Practice Management
New provisional data shows 2024 was the third consecutive year of declines in the combined total number of cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The overall trend shows a 9% decline from the previous year’s case numbers. Even with that positive news, there were still more than 2.2 million reported sexually transmitted infections in 2024, and overall cases are 13% higher than a decade ago. Most …
Read More
As of September 30, 2025, there have been a total of 1,324 human cases of West Nile virus reported in 42 states this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This compares with 1,791 cases for all of 2024, but it’s far below the 9,862 cases reported in 2003—the highest incidence across the past 25 years. Colorado has been particularly hard hit with 235 cases and 12 deaths this year, according …
Read More
Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc My artificial intelligence (AI) awakening wasn’t a lightning bolt but a slow current—a series of small jolts. I kept encountering people who seemingly talked about AI all the time—fluent in the lingo and referred to by others as “AI gurus.” From their conversations, it was clear they were putting AI into real operations—analyzing data, streamlining tasks, even building custom AI tools and agents. But it was still as if they …
Read More
The last influenza season (2024–2025) was categorized as high-severity with more cases and hospitalizations than the previous 14 years. New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is also showing 109 rare cases of pediatric influenza-associated encephalopathy (IAE) occurred last year as well. Overall, 74% of IAE patients were admitted to an intensive care unit, and 19% died. Only 16% of vaccine-eligible IAE patients had received the 2024–2025 flu vaccine. Of the …
Read More
Over the last few months, I’ve had the privilege of spending time with Lou Ellen Horwitz, my predecessor and now past CEO of the Urgent Care Association (UCA), as part of my onboarding. She’s been generous with her knowledge and perspective, helping me understand the many administrative details that keep UCA and our affiliates running smoothly. That investment of time has been invaluable, and I’m grateful for her continued support during this transition. At the …
Read More
Urgent Message: While the evaluation of a chief complaint is a priority in urgent care, recognition of chronic disease progression is also critical. Eliana H. Kim, DO; Aaron J. Maki, MD, PhD Key Words: Anemia, Iron Deficiency, Down Syndrome, Trisomy 21, Transfusion, Strep Throat, Case Report Abstract Introduction: Often the chief complaint is the primary focus of urgent care visits. However, it is important to consider other aspects of the patient’s health, especially in pediatric …
Read More
Tricia Krueger, CPC, is RCM Coding Supervisor for Experity. ICD-10 has been ever changing since it was first adopted 10 years ago. Each year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) revise, add, and delete diagnoses to better suit the conditions, including the conditions that present in urgent care centers. These changes reflect advances in clinical understanding and the need for more precise documentation in fast-paced care settings. While ICD-10 changes can happen semi-annually, …
Read More
Cannabis Use and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Adults Take Home Point: This study suggests that cannabis use has a strong, statistically significant association with adverse cardiovascular outcomes independent of tobacco use. Citation: Jeffers A, Glantz S, Byers A, et. al. Association of Cannabis Use With Cardiovascular Outcomes Among US Adults. J Am Heart Assoc. 2024 5;13(5):e030178. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.123.030178 Relevance: Animal studies have previously shown endothelial cell dysfunction, a precursor to endovascular disease, occurs with cannabis use. …
Read More
A 60-year-old male presents to urgent care with progressive dyspnea for 2 weeks associated with lower extremity edema. The patient is afebrile and slightly tachypneic with rales at the bilateral bases. An ECG is obtained. View the ECG and consider what your diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the next page.
Read More
A 28-year-old female presents to urgent care with mild left lower quadrant (LLQ) abdominal pain that began earlier in the day. The discomfort is dull, intermittent, and non-radiating. She denies vaginal bleeding, fever, nausea, vomiting, or urinary symptoms. Her last menstrual period was approximately 2 months ago, although she reports a history of irregular cycles. She appears well and is hemodynamically stable. An abdominal exam reveals mild LLQ tenderness without rebound or guarding. A pelvic …
Read More