Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Recognizing the Role of Medical Assistants in Urgent Care

Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc is Practice Management Editor of The Journal of Urgent Care Medicine and is Chief Executive Officer of Velocity Urgent Care. Urgent message: Each year, the third full week of October is earmarked to celebrate an extremely valuable group of individuals in the urgent care world: medical assistants (MAs). We are in the middle of Medical Assistants Recognition Week for 2019—and Medical Assistants Recognition Day is today, Wednesday, October 23. While the …

Inbound Referral Strategies for Urgent Care

Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc is Chief Executive Officer of Velocity Urgent Care and is Practice Management Editor of The Journal of Urgent Care Medicine. Urgent message: To successfully build patient volume, urgent care operators must ensure that their centers continually develop, nurture, and execute mutually beneficial referral relationships with local PCPs, specialists, and health systems. Among the many reasons hospitals and health systems continue to invest in urgent care is the value urgent care …

Advertised ED Wait Times Negatively Skew Patient Perceptions Regarding Nonemergent Encounters

Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc is Chief Executive Officer of Velocity Urgent Care and is Practice Management Editor of The Journal of Urgent Care Medicine. Urgent message: While hospital emergency departments view the tactic of advertising their “wait times” to the community as a strategic marketing advantage, the skewed perceptions it creates can mislead patients and even put patients’ health at risk. Among the many factors leading to the rise of urgent care has been …

Whether You Fail or Prevail Rests on Your Preparedness for Flu Season—Now

Urgent message: As this year’s flu season arrives, urgent care providers must take stock of their individual capabilities, then develop a comprehensive strategy that addresses employee and patient flu vaccinations, marketing campaigns, competing with retail flu shot providers, and handling the increased seasonal influx of flu patients. Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc is Chief Executive Officer of Velocity Urgent Care and is Practice Management Editor of The Journal of Urgent Care Medicine. The end of …

Employer Liability for Flu Infection

Urgent message: While urgent care centers benefit from exaggerated seasonal demand when a flu epidemic strikes, the risk is that the center’s own employees will get infected by contagious patients, incur medical costs, and lose time from work when they’re needed most. Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc is Chief Executive Officer for Velocity Urgent Care and is Practice Management Editor of The Journal of Urgent Care Medicine. Introduction It’s not uncommon for an urgent care …

Competing for Patients in a Digitally Connected World

Urgent message: In today’s tech-driven, digital-everything society, industry-leading consumer companies all leverage technology to reducing friction—ie, steps, obstacles, and unnecessary effort—in making their products and services fast, convenient, and accessible. The urgent care operation that can align with this growing trend and leverage technology to root out friction will win loyalty and patronage from today’s digitally native healthcare consumer. Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc is Chief Executive Officer of Velocity Urgent Care and is Practice …

Upgrading Your Urgent Care’s Curb Appeal and Interior

Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc is Chief Executive Officer of Velocity Urgent Care and is Practice Management Editor of The Journal of Urgent Care Medicine. Urgent message: As the overall appearance of an urgent care facility remains a competitive differentiator and a key to patient satisfaction, operators must allocate the necessary resources to ensure the appealing exteriors and pristine interiors that drive positive patient experiences. It’s common knowledge that when it comes to walk-in …

How Urgent Care Managers Can Support Their Employees Through the Grieving Process

Urgent message: Everyone will experience some kind of loss in their lifetime; all too often, however, the workplace is ill-equipped to support grieving teammates. While anyone can provide kind words to a grief-stricken relative, friend, or coworker, managers in the urgent care setting have a unique role to fill—as human beings and as leaders. Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc is Chief Executive Officer of Velocity Urgent Care and is Practice Management Editor of The Journal …

Patients vs Consumers—What’s the Correct Term in Urgent Care?

Urgent message: As the debate rages as to whether today’s healthcare recipient should be regarded as a patient or a consumer, urgent care should consider which of the two mindsets will have the greatest positive impact on its care delivery model. Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc is Chief Executive Officer of Velocity Urgent Care and is Practice Management Editor of The Journal of Urgent Care Medicine. The advent of high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) has shifted …

Making Your Urgent Care More Child-Friendly

Urgent message: As urgent care centers look to differentiate themselves in saturated and competitive markets, a concerted effort to make their centers more “kid-friendly” will hold great appeal to the “soccer mom” demographic that represents their primary marketing target. Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc is Chief Executive Officer of Velocity Urgent Care and is Practice Management Editor of The Journal of Urgent Care Medicine. Urgent care experienced rapid growth in its beginning stages partly due …