelligent co-workers,” he emphasized that “human-in-the-loop” governance is non-negotiable. Wood warned of the “trust gap” and the risks of hallucinations, advising that strict policies must ensure providers verify every AI output to maintain the standard of care and mitigate malpractice risks.
Strategic Diversification: Beyond “Flu and Fractures”
With traditional margins compressing, speakers highlighted the necessity of diversifying revenue streams. Katie Nolin (Meridian Health) presented Behavioral Health as a massive $4.2 billion opportunity. She argued that urgent care is uniquely positioned to bridge the gap for the 25% of ER visits involving mental health, provided clinics implement specific risk management protocols and hire specialized staff like licensed clinical social workers.
Brian Tyson (All Valley Urgent Care) expanded on this by advocating for “Population Health Management,” encouraging clinics to become community health partners by offering chronic disease management and wellness screenings. However, diversification comes with risks. Brent Kell (Valley Immediate Care) offered a candid “lessons learned” session. While he successfully integrated occupational health and orthopedics, he cautioned against chasing retail trends like aesthetics, noting that “staying in your lane” is often safer than diluting the brand with execution-heavy niche services.
The Human Element: Workforce as the Engine of Growth
Despite the focus on technology, the congress reinforced that “services don’t scale—people do.” Jodi Leffingwell and Nina Isola (+MEDRITE) championed the concept of “Growth Inside the Model.” They argued that sustainable growth comes from maximizing the value of the existing footprint through better workforce planning and deep community integration, rather than just adding physical locations.
Addressing the high cost of provider turnover, Lisa Bishop (College of Urgent Care Medicine) dismantled the “day-one ready” myth. She presented a strong business case for structured APC fellowships, noting that a rigorous onboarding program can save between $100k–$250k per provider by reducing turnover and accelerating time-to-productivity, ultimately safeguarding against “quality drift”.
Operational Resilience and Safety Culture
In a complex payer environment, financial health and clinical safety are inextricably linked. Keyur Sathe (NiteHawk Pediatric Urgent Care) emphasized that revenue cycle success starts at the front desk, urging a shift from reactive collections to proactive, tech-enabled registration processes to reduce denials. Greg Stock (Thibodaux Regional Health System) reinforced this by calling for a culture of advocacy and flexibility, where data informs smarter staffing models to navigate economic uncertainty.
Finally, Samrah Mansoor (AFC Urgent Care) and Jessica Higginbotham (American Family Care) focused on the bedrock of operations: safety and quality. Mansoor urged Medical Directors to be visible leaders in enforcing a “Zero-Harm Culture,” while Higginbotham introduced the “Triple Aim”—improving patient outcomes, staff satisfaction, and financial performance—through standardized, data-driven benchmarking.
Conclusion
The 2026 Congress made it clear that the urgent care industry is entering a new era. As Ayers summarized, automating a broken process just “makes the mess faster.” The winners of the next decade will be those who master the Intelligent Evolution—leveraging AI to remove friction, diversifying into high-value services like mental health, and investing deeply in the workforce. The goal is no longer just to be the nearest clinic, but the most trusted, efficient, and resilient partner in a patient’s health journey.