Case ReportsRecurrent Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in a Patient With Repeated Exposure to Metronidazole: A Case Report
Orthopedic Case ReportUrgent Care Evaluation and Management of Hip Osteoarthritis
ClinicalUrgent Care Evaluation and Management of Spontaneous Pneumothorax
Original ResearchComparing Outcomes for Outpatients Treated With Cephalexin for Uncomplicated Cystitis: Is QID Dosing Necessary?
Practice ManagementRefresher: Guidelines for E/M Coding
Case ReportsRecurrent Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in a Patient With Repeated Exposure to Metronidazole: A Case Report
Urgent Care Evaluation and Management of Spontaneous Pneumothorax
By Ashley Blachford / March 28, 2025
Urgent Message: Spontaneous pneumothorax (PTX) occurs unpredictably. Many patients with spontaneous pneumothorax may initially present to urgent care, so it…
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Orthopedic Case ReportUrgent Care Evaluation and Management of Hip Osteoarthritis
Urgent Care Evaluation and Management of Hip Osteoarthritis
By Ashley Blachford / February 27, 2025
Urgent Message: Osteoarthritis of the hip most commonly affects older adults and those with other risk factors including obesity and…
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ClinicalUrgent Care Evaluation and Management of Spontaneous Pneumothorax
Urgent Care Evaluation and Management of Spontaneous Pneumothorax
By Ashley Blachford / March 28, 2025
Urgent Message: Spontaneous pneumothorax (PTX) occurs unpredictably. Many patients with spontaneous pneumothorax may initially present to urgent care, so it…
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Original ResearchComparing Outcomes for Outpatients Treated With Cephalexin for Uncomplicated Cystitis: Is QID Dosing Necessary?
Comparing Outcomes for Outpatients Treated With Cephalexin for Uncomplicated Cystitis: Is QID Dosing Necessary?
By Ashley Blachford / December 31, 2024
Urgent Message: Patients commonly seek unscheduled care for urinary tract infections (UTIs). Cephalexin is among the most frequently prescribed antibiotics…
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Practice ManagementRefresher: Guidelines for E/M Coding
Refresher: Guidelines for E/M Coding
By Ashley Blachford / March 31, 2025
Phyllis Dobberstein, CPC, CPMA, CPCO, CEMC, CCC Hard to believe that the new evaluation and management (E/M) guidelines have been…
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Urgent Care News
New Oral Antibiotic for UTI May Help Address Drug Resistance
A new oral antibiotic, gepotidacin, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this …
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Measles Outbreak Could Drag on For a Year: Forecast
The surging measles outbreak—now spanning 18 states as of March 20—may continue for about a …
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First-Line Antibiotic Treatment For Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Underutilized
Too few patients are receiving recommended chlamydia and gonorrhea treatment in primary care settings, according …
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‘Med-tail’ Storefronts Complement Urgent Care Sites
In the latest iteration among floundering commercial retail spaces, landlords are courting healthcare tenants to …
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Ohio X-Ray Regulations Shackle Urgent Care Growth
Most of the legislative issues that affect urgent care operations are governed at the state …
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Original Research Articles
Comparing Outcomes for Outpatients Treated With Cephalexin for Uncomplicated Cystitis: Is QID Dosing Necessary?
Urgent Message: Patients commonly seek unscheduled care for urinary tract infections (UTIs). Cephalexin is among …
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Systematic Rapid Review: Efficacy of Hematoma Blocks for Pediatric Forearm Fractures
Shomel Gauznabi, MBChB, FRNZCGP, FRACGP, FRNZCUC, MD; Ivan Koay, MBChB, MRCS, FRNZCUC, MD Urgent Message: …
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Development of a Positive Urinalysis Criteria Using a Machine Learning Approach
Urgent Message: There are no consensus definitions for what defines a “positive” urinalysis in the …
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Development and Implementation of a Headache and Migraine Pathway in Pediatric Urgent Care: A Quality Improvement Initiative
Urgent Message: There are an estimated 250,000 visits annually associated with pediatric headaches in the …
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Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Patients with Chest Pain And Moderate Heart Risk Scores Who Were Referred For An Expedited Outpatient Cardiology Evaluation: A Multi-Center Descriptive Study
Urgent Message: Patients with a moderate-risk HEART score referred from an urgent care center for …
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Clinical Articles

Urgent Care Evaluation and Management of Spontaneous Pneumothorax
Urgent Message: Spontaneous pneumothorax (PTX) occurs unpredictably. Many patients with spontaneous pneumothorax may initially present to urgent care, so it …
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Postpartum Presentations: When Risk Arises After Delivery – Headache
Urgent Message: Both common and serious postpartum conditions may present in urgent care. Headache presentations should prompt consideration for possible …
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Clinical Review of Current Best Practices for Tuberculosis Screening, Testing, and Treatment in the Urgent Care Setting
Urgent Message: Patients may present with needs surrounding tuberculosis (TB) screening, testing, and treatment to urgent care centers. There is …
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Urgent Care Assessment of Patients with Possible Diverticulitis
Urgent Message: Diverticulitis is a prevalent condition characterized by localized inflammation most commonly of the sigmoid colon. It is often …
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Practice Management Articles

State Legislation Could Impact Urgent Care Facilities
Alan Ayers, MBA, MAcc Urgent Message: Legislation for the licensure of urgent care centers has been enacted or proposed in …
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Shorter Visits Drive Greater Patient Satisfaction in Urgent Care
Urgent Message: Urgent care has long marketed itself as providing immediate care for acutely rising conditions, and true to this …
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The Legality of Docking the Pay of Urgent Care Employees
Urgent Message: While legal under circumstances outlined by federal and state law, docking employee pay for violating an employer’s policies …
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Starting an Urgent Care in a New Era
Urgent Message: Today, there are very few market opportunities for urgent care that present no competition, so operators must assess …
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CASE REPORTS
Recurrent Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in a Patient With Repeated Exposure to Metronidazole: A Case Report
Urgent Message: Metronidazole, even during short courses of therapy, can result in disabling neuropsychiatric symptoms. It …
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Hot Water Irrigation to Relieve Discomfort After Wasp and Bee Envenomation: A Case Series
Urgent Message: Hot water irrigation for 2 minutes provided immediate and sustained relief of pain and …
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Death After Delayed Diagnosis of Acute Epiglottitis in an Adult Patient Initially Seen in Urgent Care: A Case Report
Urgent Message: Epiglottitis is a potentially fatal condition that has undergone a changing etiology in the …
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Looking Beyond the Mouth–A Rare Case of Acute Glaucoma Presenting with Dental Pain: A Case Report
Urgent Message: Acute angle closure glaucoma can present with a variety of types of head and …
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A 2-Year-Old Girl With Respiratory Distress And Altered Mental Status: A Case Report
Urgent Message: While children presenting to urgent care centers usually have minor illnesses, attentiveness to vital …
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HEALTH LAW
Changing an Employee from Full-Time to Part-Time Status
Urgent message: Whether due to reduced staffing needs or employee preference, some employees in urgent care …
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Are Urgent Care Providers Liable if They Don’t Test Patients for COVID?
Click Here to download the PDF. Urgent message: As the severity of newer strains of SARS-CoV-2 …
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Who Can Take X-Rays in an Urgent Care Center?
Urgent message: Given that x-ray is a differentiating feature of “urgent care” and the current challenges …
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What Qualifies Someone to Take X-Rays in the Urgent Care Center? It All Depends on Where You’re Located
X-rays are high on the list of services patients expect urgent care centers to provide when …
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Avoiding Defamation Lawsuits in Urgent Care
Urgent message: People are unlikely to trust their healthcare to a provider with a sullied reputation, …
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JUCM CAREER CENTER
- Urgent Care Physician – Allegheny Health Network (AHN) – Erie, PA January 11, 2020
- Physician to join an Accredited Urgent Care Center – Westmed Medical Group – NY January 9, 2020
- $15K Sign-On Bonus - Urgent Care Physician – Main Line HealthCare January 6, 2020
- URGENT CARE PHYSICIANS – HealthPartners - Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN December 20, 2019
- Urgent Care Opportunity w/ Signing bonus – Watson Clinic - Florida, United States December 20, 2019
Download Past Issues
April 2025: Spontaneous Pneumothorax: Important Updates in Diagnosis & Management
CLINICAL CHALLENGES
28-Year-Old With Foot Pain
A 28-year-old woman presents to urgent care after an indoor rock-climbing event. She fell 10 feet from the wall without …
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65-Year-Old With Hypertension
A 65-year-old female with a history of hypertension presents with chest pain and dyspnea for 1 day. She denies fever, …
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36-Year-Old With Hair Loss
A 36-year-old man presents to urgent care with asymptomatic hair loss that developed on multiple sites of his scalp over …
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7-Year-Old With Playground Injury
A 7-year-old boy presents to urgent care with his worried mother after he fell off a swing at daycare. He …
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57-Year-Old with Left Foot Pain
A 57-year-old man presents to the urgent care with a 3-day history of left foot pain and swelling after walking …
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OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE
Does Concentra’s New Acquisition Foreshadow a New Era for UC and Occ Med?
On the surface, it seems like the kind of event that has become commonplace in urgent care: A large, national …
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Update: The COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for Many Businesses Is Off—Again
Just when you thought you had clarity on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s mandate to vaccinate workers at businesses …
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That Vaccine Mandate for Private Businesses That Was Called Off? It’s on Again—and the Clock Is Ticking
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s plan to require employers with 100 or more workers to institute a COVID-19 vaccine …
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Your Occ Med Clients Need Your Support with the New COVID-19 ETS—Immediately
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration just issued an Emergency Temporary Standard intended to protect workers from getting infected with …
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More People Are Trudging Off to Work on Site. Do You Know Who’s at Greatest Risk for COVID-19?
While some employers are content to maintain remote or hybrid work situations for their workers, either because of strong stances …
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Revenue Cycle Management
Refresher: Guidelines for E/M Coding
Phyllis Dobberstein, CPC, CPMA, CPCO, CEMC, CCC Hard to believe that the new evaluation and management (E/M) guidelines have been …
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What’s New in Telemedicine for 2025?
Phyllis Dobberstein, CPC, CPMA, CPCO, CEMC, CCC The American Medical Association (AMA) added a Telemedicine Services category to the Evaluation …
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How ‘Data Reviewed’ Works When Coding E/M
Phyllis Dobberstein, CPC, CPMA, CPCO, CEMC, CCC Three elements determine the level for evaluation and management coding (E/M). “Amount and/or …
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Look Ahead For RCM Success
We are deep into the fourth quarter of 2024, and you are probably preparing for the holidays and wrapping up …
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ICD-10-CM: What’s New for 2025
Phyllis Dobberstein, CPC, CPMA, CPCO, CEMC, CCC We are heading into fall, and fall starts with updates to the ICD-10-CM …
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DEVELOPING DATA
Does Urgent Care Require 7-Day Operations?
While patients and payers may expect urgent care to be available 7-days a week, approximately 20% of urgent care centers …
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Urgent Care Rooftop Growth Slowed
The urgent care industry ended 2024 with a total of 14,356 centers, representing an increase of 392 centers or 2.8% …
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Retail Clinic Rooftops Retreat from 2023 Peak
Between May, 20231 and December, 2024, the number of retail-host clinics in the United States fell 21.7% from 1,750 to …
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Provider Compensation Increasing Since 2022
By comparing 2022 and 2024 hourly compensation data from the Urgent Care Association (UCA) Clinician Compensation Benchmarking Report, data shows …
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Laceration Repairs Decline in Urgent Care
The percentage of urgent care visits involving a laceration procedure increased slightly from 0.75% in 2023 to 0.76% year-to-date in …
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Abstracts in Urgent Care
Abstracts in Urgent Care – April 2025
Evaluating Interventions for Improving Antibiotic Stewardship in Urgent Care Take Home Point: An antibiotic stewardship intervention was associated with reduced …
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Abstracts in Urgent Care – March 2025
Developing Procedural Mastery With Slit Lamp Use Take Home Point: Simulation-based mastery learning (SBML) intervention improved emergency physicians’ confidence in …
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Abstracts in Urgent Care – February 2025
Concussion Recovery in Young Children Take Home Point: This study suggests that children aged 5-12 years old with concussion …
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Abstracts in Urgent Care – January 2025
Hematoma Blocks Effective for Closed Forearm Reduction Take Home Point: Hematoma blocks are an effective method of achieving analgesia to …
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Abstracts in Urgent Care – December 2024
ECG Interpretation: Humans Vs Machines Take Home Point: In this study, cardiologists and emergency physicians (EP) had greater accuracy for …
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The Quality of Urgent Care Depends on our Commitment to HOLA Expertise
At least once a month, a friend or family member will text me—often for the first time in years—to share …
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Managing Health Data Obsessive Disorder Presentation in Urgent Care
In a prior editorial, I described the case of Thomas, a young man among the “worried-well,” who presented to urgent …
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‘Health Data Obsessive Disorder’—A Modern Epidemic
“Low blood sugar” was his chief complaint, but Thomas was in my urgent care (UC) mostly because he was feeling …
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‘As Little as Necessary…’– A Mantra for Urgent Care
“Do as little as necessary, not as much as possible.” This is the mantra I recite throughout every urgent care …
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Our Success in Urgent Care is Defined by How We Play Our ‘Greatest Hits’
Recently one evening, I meandered into a bar on iconic 6th Street in Austin, Texas— America’s epicenter for live music …
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