bnapolitano, Author at Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Walgreens–McLaren Collaboration Looks to Lure Young Patients to Retail Clinics

When Walgreens takes possession of 14 of McLaren Healthcare’s pharmacies in Michigan, it will be more than a straightforward acquisition of real estate and assets. Rather, the two parties’ businesses will become intertwined to some degree, with McLaren’s opening up retail clinics inside Walgreens stores, and Walgreens appropriating the health system’s prescription files and site pharmacy inventories. One aim, according to industry analysts, is to reach younger consumers who have already illustrated an interest in …

Are You Equipped to Talk Vaccines with Adult Urgent Care Patients?

Financial barriers and difficulty in assessing immunization histories are among the toughest subjects for clinicians to tackle when talking to adult patients about vaccinations, according to a study just published in the The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. The report, which focused on pneumococcal vaccination, noted that over 95% of respondents reported they “routinely” check adult patients’ vaccination status, and 88% said they found the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control …

More Data Show Millennials Prefer Walk-In Settings Like Urgent Care

The largest generational segment in the United States today—the 83 million “Millennials” born between 1981 and 1996—are demonstrating a preference for the convenience of walk-in care facilities compared with an ongoing relationship with a traditional primary care office-based physician, according to new data released by the Kaiser Family Foundation. It’s not just the convenience, though; speed of service, price transparency, and connectivity were also mentioned as key attributes that appealed to them. Of all the …

An 11-Year-Old Boy with Groin Pain After Playing Soccer

The patient is an 11-year-old boy who presents with groin pain following a soccer game yesterday afternoon. View the image taken and consider what your diagnosis and next steps would be.

Think You’re Immune to the Threat of Embezzlement? So Did This Urgent Care Giant

Medical practices—including urgent care centers—are the sites of financial crimes far more often than they should be. From sloppy bookkeeping to outright embezzlement, the consequences of not minding the books closely could be catastrophic for your business and your reputation. Let us interrupt you from thinking It couldn’t happen to me by suggesting that you read on. One of the largest urgent care operators in the country just saw a former manager get sentenced to …

CMS’s 2019 Plan Could Even the Playing Field for Nonhospital Urgent Care Centers

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says it wants to stop paying hospital-based clinics more than they pay physician offices for the same level of care administered to Medicare patients. Calling it a “site-neutral plan for clinic visits,” CMS proposes lowering reimbursements for hospital outpatient departments to match what it pays on the physician fee schedule for clinic visits. According to figures released by CMS, right now Medicare pays roughly $116 for a visit …

Evolving Hep A Transmissions Could Spur More Vaccinations. Why Not in Urgent Care?

An abstract presented at ID Week in Atlanta recently paints a grim picture of the evolution of hepatitis A transmissions. Between 2007 and 2017, the incidence of hepatitis A attributed to outbreaks (as opposed to common-source exposure) increased steadily—to the point that in 2017, 43% of hep A infections were associated with outbreaks, compared with only 5% between 2007 and 2011. In the past, large community outbreaks were most likely to be associated with asymptomatic …

What Urgent Care Can Still Learn from ‘Best-in-Class’ Consumer Companies

In the past, we’ve pointed out that the urgent care industry has forged a reputation for being more consumer-friendly than many other settings (which is a key part for its ongoing growth). As other industries evolve, though, urgent care operators might want to pay attention to new strategies that are paying off. A post on FastCompany.com suggests taking a closer look at Lyft and Airbnb—two companies that have built their brand on a foundation of …

Hospitals Prove Dangerous for Too Many Physicians

Nearly half of the 3,500-plus emergency physicians who took part in a survey commissioned by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) say they’ve been physically assaulted at work. Most deny being injured or needing to take time off as a result. Hitting/slapping, spitting, punching, kicking, scratching, and biting were all considered to be physical assault. The numbers are even worse when you consider nonphysical assaults or harassment; 96% of female physicians and 80% of …

UCA Webinar: How to Manage Risk—and Avoid Malpractice in Urgent Care

No sane human wants to wind up on the wrong end of a lawsuit, but the risk is especially perilous in the healthcare field. Be found culpable in a malpractice suit and you could literally lose everything you’ve worked for, going back to medical school. Unfortunately, the practice of medicine is inherently risky. Susan Boisvert, BSN, MHSA, CPHRM, FASHRM, a senior risk manager with Coverys, will talk about how to walk that tightrope during the …