Practice Management
Urgent Message: Urgent care centers are not required to deliver the “best possible care” but rather an “acceptable” level of care, which is legally defined as the “standard of care.” Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc Key Words: Standard of Care, Medical Malpractice, Medical Negligence, Legal Compliance, Disciplinary Action Medical malpractice occurs when a physician’s actions, or failure to act, during patient care don’t meet accepted medical standards and cause harm to the patient. To be …
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Phyllis Dobberstein, CPC, CPMA, CPCO, CEMC, CCC Revenue cycle management (RCM) may not be the most glamorous part of urgent care, but it is one of the most critical. A clinic can provide excellent patient care, yet still struggle to keep its doors open if its billing processes falter. Too often, urgent care leaders rely on assumptions, outdated practices, or incomplete data that lead to financial surprises and lost revenue. Running an effective Revenue Cycle …
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Urgent Message: As shortness of breath and edema are common in pregnancy, urgent care clinicians must distinguish patients with normal physiologic changes from those with emergent conditions like venous thromboembolism, hypertension, eclampsia, and cardiomyopathy. John Ramos, MMS, PA-C, CAQ-EM Key Words: Ambulatory Care; Differential Diagnosis; Dyspnea; Pregnancy Complications; Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular Abstract Background: Physiologic changes in pregnancy contribute to shortness of breath and edema. However, these symptoms can also be caused by serious etiologies including …
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Urgent Message: In adolescents presenting with persistent chest pain and systemic symptoms, clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for autoimmune etiologies such as systemic lupus erythematosus causing pericardial and pleural effusions. Asra Usmani, MBBS, MD; Ali Baidoun, MD; Aaron Mahoney, DO; Megan Sikkema, DO Key Words: Pericardial Effusion, Pleural Effusion, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Chest Pain, Adolescent Abstract Introduction: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune condition that can affect multiple organ systems. …
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A 21-year-old male with no significant past medical history presents to urgent care with a 3-week history of progressive cough, night sweats, dyspnea, and chest discomfort. He denies sore throat, rhinorrhea, sinus congestion, hemoptysis, weight loss, wheezing, tobacco use, or illicit drug use. On examination, vital signs are within normal limits. The patient appears well and not in acute distress. Lung auscultation was clear bilaterally, and the remainder of the initial physical exam is unremarkable. …
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Urgent Message: Patients frequently utilize urgent care centers for testing and treatment of sexually transmitted infections. All clinicians can be a first line defense to control the spread and combat the current epidemic. Alexandra Faraj, PA-S; Nadesha Muniz, MS Ed, PA-C Key Words: Sexually Transmitted Infections; Chlamydia; Gonorrhea; Syphilis; Expedited Partner Therapy; Urgent Care Abstract The rise in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States is a major public health concern. Patients frequently utilize …
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Validation of Clinical Predictive Rules in Pediatric Testicular Torsion Take Home Point: In this study, the Testicular Emergency Score for Torsion (TEST) identifies a larger group of patients at low risk for testicular torsion suitable for safe management without Doppler ultrasound compared to the other clinical validation scores. Citation: Valdivieso-Castro M, Vázquez-Gómez L, Olabarri M, et. al. Clinical Prediction Rules for Identifying Children With Testicular Torsion: A Multicenter Prospective Study. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2025 Aug …
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As of August 12, 2025, there are 726 orthopedic urgent care (OUC) rooftops in the United States, according to National Urgent Care Realty and Urgent Care Consultants. Based on centers added since January 1, 2025, the estimated annual rooftop growth for 2025 is 10.9%. The charts highlight the market’s structure: Most sites operate without hospital affiliation, and OUC is largely a scaled, multisite business rather than single-location clinics. Only 9% of OUC rooftops are single …
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A 60-year-old female presents to urgent care with palpitations that started abruptly 1 hour prior to arrival. She denies recent illness or cardiac history. An ECG is ordered. 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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A 16-year-old male presents to urgent care accompanied by his father due to acute onset of fever, abdominal pain, fatigue, altered mental status, and a lower-extremity rash. Symptoms began earlier the same day. The patient denies recent upper respiratory symptoms, medication use, travel, or trauma. On physical examination, he appears acutely ill and febrile to 103.1°F (39.5°C). Neurologic assessment reveals altered mental status. Dermatologic exam shows retiform, violaceous purpuric plaques with maroon borders on both …
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