Practice Management
On a recent conference call, Optum notified some employees that its virtual care division will cease operations in July, according to Becker’s Health IT. Optum Virtual Care launched in 2021 and covers all 50 states. At UnitedHealth’s investor conference in November, Optum’s CEO implied that virtual care is a crowded market, and more recently, employees on social media have reported a significant workforce reduction at Optum, ranging from nurse case managers to senior director and …
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Hundreds of nurses in San Francisco voiced their objections to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare during a recent protest, according to Becker’s Hospital Review. For example, some criticized an AI feature within the Epic EHR that determines nurse staffing based on real-time charting. They argued that this method may not accurately or fairly account for their work. Additionally, some nurses raised objections to AI chatbots that interact with patients, which could create …
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Last week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a final rule that would ban nearly all noncompete agreements among for-profit employers and a small subset of nonprofits as well. In healthcare, it represents a significant shift in employment and contractual agreements, allowing clinicians to switch jobs and work for rival providers without limitations. Rules are set to take effect in 4 months. The American Medical Association estimates as many as 45% of physicians work under …
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A 57-year-old man presents to urgent care with progressive dyspnea for 1 month. The patient has a history of unmanaged hypertension. View the ECG captured above and consider what your diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the next page.
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Urgent Message: Undeliverable refunds of patient balances do not become property of the urgent care center, but rather, after effort to contact patients, must be turned over to the state. Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc Citation: Ayers A. What Does Unclaimed Property Mean for Urgent Care Providers? J Urgent Care Med. 2024; 18(8):29-31 Urgent care centers frequently carry patient balances due to overpayment. This happens with co-pays, co-insurance, deductibles, or other out-of-pocket outlays when the …
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Whereas primary care is focused on prevention and management of chronic conditions, urgent care has historically been defined as episodic treatment for non-acute or acutely rising conditions—which are not medical emergencies but generally call for evaluation within 24 hours. As such, it would be expected that urgent care providers would prescribe medications only for the duration of a current infection or until a patient can follow-up with a specialist or primary care physician, for example. …
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Scott Prysi, MD For the last 30 years, Urgent Care centers have been transforming healthcare by moving the patient to the center of care—that means serving patients with urgent medical problems with extended hours and onsite X-ray and lab services when and where they want it. We operated throughout the pandemic when virtually all other healthcare access points closed, and we came out stronger with new relationships with local hospitals and health departments as well …
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Heather Rothermel When considering contracting for your clinic, it will be important to know how you plan to market your clinic and to ensure that you align with the needs of your community. Will you be a primary care practice, an urgent care practice, or a blended practice? Thoroughly analyzing your market and competition should help guide this decision, but there is a bevy of things to consider—everything from contract type, credentialing requirements, reimbursement methodologies, …
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Ivan Koay MBChB, MRCS, FRNZCUC, MD Optimal team dynamics play a key role in productivity and enterprise success. The importance of a well-functioning team is evident every day in urgent care centers (UCCs). Increasingly, rapid turnover of UC staff is becoming normative, and changes in team composition can have significant impact on how well a team functions. Whether from daily shift changes or staff joining or leaving the organization, such changes require adaptations both for …
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Urgent Message: Cerebral venous thrombosis is a serious cause of headache that can present in a variety of manners, including sudden-onset or “thunderclap” fashion. Caroline S. Mifsud, OMS-IV; Jordan L. Jones, OMS-IV; Michael B. Weinstock, MD Citation: Mifsud C, Jones J, Weinstock M. Expanding the Differential of Thunderclap Headache Beyond Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Case Report. J Urgent Care Med. 2024; 18(8):21-24 Key Words: dural sinus thrombosis, cerebral venous thrombosis, headache, thrombophilia, case report Abstract Introduction: …
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