Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Amazon Adds Hinge Health to its Digital Care Offerings

Amazon has added digital musculoskeletal care company Hinge Health to its care platform. According to a press release, when the online retailer’s customers search for products related to back, joint, or muscle pain, they will encounter Hinge Health programs and have an option to check their insurance eligibility for participation. The program includes an artificial intelligence delivery model and wearable devices with clinical care support. This is the 4th partner program for Amazon, adding to …

Marketplaces Signing Up New Members During Open Enrollment

Almost half a million Americans who currently do not have health insurance have signed up for a new 2025 health plan through the federal Health Insurance Marketplace so far, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reports. To put the numbers in context, about 8.2% of Americans (27 million people) were uninsured this year, compared to 16% in 2010, according to federal data. And there are still a few weeks left in open enrollment. The …

Intimate Partner Violence Screenings Gain Traction

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recently posted an “in progress” recommendation statement for clinicians to screen for intimate partner violence and caregiver abuse in primary care settings. The proposed statement is open for public comment until November 25, 2024. The USPSTF suggests that clinicians screen pregnant and postpartum women as well as women of reproductive age for signs of intimate partner violence. However, it determined that there is insufficient evidence to recommend either …

Healthcare Workers Endure Violence Routinely—Even After the Pandemic

In a sobering cross-sectional study, researchers found that healthcare workers in emergency departments (EDs) experience workplace violence at a rate of once every 3.7 shifts. Even worse, in the large urban ED study site, 25% of the incidents involved physical violence, as published in JAMA Network Open. The odds of experiencing violence increased for those in a nursing role and workers of a younger age. Those who experienced violence reported they were moderately or severely …

Novant Acquires UCI, Adds 52 Urgent Care Clinics

Novant Health has completed its acquisition of UCI Medical Affiliates, Inc. (UCI), previously owned by BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina. The deal includes 52 Doctors Care urgent care clinics and 20 Progressive Physical Therapy clinics. UCI also provides nonmedical management and administrative services specifically for urgent care and physical therapy operators. Charlotte-based Novant has 3 hospitals in South Carolina, so the urgent care additions will no doubt offer some new referral source potential. Staying the …

Zoning Upends Bon Secours Urgent Care Plans

Urgent care site selection can be tricky business. Once operators have sized up their addressable market, considered the competition, and estimated the available workforce, opening their doors may seem like a cinch. However, local zoning approvals must figure into site selection strategy as well. Last week, city councilors in Celina, Ohio, voted down a rezoning measure, which ultimately prevented Bon Secours Mercy Health from building a 4,200-square-foot urgent care on a former manufacturing site in …

AHA Teams Up With FBI on Healthcare Violence Resources

The American Hospital Association (AHA) and the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit collaborated on a new bulletin that offers the first in a series of practical resources to help mitigate violence in healthcare settings. The goal is to promote greater adoption of violence prevention strategies and address the escalating threats and acts of violence against healthcare facilities and workers. As the program moves forward, AHA will provide updated resources for providers to implement threat assessments and …

Change Healthcare Hack Is Largest Breach Ever, Touching 100 Million

What many industry observers suggested is now confirmed: The Change Healthcare cyberattack earlier this year affected personal information of 100 million people, making it the nation’s largest-ever breach of healthcare data. Parent company UnitedHealthcare recently updated the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights confirming the scope of the impact. However, it could be months or years before the department completes its investigation of Change and determines a financial penalty if it …

One Medical Partners With Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic has created a partnership with Amazon’s One Medical to bring new primary care clinics to northeast Ohio. The first clinic will open in 2025 with plans for future expansion, according to a press release. One Medical has membership-based services with a targeted focus on employer groups, now covering employee populations for about 10,000 employers. It provides same-day appointments and virtual care to members with a $199 annual fee (or $99 for Amazon Prime …

Retail Health Clinics Aren’t Dead Yet

As more retailers lose their enthusiasm for primary care and urgent care services, traditional provider organizations still are in no position to ignore the market share that retailers may potentially gain. Kaufman Hall’s recent newsletter notes: “If these retailers want to find success in primary care, partnering with traditional providers could be a beneficial opportunity for all parties.” With retail clinics as a convenient front door, health systems and payers with provider assets could leverage …

« Previous