Practice Management
American Family Care (AFC), has acquired 3 Urgent Medcare locations, previously owned by CRH Healthcare. The newly acquired clinics are located in greater Huntsville, Alabama. AFC plans to complete the openings of more than 40 new urgent care, primary care, and occupational medicine locations this year, following the openings of 64 rooftops in 17 states last year, according to a press release. In all, the company has 370 locations. CRH Healthcare has 85 locations in …
Read More
Roughly 15.5 million U.S. adults have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and more than 71% of them reported difficulty obtaining their ADHD medication during October–November 2023 because it was in short supply, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ADHD symptoms typically begin in childhood, however, 55% of those with the condition said they had been diagnosed as adults. Approximately one-third of adults reported taking prescription stimulant ADHD medication during the …
Read More
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it is offering accelerated and advance Medicare payments for providers affected by Hurricane Helene. Those in disaster zones may request the payments individually with their unique National Provider Identifier to improve cash flow issues resulting from impaired operations that might be preventing providers from submitting claims and receiving Medicare payments. CMS notes Medicare providers that need assistance should contact their assigned Medicare Administrative Contractor. It’s …
Read More
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is actively looking at multiple indicators to monitor for avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses, including looking for spread of the virus to or among humans. It’s especially concerning since Missouri reported its first human case of H5N1 avian influenza in a patient who had significant underlying medical conditions but reported no exposure to animals—the typical source of such virus cases. The Missouri patient is the 14th human case …
Read More
UMC Health System opened a new 24-hour urgent care (UC) in Lubbock, Texas, this month, and it’s a strong indicator of where growth trends may lead in 2025. While the UC market in general has gravitated to an 8AM to 8PM schedule, more extended-hours sites are emerging. Staffing remains the biggest challenge in this case, according to Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc, President of Urgent Care Consultants and Senior Editor of The Journal of Urgent …
Read More
A national survey of 1,000 men conducted by Cleveland Clinic highlighted generational differences regarding men’s health. Nearly 40% of Gen Z men (born between 1997 and 2005) do not have a regular primary care physician. Consequently, many in this group are unsure if they’ve ever had their blood pressure, cholesterol, or weight checked. While 61% Gen X (born 1965-1980) and baby boomer (born before 1965) men say they get a yearly physical, just 32% of …
Read More
The prevalence of severe obesity among Americans, particularly among women, has risen over the past decade, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to a 2021-2023 survey involving 6,000 individuals, about 40% of U.S. adults are obese. Of those surveyed, nearly 10% had severe obesity, defined by a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more. The rate of severe obesity increased from approximately 8% in the 2013-2014 survey to …
Read More
A new nasal formulation of the flu vaccine has been approved for at-home administration for individuals 2 through 49 years of age, according to an announcement from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The vaccine will still require a prescription, and it won’t be available until next year. Patients can order FluMist nasal spray directly from an online pharmacy. Those who choose the online option will be screened with an eligibility assessment, and if appropriate, …
Read More
A nonprofit wastewater monitoring network has found that enterovirus D68, a respiratory virus that can cause paralysis in children, is spreading across the United States. In rare cases, D68 has been linked to acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) , a polio-like illness causing severe weakness in the arms and legs. Historically, September is the typical month for seeing AFM cases, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins told NBC News. While enterovirus is common, the D68 strain first …
Read More
A national survey from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center found a surprising feeling of hesitancy among individuals when considering vaccines this fall—just as the new flu season approaches. Among 1,006 people surveyed, researchers found 37% have received vaccines in the past but do not plan to get them this year. The same percentage of respondents said they don’t need any of the vaccines surveyed in the poll, including flu, COVID-19, pneumococcal, and respiratory …
Read More