Practice Management
Urgent care centers might be wise to follow the lead of the many nonhealthcare businesses that have recognized the value of ensuring that lesbian, gay, bi, trans, questioning (LGBTQ) consumers are welcomed and treated appropriately. Many have invested heavily in marketing and advertising that gets that message across, in fact. Aside from the ethics of ensuring that all patients are treated with dignity, respect, and the appropriate care, a survey by Community Marketing shows that …
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While convenient access to quality, affordable care has been the defining characteristic of the urgent care setting from its inception, the growth of the industry has been fueled by constant innovation and responsiveness to the evolving needs and preferences of the patient. Today, that includes on-the-spot lab testing. Languishing for hours in a hospital waiting area is a miserable prospect when patients are feeling ill, so they’re likely to choose an urgent care center over …
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Urgent care has continued to grow based on its attributes of improving patients’ care experience at a lower cost than the emergency room, and by contributing to healthier populations—a triad of goals referred to as “triple aim.” Maintaining that growth may depend on outpacing other settings’ ability to change with the times. Twenty years since its inception—coinciding with urgent care’s own growth trajectory—telehealth may prove to be an invaluable tool in accomplishing that. One operator …
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Righttime Medical Care has developed a program within its urgent care practice for assessing patients, often young athletes, for concussion. Called HeadFirst Sports Injury and Concussion Care, it boasts clinical staff trained in FDA-approved baseline tests. As with any new idea, however, the challenge is making sure the people who need your services know you’re there. Righttime hit upon the right idea when they linked their own promotional efforts to the Brain Injury Association of …
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CareNow, a division of Hospital Corporation of America operating 26 centers in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, has a membership program for patients without insurance. It appeals particularly to patients with high-deductible health plans who will be responsible, out of pocket, for the costs of their urgent care visits and thus choose to not use their insurance. CareNow charges $18/month for the membership and $68 for sick visits with the membership. Complex procedures, such as incision & …
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The mainstream media love to remind the public (ie, your prospective patients) that flu season is still in full swing. That being the case, why shouldn’t one of your physicians be the talking head assuring patients that all will be well if they do the right thing? When WJRT in Flint, MI did its most recent report on school districts’ efforts to fight influenza, Peter Stoyanoff, MD was there on screen, talking about what he …
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Patients visiting Lanier Urgent Care in Gainesville, GA are asked the usual questions upon arrival—plus one that’s very atypical: You wanna see the dogs? According to the centers practice administrator, 90% of patients answer “Yes!” to that question. Lanier has a pair of canines on site every day, though one of them will likely be departing to spend time in Lanier’s soon-to-open second location. Dr. Ronald Perry, president of Lanier, says the dogs have a …
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Total Access Urgent Care in Missouri promises to provide “fast, friendly, affordable care.” It’s a catchy enough phrase, but what’s most arresting about it is that potential patients aren’t hearing it in a traditional TV or radio ad, or reading it in a brochure; they’re absorbing it in a brief, 15-second clip that precedes a local sports story they clicked on while visiting the St. Louis Fox Television affiliate’s website. Total Access, which bills itself …
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Once the geese start heading south for the winter, retirees can’t be far behind. The question is, where’s home, medically speaking? Typically, these snowbirds (seniors who spend the warmer months in the states where they established their lives but head to southern climates for the winter) keep their “regular” doctors up north but don’t have close ties to medical care near their winter homes. Urgent care could be the perfect solution, however, especially if operators …
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Increasingly, paramedics are being employed (literally) to fill gaps in urgent care staffs around the country. The level of real-world experience and knowledge capable paramedics bring to the table make them well suited for a variety of tasks, from training medical assistants (MAs) to providing clinical care. Consider the following: Paramedics have more advanced skills than an MA, but not as much as a registered nurse (hence, they do not command as high a price …
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