Industry

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic last spring, many emergency rooms were slammed with patients who either had COVID-19 or were terrified they could have it. And while urban, hospital-aligned urgent care centers saw similar crippling volumes, many others had empty waiting rooms as patients who had relatively minor concerns stayed home out of fear they’d be exposed to the virus. Now as 2021 dawns there’s a greater understanding of who is really …

With several COVID-19 vaccines heading for approval and rollout, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Each state has required every state to submit plans for statewide administration, including distribution and how populations within the state will be prioritized. Of even more relevance to the urgent care operator, the plans are also expected to include provider enrollment details. If this is news to you, or if you’re fuzzy on the details, you should be aware …

The news that Pfizer’s version of a COVID-19 vaccine was 90% effective in preventing infection was celebrated by many and greeted with skepticism by some, but across the board signaled a new phase of the fight against the pandemic. The question is, how can urgent care ensure it’s in the mix when it’s time to distribute a vaccine for public use? This is something you actually have the opportunity to influence in urgent care’s (and …

When tests for COVID-19 first became available, there was no place at the table for urgent care. Supplies were allocated elsewhere, while simultaneously patients were afraid of visiting urgent care center locations, lest they raise their risk of getting sick (a largely unfounded fear). The drop in patient visits and revenue has been well documented. Now as talk of the arrival of one or more vaccines against the virus heats up, there’s concern in some …

Many segments of our society have been forced to reduce services due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After some initial, severe setbacks at the outset, however, urgent care has had the fortitude to consider where there could be opportunities to adapt for the mutual benefit of patients and the industry. Some locations became testing centers. Others broadened their virtual health offerings. Looking at the fast-approaching flu season and the ongoing pandemic, Cox South Hospital in Springfield, …

For months, the Urgent Care Association has been asking its constituency to take part in surveys designed to take the industry’s temperature on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Responses to the most recent queries show that UCA member organizations are still seeing patient volumes grow—albeit slowly this month (1%)—as they recover from setbacks early in the pandemic. Perhaps more importantly, the majority are looking ahead and planning to participate in immunization programs once a …

We all know urgent care took some hard knocks at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lack of testing supplies and patient fear added up to a serious drop in patient visits. What might not be so obvious is that other practice settings may have it even worse. A news report that aired on WTKR television in coastal Virginia/northeastern North Carolina recently revealed that some primary care practices perceive that they’re losing patients to urgent …

Urgent care is coming back strong after initial setbacks at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. First, tests were in short supply. Then patients were afraid of visiting healthcare facilities in general unless it was a dire emergency, over concerns that they could get infected there. Visits plummeted. At the same time, of course, the retail business has been sustaining unprecedented economic damage. They’re rebounding, too, albeit more slowly than urgent care. Now the industries …

There’s no denying that Americans are not as free as we once were to travel around the country since the COVID-19 pandemic started. Many states have implemented rules stating that visitors from certain other states have to quarantine for a couple of weeks—or produce proof that they aren’t infected—before they’re permitted to interact with residents. While it’s debatable how enforceable those rules are, it’s certain they put a damper on plans for anything beyond essential …

The urgent care industry got the short end of the stick in the early days of testing for COVID-19—which means urgent care patients were also left wanting for testing locations in too many areas. With the pandemic still raging and flu season approaching, the Urgent Care Association is working with the Convenient Care Association to ensure history doesn’t repeat itself when it comes to vaccination. The two organizations are trying to raise the volume on …