StuWilli, Author at Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Guidelines Push for More Patients to Receive Shingles Vaccinations

Patients in the 50- to 59-year-old age range should receive vaccination against shingles, according to the latest recommendation from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). That guidance accompanied a rare—and nearly evenly split—nod to one vaccine over another. In an 8-7 vote, ACIP recommended the recently approved Shingrix (GlaxoSmithKline) over Zostavex (Merck). Both vaccines are FDA-approved for use in patients 50 and over, but ACIP recommends Zostavex only in patients over the age of …

Telemedicine Enables Faster Testing for Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure

OSHA says employers have to evaluate for bloodborne pathogens immediately following possible exposure via needle-stick or specific eye, mouth, other mucous membrane, nonintact skin, or parenteral contact with blood. “Immediate” can be tricky on the jobsite or for first responders and clinical personnel, however, so U.S. HealthWorks is trying to facilitate faster access through a new telemedicine program. The company has an app that facilitates access at any time, any day and includes comprehensive medical …

Las Vegas Takes a New Approach to 911 Calls—Will Urgent Care Benefit?

Las Vegas is the latest municipality to recognize that not all 911 calls require response with a fully equipped ambulance and EMS crew. As part of a new pilot program by the Las Vegas Fire and Rescue Department, 911 operators are being trained to identify which calls really do require a full emergency response, and which could be transferred to a specially trained nurse who can guide the patient to the right level of care—including …

Respirator Fit Exams Breathe New Life into Occ Med Urgent Care Offerings

Urgent Message: Urgent care centers that offer occupational medicine services play an important role in protecting the safety of the nation’s workforce. One such service—offering respiratory fit testing—constitutes an important element of that mission while also creating a distinct revenue stream. To truly maximize the potential of offering this valuable eservice, however, it is important to understand the OSHA regulations, secure proper equipment, and assure staff is properly trained to conduct respirator fit tests. Alan …

Market Forecast Shows Ongoing Growth of the Urgent Care Industry

The steady growth of the urgent care industry in the U.S. should continue for at least the next several years, according to a new market forecast from TMR Research. The growing proportion of the elderly population, the rise of chronic diseases that require occasional immediate attention, and increasing investment from both public and private parties will be primary drivers, according to the report. It defines urgent care centers as “walk-in or no appointment healthcare centers …

Amazon is Licensed as a Wholesale Pharmacy Distributor in a Dozen States

Though they’ll need to acquire additional licensure before they can start shipping prescription drugs to customers, Amazon has been licensed as a wholesale pharmacy distributor in 12 states. Regulators in Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Idaho, Louisiana, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, and Tennessee have all given their blessing. Obviously, this has raised conjecture that the virtual retail giant has big plans to make a name for itself in healthcare delivery. Analysts say …

AFC Will Support Vets and Public Health on Veterans Day

National urgent care operator American Family Care (AFC) is going to offer free flu shots to Americans who have served in the military this Veterans Day (Saturday, November 11). It’s actually taking a page from the military’s own book, as the U.S. armed services was the first body to initiate an influenza vaccination policy back in the 1940s. The Veterans Day effort goes beyond a feel-good publicity campaign, owing to the fact that veterans tend …

Rising Positive Drug Tests Are Affecting Hiring Practices in Michigan

Michigan companies can’t fill jobs because too many people can’t pass a drug test, screams a headline reposted to Crain’s Detroit Business from Bridge Magazine. It’s not just idle chatter, either; the article under that headline quotes data from Quest Diagnostics’ Drug Testing Index, as well as workplace experts and state officials in Michigan. The problem may be especially acute in Traverse City, MI, but for reasons that would be applicable to any number of …

November 2017

Expect Changes to Drug Panels in Response to Opioid Crisis

The unabated epidemic of opioid and synthetic opioid addiction has moved President Trump to declare it a national public health emergency. It’s also moving occupational health providers, including some urgent care operators, to look at updating the drug screens they give as part of their pre-employment examinations. Tennessee Occupational Health, for one, reports that as much as 80% of positive drug tests they see show evidence of opiates. As recently as 5 years, ago, marijuana …