Industry

In the all-hands-on-deck peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, many states cleared the way for physician assistants to take on more authority—temporarily, in order to get through the crisis. Now that things have smoothed out a bit (at least for now), PAs are pushing for at least some of those relaxed limitations to become permanent, according to an article published by Becker’s Hospital Review. The article goes on to point out that some physician groups, including …

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, patients who may have previously gone to the closest hospital emergency room for nonemergent complaints simply went without care or managed to get care through other means. According to an article just published by Fierce Healthcare, margins at those hospitals have suffered accordingly, with the real threat that they’ll continue to do so thanks to patients’ new reliance on urgent care, telehealth, and other options. As a result, …

The Urgent Care Association’s Urgent Care Foundation is using its first-ever grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop programs that further the cause of antibiotic stewardship. The funds will be put toward updating the UCA/College of Urgent Care Medicine Antibiotic Stewardship toolkit, creating a 4-year industry action plan, and continuing the partnership with the Antibiotic Resistance Action Center at George Washington University. This work is especially timely in the wake of a …

A recent post to the American Medical Association’s website acknowledges that the looming physician shortage could be very problematic for patients who already have a hard time managing diabetes, hypertension, and other chronic health concerns with the help of their primary care team. The solution, the piece suggests, is greater use of “team-based care” that would include PCPs, specialists, and nonphysician clinicians (eg, nurses and pharmacists), as well as nonclinicians. The choice of settings in …

The axiom physician heal thyself might be better applied to the state of primary care medicine, if the results of a survey conducted by the Primary Care Collaborative and the Larry A. Green Center are any indication. Based on responses from 847 physicians in 49 states, it’s not a pretty picture for providers or patients. Asked to assess the state of primary care in general, 46% chose the word “crumbling” while approximately 40% said they …

Around 60 million Americans live in areas defined as “rural,” with local hospitals being the most viable option for care—assuming they can find one. That’s getting increasingly difficult, however, as illustrated in an article just published by Becker’s Hospital Review. Since 2011, 76 rural hospitals have shut down across the country, leaving too many patients in a precarious position when it comes to their healthcare. Texas leads the way with 15 closures, but 21 other …

Anyone who attended the Urgent Care Association’s recent convention in Las Vegas will tell you that the pandemic has done nothing to diminish the unified spirit among competitors in the urgent care marketplace. One of the reasons for this sense of community is the fact that the industry has had to fight for its place at the proverbial table. This does not mean the fight is over by any means. New challenges arise constantly, while …

As JUCM News readers know, the Urgent Care Association’s triumphant 2022 Annual Convention in Las Vegas was followed quickly by tragedy, as news spread of the sudden death of UCA President Dr. Armando Samaniego on May 21. The Association had to scramble in order to ensure proper continuity among its elected leadership. Max Lebow, MD ascended from president-elect to president, while Payman Arabzadeh, MD became the new president-elect and Gerry Cvitanovich, MD replaced Dr. Arabzadeh …

PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver, WA has been so inundated with patients lately that its administrators have taken to local media to urge patients to carefully assess their complaints and consider whether they really need to visit the emergency room—with a recommendation that if the answer is No, they instead head for the most convenient urgent care center or a primary care practice. A PeaceHealth emergency physician suggested that his facility and other EDs …

Many, if not most, healthcare operations have suffered along with other types of business since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the general public might assume hospitals are an exception, it’s becoming increasingly clear that healthcare systems in general are struggling as much as (if not more than) others. And even though we all know how hard urgent care has been hit over the past few years, a new report published by Healthcare Finance …