Ashley Blachford, Author at Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

AI Voice App Helps Optimize Insulin Dosing

When Alexa talks to patients with type 2 diabetes, apparently they listen. A study in JAMA Network Open found patients gained better glycemic control when they engaged with an artificial intelligence (AI) voice app—which was customized by their respective clinicians to help them achieve optimal insulin dosing. App users demonstrated significantly better insulin adherence and glycemic improvement during the 2-month trial. Glycemic control was measured by mean fasting blood glucose, rather than HbA1c. The app …

Ohio County Raises Alarm Over Pediatric Pneumonia Outbreak

Health officials in Ohio are tracking a surge in pediatric pneumonia cases in Warren County, with 145 cases reported in children aged 3 to 14 since August. Although these are considered “typical pediatric pneumonia cases” in terms of severity, the prevalence has led to an unusually high number of hospitalizations, meeting the criteria for an outbreak according to the Ohio Department of Health. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that the national …

Sesame Competes With UC on Doctor’s Notes

Sesame, a virtual and in-person primary care provider with direct-pay pricing, has now added the ubiquitous doctor’s note to its list of services. In the company’s press release, it clearly draws competitive battle lines in the market by calling out urgent care as an option that “is quite expensive” for patients who need to obtain doctor’s notes for work or school. Sesame offers the notes free of charge with paid consultations, which start at $30. …

‘Tripledemic’ Has 35% of Americans on Edge

A survey of 1,559 adults conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania found that 35% of Americans worry that they or someone in their family will get respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in the next 3 months. The same percentage (35%) said they are worried that they or someone in their family will get COVID-19 in the next 3 months, up from 21% in August 2023. Flu concerns are somewhat higher, however, …

Sentara Acquires Velocity Urgent Care

Sentara Health has acquired full ownership of Velocity Urgent Care, according to a press release. The hospital system has been operating Velocity as a joint venture for more than 6 years, and with the acquisition, has plans to open a new location in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, early next year. With nearly 200 employees, the Velocity network of centers currently serves patients in 17 locations in Virginia. The integration aims to enhance patient access and …

NJ Bill Would Require ER Qualifications for UC Clinicians

In late November, New Jersey lawmakers proposed Bill A5731, which amends one of the state’s statutes. The bill would mandate that providers in urgent care centers have degrees and qualifications equal to those required for hospital emergency department providers. The category would encompass all licensed professionals, including physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and nurse practitioners. The bill broadly defines “urgent care facility” as a health center offering episodic, walk-in care for non-life-threatening conditions. If passed, the …

Search Tool Helps Job-Hunting Nurses Find Their Specialty

LinkedIn has launched new features specifically aimed at helping nursing professionals refine job search filters on the social media site so they can find jobs more specific to their licensing and clinical specialties. Nurses can also filter job postings by shift and schedule. By sifting through the many open positions more precisely, LinkedIn aims to make a better match not only for qualifications but also for the preferences of the 3 million job-hunting nurses that …

Optum Draws More Physicians Into Its Ranks

Once a pharmacy benefit management company, Optum has now grown under the UnitedHealth Group umbrella into a multifaceted line of business that brought in $182.8 billion in revenue in 2022. Just this year alone, Optum Health—the care-delivery arm of the enterprise—has added about 20,000 physicians to its ranks, bringing its total physician force to nearly 90,000, according to officials at an investor conference, as reported by Becker’s Hospital Review. Another 40,000 advanced practice providers are …

Staph Bacteria Implicated as the Cause of Itchy Skin

Researchers have uncovered evidence that bacteria can activate nerve cells in the skin and cause the itchy sensation that comes along with several common skin conditions, according to a recent study in Cell. The authors note: “Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterial pathogen associated with itchy skin diseases, directly activates pruriceptor sensory neurons to drive itch.” Their findings could help optimize treatment for inflammatory skin conditions like eczema and dermatitis. A summary of the study in Axios also cites …

Respiratory Triple Threat on Upward Trend

As the flu season gains momentum in the United States, a triple threat of viruses—influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)—is causing concern. Children under age 5 in particular are heavily impacted, and they made up more than 10% of visits for flu-like illnesses the week before Thanksgiving, according to federal data. Pediatric hospital beds were strained across the nation with about 75% in use. Mandy Cohen, MD, director of the Centers for Disease Control …

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