Lee A. Resnick, MD, FAAFP It’s springtime again, and for us Northerners, that is a welcome sign. It’s time to end months of hibernation holed up in our overly heated homes. It’s time to break out of our winter routine of work, eat, and sleep and welcome in several months of energizing warmth and rejuvenated spirit. At UCA, we use this time of year to re-energize the membership, welcome in new members, and set the …
Read MoreA Field Guide to Evaluating Medical Literature
Lee A. Resnick, MD, FAAFP Urgent care medicine is a rapidly evolving discipline. Out of this evolutionary process, scientific skepticism is naturally born. It is the checks and balances of medicine, ensuring that what is purported to be true, is in fact based on evidence, not speculation. We welcome this inquiry and support the process necessary to lend legitimacy to what has been mere estimation and speculation, thus far, in the development of our discipline. …
Read MoreQuantifying Urgent Care, Defining Our Industry
Lee A. Resnick, MD, FAAFP Have you ever wondered how many urgent care centers there are in the U.S.? So did UCA. Partnering with researchers at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital, UCA has completed the first-ever sampling frame of urgent care centers across the country. Our goal was to produce an objective, scientifically valid assessment of the size of the urgent care industry. Estimates have flown around the industry for years, but until now …
Read MoreThe International Face of Urgent Care
You thought you were alone on an island trying to navigate through the trials of urgent care. You thought you were the only one faced with the clinical and financial challenges. Hopefully, you have discovered the Urgent Care Association (UCA), attended one of the conferences, and shared in the delight of collaborating with colleagues who share your questions, your challenges, and your desire to make a difference one patient at a time. Hopefully, you recognize …
Read MoreDefining Urgent Care
Lee A. Resnick, MD, FAAFP In this issue of JUCM, The Journal of Urgent Care Medicine, we excerpt the landmark report, “No Appointment Needed: The Resurgence of Urgent Care Centers in the United States”. Funded by the California HealthCare Foundation, and authored by Robin M. Weinick, PhD and Renée M. Betancourt, BA, the report represents the first comprehensive look into urgent care practice and the urgent care industry. Everything from business models and staffing to …
Read MoreWhat About Retail Health?
There is plenty of posturing going on within organized medicine with regard to the “retail health” revolution. Concerns have been raised regarding continuity of care, the “corporatization” of medicine, kickbacks to pharmacies, and the quality of care provided by nurse practitioners and physician assistants. American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Medical Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics have all chimed in. Only the AAP has come out consistently opposed to the idea on …
Read MoreLessons Learned
Lee A. Resnick, MD, FAAFP Between sticky ribs and spicy BBQ sauce, I mingled with the future generation of doctors at the annual AAFP Residents and Students Conference in Kansas City. I was reminded of several very important things… I am old I didn’t just finish my residency I need to get a “MySpace” account and learn how to “IM.” In addition to my mini-mid-life crisis, my booth was dead. I was sure there would …
Read MoreIt’s the Journey, Not Just ‘The Win’
Lee A. Resnick, MD, FAAFP Brian Sipe’s “Red Right 88.” John Elway’s “The Drive.” Earnest Byner’s “The Fumble.” Michael Jordan’s “The Shot.” Jose Mesa’s “The Choke.” And now, the Cavs’ and “The Sweep.” You’ve just read an abridged version of the History of Cleveland Sports. For those of you who have no interest in sports, fear not; there’s an analogy in here somewhere. Growing up a Cleveland sports fan has been a roller coaster ride …
Read MoreUCA: A Vision for the Future
Lee A. Resnick, MD, FAAFP The UCA National Conference, held last month in Daytona Beach, FL, was an important milestone in the organizational evolution of UCA: The elections conducted at the meeting marked the second rotation of board seats since our founding in 2004, and the first board election of a new president. It is critical to the success of our organization to have a rotating leadership at the board and officer levels. Our bylaws …
Read MoreThe Road to Recognition
Lee A. Resnick, MD, FAAFP The recent announcement that the American Board of Medical Specialties approved Hospice and Palliative Care as a new subspecialty appears to ring in a new era of subspecialty acceptance. It was once thought that subspecialties found their homes with one sponsor; Cardiology, Gastroenterology, and Pulmonology were all within the realm of Internal Medicine. Pediatrics followed suit with its own versions of these subspecialties. There was no con-joint sponsorship from multiple …
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