Ashley Blachford, Author at Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Stories Speak Louder Than Statistics

After the vivid video of the wrongful death of George Floyd went viral in late May, millions of people of all races in America and abroad took to the streets to demonstrate in the name of solidarity and justice. This was all motivated by one man’s story and, more broadly, was a potent remind of the power of story to capture our attention and provoke action. George Floyd was the most recent widely publicized victim …

Chest X-Ray Findings Among Urgent Care Patients with COVID-19 Are not Affected by Patient Age or Gender: A Retrospective Cohort Study of 636 Ambulatory Patients

Joshua Russell, MD, MSc, FACEP MD; Ana Echenique, MD, DABR; Steven R. Daugherty, PhD; and Michael Weinstock, MD Abstract Background/Objective A prior study of patients presenting to urgent care (UC) centers with COVID-191 showed that only a small proportion of these ambulatory patients demonstrated significant pathology on chest x-ray (CXR). In this secondary analysis of 636 ambulatory patients with confirmed COVID-19 from greater New York City (NYC), our primary objective was to determine whether the …

That’s Not What Happened! How to Deal with Gaslighting in the Workplace

Urgent message: Similar to workplace bullying, sexual harassment, and toxic gossip, gaslighting behaviors result in demoralized workplace cultures, lost business opportunities, and legal liability for urgent care leaders and organizations. Past issues of JUCM have covered the various “axes of workplace evils” including workplace bullying,1 sexual harassment,2 and toxic gossip.3 Not to be mistaken for crude schoolyard behavior, at the heart of these very serious workplace dysfunctions is one person trying to gain an advantage …

What are The Legal Remedies to Stop Cyberstalking of Your Urgent Care Center?

Urgent message: Social media provides a platform in which patients, who perceive they’re relatively anonymous, can bully or harass a business they feel has “slighted” them. To mitigate the cost of lost reputation and labor in countering online vitriol, urgent care operators need to know their rights and remedies for “cyberstalking.” The customer is always right. Typically, this adage reveals itself when the customer isn’t happy. The customer thinks they know what’s best and that their answer …

Abstracts in Urgent Care – July 2020

Hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 Herd Immunity for COVID-19 Treating Minor MSK Pain Primary Care Visit Trends in the U.S. POCUS in Children with Respiratory Illness POCUS in Vision Loss YIJUNG RUSSELL, MD Hydroxychloroquine Not Beneficial in Mild-to-Moderate COVID-19 Infections Contributing author: Lauren Bulgarelli, MD Key Point: Hydroxychloroquine was compared with the standard of care in a randomized trial and was not shown to be associated with a higher probability of negative conversion than the standard of …

Clearing Up the Confusion in COVID-19 Testing

There are so many options available for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing. How do you know what test is best for your urgent care center? The need for virus testing was and still is paramount in the fight against this COVID-19 pandemic. The American Medical Association introduced new Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code 87635, “Infectious agent detection by nucleic acid (DNA or RNA); severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Coronavirus disease [COVID-19)], amplified probe …

A 67-Year-Old Male with Shoulder and Neck Pain

The patient is a 67-year-old man who presents with pain in his right shoulder and posterior right neck pain that he says radiates to his right arm. He reports that he first noted the pain “a few months ago” and is seeking care now because it has become more severe and “constant.” View the image taken and consider what the diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the next …

A 47-Year-Old Male with Knee Pain and Swelling After a Fall

The patient is a 47-year-old male who presents to urgent care with a painful, swollen right knee after crashing into a tree while trail biking through the woods. He is unable to bear weight on the leg due to the discomfort. View the x-ray and consider what the diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the next page.

Utility of POCUS in Skin and Soft Tissue Infection

Urgent message: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), just starting to become more prevalent in the urgent care setting, facilitates improved diagnostic and interventional clinical decision-making by aiding the clinician in discerning between cellulitis, abscess, or both. Chelsea M. Burgin, MD FAAFP and Dustin S. Morrow, MD FACEP INTRODUCTION Each year in the United States around 14 million patient encounters present with skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs). A detailed history and focused exam differentiate between cellulitis and/or …

A 20-Year-Old Female with an Array of Gastro Symptoms

The patient is a 20-year-old female who presents to urgent care with 2 days of nausea, vomiting, crampy abdominal pain, and inability to tolerate anything PO. Her personal medical history is remarkable for type I diabetes mellitus. View the ECG and consider what the diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the next page.