Access to X-Rays in Urgent Care Is in Jeopardy. What Can You Do?

X-ray services are a key factor that distinguishes urgent care centers from other walk-in healthcare facilities. So, especially in the midst of a shortage of x-ray technologists (RTs) in general, anything that threatens UC’s ability to offer imaging services could without exaggeration be viewed as a threat to the industry’s place in the healthcare system. The most current controversy is going on in Ohio, where the RT lobby is opposing a change in legislation that would enable general x-ray machine operators in urgent care centers. Urgent care providers and operators in the state have mobilized their own resources to counter the opposition, imploring all interested parties to reach out to state legislators to ensure they understand they understand the implications not just for the UC industry, but for patients and other settings (such as overcrowded emergency rooms where some patients may be referred if they can’t get the x-ray they need in urgent care). If you don’t know the regulations in your state—you should. And consult the Advocacy page on the Urgent Care Association website to get a good sense of how the industry is leading to way in legislative issues all over the country.