Practice Management
Just over 10% of certified physician assistants (PAs) with a specialty in emergency medicine worked in the urgent care practice setting in 2022, according to the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants in its recent statistical profile of PAs. Here’s the good news: While 10% is a small subset of the PA workforce within the emergency medicine category, it’s a significant jump from the 6.6% who reported working in UC settings in the commission’s …
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Total Access Urgent Care in the St. Louis area has temporarily closed five locations because of staffing shortages, according to Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations Kelly Baynes, as reported by the local Fox News station. Elsewhere in town, 24/7 Urgent Care has also closed two of its locations. Baynes confirmed the Total Access centers will reopen with appropriate staff and told the station the company recently launched an EMT class to attract job seekers to …
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Now open in Atlanta, DriveThru Urgent Care by Viral Solutions promises exactly what its name implies: Patients can receive a selection of care services without leaving their vehicles. According to company officials, Viral Solutions tested nearly 4 million curbside patients for COVID-19 during the pandemic, an activity which laid the groundwork for this drive-through urgent care model, which specializes in testing for and treating seasonal respiratory illnesses. The center is open seven days a week …
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Programs to solve for social determinants of health (SDOH) are emerging across the industry landscape. Through its network of five pediatric urgent care centers in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, area, PM Pediatric Care has launched an SDOH screening program that will assess as many as 300,000 children for risk of food insecurity, housing instability, and childcare concerns. The Amerigroup Texas managed care organization is supporting PM Pediatric Care’s effort with tablet devices and infrastructure to …
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A retrospective study of 45,000 patient records presented in Hypertension found an association between the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the development of hypertension among adults who had no past history of high blood pressure. It’s unknown if the virus could be triggering the development of hypertension or worsening preexisting hypertension, according to the study’s lead author. But the association is significant. Among the records, 21% of those hospitalized with COVID-19 developed high blood pressure. By comparison, only 16% …
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Research presented in JAMA Network Open found that pulse oximeters more commonly overestimated arterial oxygen saturation for Black and Hispanic patients hospitalized with COVID-19 when compared with White patients. Blood oxygen levels were measured with fingertip pulse oximeters, followed by a blood draw. Researchers found Black patients were nearly 50% more likely than White patients to experience undetected low blood-oxygen saturation. Hispanic patients were 18% more likely to experience an issue. The overestimation was associated …
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Click Here to download the article PDF There’s been a lot of deep thinking around here lately. The questions we’ve been pondering have been with us for a long time, but often the answers don’t fully emerge when we want them to. They emerge when the moment is right. And sometimes, it takes new questions, or the same questions asked in a different way at a slightly different time or by a different person, for …
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Urgent message: The treatment of acute otitis media is a common problem throughout healthcare. Many national provider organizations have emphasized the significance of proper diagnosis and treatment is essential for a full, uncomplicated recovery. Jessica M. Crandall, DNP, ARNP-FNP-BC and Misty Schwartz, PhD, RN Citation: Crandall JM, Schwartz M. Improving adherence to clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of acute otitis media in pediatric patients. J Urgent Care Med. 2023;17(11):25-34. Download the article PDF: Improving …
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Urgent message: Nonspecific presentation and time lapsed between injury and presenting to urgent care can delay diagnosis and initiation of proper management in patients ultimately diagnosed with myotendinous rupture of pectoralis major, a relatively rare injury that is becoming more common. E. Casey Anders, Chinedum Nkemakolam, MA, and Lindsay Tjiattas-Saleski, DO Citation: Anders EC, Nkemakolam C, Tjiattas-Saleski L. Myotendinous rupture of pectoralis major: a case report. J Urgent Care Med. 2023;17(11):21-23. Key words: pectoralis major …
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Urgent message: By leveraging grant funding, community-facing services, and a collaborative model with school districts, QUICKmed Urgent Care operates a successful school-based health center model. This innovative approach addresses healthcare gaps in underserved areas and augments the operator’s core business. Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc QUICKmed Urgent Care, based in Youngstown, OH, is a prominent provider in the state’s Northeast region. Its 12 traditional urgent care centers are an important resource for the communities it …
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