Ashley Blachford, Author at Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

American Family Care Names New CEO

This month, Jeremy Morgan was named chief executive oﬃcer of American Family Care (AFC), succeeding Randy Johansen, who has retired. Morgan is the former CEO of a national franchisor organization with 5 brands that grew to nearly 900 locations and $700 million in revenue during his tenure. Additionally, David Prokupek was named to the AFC board of directors as executive chairman. His experience includes previous CEO positions with Ideal Image, Jackson Hewitt, and Smashburger. Outgoing …

Urgent Care Centers Preparing For New Licensing Rules in Massachusetts

Massachusetts enacted a new law this month aimed at healthcare businesses, which includes stricter reporting standards and licensing requirements for urgent care centers. According to National Law Review, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has been granted the authority to develop and enforce the specific licensing criteria for urgent care, which is expected by October 1. Licensed hospitals, hospital affiliates, community health centers, and limited service clinics are exempt from the new licensing requirement, making …

Panel: BMI Isn’t Enough to Determine Obesity

A group of 58 global clinicians has proposed a new way of identifying obesity that does not rely on body mass index (BMI) alone. They believe waist circumference and direct fat measurement should also be figured in, as well as other signs and symptoms of health, according to an online article in Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. Current BMI-based measures of obesity can underestimate or overestimate body fat and health status. The clinician group recommends that …

Pediatric Patients With MIS-C Recover in 6 Months

Kids diagnosed with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) associated with COVID-19 infection recover fully within 6 months after infection, according to research presented in JAMA Pediatrics. Data came from more than 1,200 pediatric patients treated at 32 North American pediatric hospitals from March 2020 to January 2022. MIS-C is concerning because kids with the diagnosis are at risk for cardiovascular complications, meanwhile, the authors found that myocardial involvement occurred in 60.5% of patients studied. …

Teladoc The Latest Virtual Provider to Partner With Amazon

Amazon customers will now be prompted to sign up for Teladoc’s chronic care offerings thanks to a new partnership announced this week between the 2 organizations. Teladoc already has 1 million program participants, and the connection to Amazon will only boost its visibility and market presence. Anyone managing diabetes, hypertension, prediabetes and weight loss can now enroll in virtual care directly through Amazon’s Health Benefits Connector. Just like its agreement with Hinge Health, Talkspace, and …

California Wildfires Present Health Concerns For Thousands of People

As multiple wildfires consumed homes, vehicles, and expansive acreage in Southern California in recent days, thick smoke blanketed the sky, causing health concerns for many in the area. Small particles in the air—which hang around for long periods of time even after the fires are out—can cause respiratory issues and chest pain as well as burning eyes and headaches. Children, elderly people, those with respiratory or heart conditions, and people with compromised immune systems, may …

Removing Medical Debt From Credit Reports Could Create More Bad Debt for Providers

Now in its waning days, the Biden administration has finalized a regulation banning the inclusion of medical debt in American consumers’ credit reports. The rule would erase $49 billion in medical debts from the credit reports of about 15 million Americans, according to Reuters. The Consumer Data Industry Association and Cornerstone Credit Union League immediately filed a lawsuit against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to prevent the law from taking effect. While excluding medical …

Mercy Acquires 10 Urgent Cares in Ohio and Michigan

Mercy Health in northern Ohio has announced plans to expand its network of urgent care centers in the region, according to the Toledo Blade. As part of this expansion, the health system has acquired 10 urgent care centers from privately owned Greater Midwest Urgent Cares. Eight centers are located in Ohio and 2 in southeast Michigan. Officials stated that Mercy aims to invest in new tech infrastructure and medical equipment, and exterior signage will also …

Patient With Severe Case of Bird Flu Dies In Louisiana

A patient who had been hospitalized with a human case of severe avian influenza (H5N1) in the United States has died, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. The patient was over the age of 65 and was also reported to have underlying medical conditions. No additional H5N1 cases nor evidence of person-to-person transmission was reported. The patient contracted H5N1 after exposure to wild birds. As of January 7, 2025, there were 66 human cases …

ACA Sign-Ups Continue to Rise, But Subsidies Expire Soon

A record 24 million people have signed up for insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplaces. However, some observers are questioning the future trend, as the tax credits that provided financial help to millions of enrollees will expire at the end of this year unless Congress passes a new law to extend them. The enhanced subsidies came from the American Rescue Plan Act in 2021 and were extended by the Inflation Reduction Act of …