As a young discipline and industry, urgent care relies heavily on its organizational leaders to advance the political, academic, and developmental agendas that are in the best interest of their constituents. These leaders represent the face and voice of their members on the national stage. Needless to say, we cannot become dependent on the work and vision of a few to dictate the direction and activity of the whole. Member engagement and participation are paramount …
Read MoreWho’s Steering This Ship?
Lee A. Resnick, MD, FAAFP As a young discipline and industry, urgent care relies heavily on its organizational leaders to advance the political, academic, and developmental agendas that are in the best interest of their constituents. These leaders represent the face and voice of their members on the national stage. Needless to say, we cannot become dependent on the work and vision of a few to dictate the direction and activity of the whole. Member …
Read MorePrimary Care Physicians…the New Middle Class?
Lee A. Resnick, MD, FAAFP With all the renewed talk of tax hikes on the “rich” to pay for everything from healthcare to job creation, I can’t help but see the with anger over how we define rich in this country. The top tax rate targets incomes of $150,000-$200,000. This despite a rapidly growing “ultrarich” class that consists of earners between $1 million and untold billions. Now millionaires and billionaires pay less as a percentage …
Read MoreTo Board or Not to Board…That Is the Question!
Lee A. Resnick, MD, FAAFP With the announcement of the Board of Certification in Urgent Care Medicine (BCUCM), an American Board of Physician Specialists (ABPS) member board, the urgent care community is abuzz about its meaning, value, and importance for specialty recognition of the discipline and professional identity for its physician practitioners. Some believe the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is the only body with the authority to anoint specialty certification and provide board …
Read MoreOur Infected Food Chain: Lessons from Groundhog Day
Lee A. Resnick, MD, FAAFP An E. coli outbreak, believed to have originated from a crop of bean sprouts in Northern Germany, has killed at least 36 people across Europe. Watching the public health “crisis” unfold, I can’t help but think of the 1993 comedy “Groundhog Day.” Phil Connors (Bill Murray), an egotistical meteorologist from Pittsburgh tasked with covering the annual Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, finds himself caught in a time warp in which …
Read MoreIn Appreciation…
Lee A. Resnick, MD, FAAFP JUCM, The Journal of Urgent Care Medicine, is approaching its fifth year of publication (a feat not without reason for celebration). In an environment of tremendous financial pressures, increasing scrutiny, and decreasing ad revenues, medical publishing is confronting significant challenges. JUCMis not immune. Most casual readers remain unaware of the challenges behind the scenes. It is, perhaps, no concern of theirs. But that does not mean the efforts should go …
Read MoreMedical Histories in the Digital Age
Lee A. Resnick, MD, FAAFP “Single?” “Married”? Or, “It’s complicated?” In an era of revealing your relationship status to millions of strangers, we have grown accustomed to people sharing “TMI” about themselves. How might this affect the doctor-patient relationship of a new generation? Are younger patients more likely to share important information with their physicians, where older generations are less forthcoming? Is there a silver lining to this comfort with exposing one’s personal information for …
Read MoreA New Era for Urgent Care
Lee A. Resnick, MD, FAAFP Spring is here. It’s time to shake off the cobwebs of winter and take a fresh look toward the future. With clear eyes, and a little more daylight, our focus is more acute, and our visionary juices start flowing. The Urgent Care Association has always been a forward-thinking organization, trying to be a step ahead in a dynamic healthcare arena. Over the last seven years, UCA membership has grown sharply, …
Read MoreHealthcare Laws vs. Newton’s Laws
Lee A. Resnick, MD, FAAFP Newton’s Third Law: “To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction.” Medicine applies Newton’s Third Law liberally, from physiology to pharmacology; negative feedback loops, down-regulation, compensatory states, and medication side effects all follow its principles. The body, as we well know, is inclined to homeostasis, and any upset to this balance is met with resistance and dysfunction. Unfortunately, well-meaning healthcare regulators, policymakers—and, yes, even fellow physicians—have ignored …
Read MoreA Crisis in Quality? Lessons from History
Lee A. Resnick, MD, FAAFP If history repeats itself, then we just may be in big trouble. Many of us remember the doc-in-the-box days of the early 80s, when the first urgent care boom occurred. There was a wild proliferation of urgent care centers, driven mostly by physician entrepreneurs looking to make a quick buck. By 1985, in excess of 3,000 centers dotted the country. The following decade brought significant contraction within the industry, before …
Read More