Ashley Blachford, Author at Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Timely Filing: What Every Practice Needs to Know

Nikki Benedict Timely filing is a critical concept in medical billing that directly impacts claim reimbursement. Despite its importance, the specific requirements and terminology can vary across payer contracts, making it essential for billing teams to understand both the general rules and the payer-specific nuances. When reviewing a payer contract, timely filing requirements may be outlined under the following sections: Providers can find Medicare and Medicaid timely filing requirements by consulting Centers for Medicare & …

Saying Goodbye

My friends, we have come a long way together in the last 5 years! Let me remind you of how far. My first JUCM column in my second term as CEO at the Urgent Care Association (UCA) in July 2020 was an admonishment to us all: We had to come together if we were ever going to create change on a national level. Over the next 5 years, you did precisely that. Through tremendous adversity, …

HbA1c Improves For Those Using AI App That Predicts Glucose Response

An artificial intelligence (AI) tool combined with real-time biometric tracking and human coaching produced significant clinical improvements for adults with type 2 diabetes in a Cleveland Clinic study published in NEJM Catalyst. The intervention delivered personalized nutrition and lifestyle guidance through an AI-powered app that analyzed health data from wearable sensors and devices, which monitored blood glucose, weight, blood pressure, activity, and sleep. App recommendations were then based on predicted glucose responses to meals. The …

11-year-old With Heel Pain While Running

An 11-year-old male presents to urgent care complaining of bilateral heel pain, right worse than left. The patient denies recent trauma and reports experiencing increased pain when running. He has not tried any treatment and denies any history of similar episodes in the past. Physical examination reveals bilateral pes planus and decreased dorsiflexion of the feet with weightbearing lunge against the wall. Pain is elicited with calcaneal compression test. The patient is noted to be …

Pediatric Populations Represent 29% of Urgent Care Patients

Over the 12-month period ending June 15, 2025, 29% of urgent care patients were children and young adults aged 21 years or younger, while 71% were patients aged 22 years or older, according to an exclusive analysis of 35 million patient visits recorded in the Experity EMR. Further, the chart demonstrates the age breakdown of the population of children and young adults who visited urgent care. This analysis omits visits for employer-paid services and workers …

Artificial Intelligence With a Heart: How Front Desk Automation Is Rehumanizing Urgent Care

Saji Rajasekharan Urgent care is no longer the healthcare industry’s understudy or stopgap solution—it’s become a primary point of access for millions. According to Urgent Care Association, more than 200 million visits are made to urgent care centers annually in the United States, reflecting patients’ growing demand for fast, reliable, and accessible care.[1] Patient expectations mirror those of retail: seamless digital check-ins, price transparency, and instant answers. Meeting these demands isn’t a value-add—it’s a strategic …

VillageMD Spun Off Separately in Privately Held Walgreens Sycamore Portfolio

After months of restructuring, Walgreens Boots Alliance is now a private company following its acquisition by private equity firm Sycamore Partners, according to an announcement. Part of the deal includes the majority investment in Village Medical/Village MD’s healthcare offerings. The entire portfolio will now operate as 5 standalone companies: Walgreens; The Boots Group; Shields Health Solutions; CareCentrix; and VillageMD. Each will continue to function independently, retaining their existing brands. The total Sycamore Partners transaction value …

AI: Closing the Gap in Point-of-Care Ultrasound Adoption in Urgent Care

Tatiana Havryliuk, MD Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has become a cornerstone of emergency medicine, yet its uptake in urgent care has been slow. Despite the emergence of affordable handheld ultrasound devices, many urgent care clinics have yet to integrate POCUS into routine practice. The common barriers to adoption include limited provider competence, the cost of devices, archiving solutions, and training, as well as a lack of administrative resources to support a high-quality POCUS program. The growing …

80-Year-Old With Substernal Chest Pain

An 80-year-old male with hypertension and hyperlipidemia presents to urgent care for 1 day of sharp, substernal chest pain radiating to his right arm with associated shortness of breath and diaphoresis. His wife notes that he is often nonadherent with his medications. 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.

Saying Hello

It’s an incredible honor to be writing this column as the new CEO of the Urgent Care Association (UCA). I’ve long admired the work of this organization, and over the past several years, I’ve had the privilege of engaging with many of you as a colleague, advocate, and fellow believer in the value Urgent Care brings to healthcare. Stepping into this role feels less like a new beginning and more like a full-circle moment—one that …

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