Harris Fleming, Author at Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

AMA Is Concerned About the Physician Shortage—and Says Urgent Care Is Part of the Solution

A recent post to the American Medical Association’s website acknowledges that the looming physician shortage could be very problematic for patients who already have a hard time managing diabetes, hypertension, and other chronic health concerns with the help of their primary care team. The solution, the piece suggests, is greater use of “team-based care” that would include PCPs, specialists, and nonphysician clinicians (eg, nurses and pharmacists), as well as nonclinicians. The choice of settings in …

The Next Move in Amazon’s Healthcare Path Is to Take a Step Back

JUCM News readers are aware that Amazon has tried many times, in many ways, over many years to chisel out a piece of the U.S. healthcare marketplace. Most recently, we told you that they opted to spend $3.9 billion to buy One Medical—a departure from Amazon’s brand recognition as a giant in the online marketplace given that One Medical has 125 brick-and-mortar locations. Now, according to a report from CNBC, they’ve taken another step away …

‘Crumbling’ and ‘Fragile’: Physicians Have Spoken on the Perceived State of Primary Care

The axiom physician heal thyself might be better applied to the state of primary care medicine, if the results of a survey conducted by the Primary Care Collaborative and the Larry A. Green Center are any indication. Based on responses from 847 physicians in 49 states, it’s not a pretty picture for providers or patients. Asked to assess the state of primary care in general, 46% chose the word “crumbling” while approximately 40% said they …

It’s Time to Revisit What We Know About Monkeypox Symptoms and Transmission

For months now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been reminding clinicians of the telltale signs of monkeypox: flu-like symptoms, large pustules on the skin…. However, The New York Times reports public health officials have found that while those symptoms do occur commonly in patients ultimately diagnosed with the virus, some patients have smaller lesions that resemble mosquito bites or ingrown hairs. Others never develop a rash at all. And some experience confusion, …

Angry Citizens Are Harassing Hospitals Over Care for Transgender Youth. Can Urgent Care Help?

A newly published report from Becker’s Hospital Review reveals that at least one healthcare facility in Washington, DC has been the recipient of angry phone calls and social media posts due to either misinformation or disinformation concerning the care it provides to transgender young people. The controversy is based on a recording posted to the Twitter account of an activist group, in which two Children’s National hospital telephone operators discuss the notion that the staff …

CDC: The Pandemic Isn’t Over, but It’s Time to Move On (Sort of). What Can We Expect Next?

While being very specific in stating that the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that it has been reduced to a level that should allow most Americans to “move up to a point where COVID-19 no longer severely disrupts our daily lives.” The statement from Dr. Gretta Massetti, chief field epidemiologist for the CDC, combined with a relaxation of isolation guidance has been perceived in the mainstream media as indicating …

Masks Are a Must in Protecting Your Team Against COVID—but Not Just Any Mask Will Do

Though as a country we’re in far better shape in regard to COVID-19 than we’ve been in a very long time, risk of infection remains a serious concern in healthcare practices. While masking has been accepted as an essential component in lowering risk, research just published by JAMA Network Open reveals there’s a marked difference in risk for infection among healthcare workers who wear one type of mask vs another. According to an observational study …

Tinnitus Is a Bigger Concern Than Previously Thought. Should You Be Asking About It Proactively?

Thinking in the abstract about which complaints occur most frequently in your practice, it’s unlikely that tinnitus would come to mind as readily as, say, migraine or pain. New research published by JAMA Network suggests maybe it should, though. After a systemic review of published research around the world, the authors report an overall global prevalence of 14.4%, with the likelihood of experiencing tinnitus increasing with age. They propose that their findings may be surprising …

Healthcare Can Be a Dangerous Work Environment—and Too Often the Threat Is from a Coworker

Irate, distraught, or possibly impaired patients and close relations have been known to lash out at the very people trying to render care in high-stress situations in hospitals and urgent care centers. That’s never ok, obviously, but of even greater concern is how often healthcare workers are subjected to violence or other forms of abuse from their own colleagues. According to a report recently published by Medscape, 44% of physicians say they’ve witnessed other providers …

Will Diversification of Properties Become ‘a Thing’ for Urgent Care Owner Portfolios?

The portrait of an urgent care owner continues to evolve along with the diverse services offered at the clinic level, with private equity and venture capitalist buyers taking to heart the notion that diversity is key when putting together an investment portfolio. The most recent example: The Aspen Group, which recently acquired Physicians Immediate Care in Chicago and owns 180 urgent care centers in the Northeast and Midwest U.S., just bought AZPetVet, an Arizona company …