Practice Management
The Urgent Care College of Physicians (UCCOP) recently submitted its application to the Specialty and Service Society (SSS) of the American Medical Association (AMA). The application is the first step toward specialty recognition. According to UCCOP, the strategic initiative is part of an effort to amplify the voice of urgent care clinicians within the AMA. The SSS decision should be forthcoming in November. Entrance into the SSS requires that a percentage of UCCOP physicians be …
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CityMD is set to open a new urgent care clinic in Norwalk, Connecticut, later this month. For the past 15 years, CityMD has operated clinics in New York and New Jersey, and the new location is the company’s first expansion beyond those 2 states, according to a press release. A second Connecticut location will open in Fairfield in 2025. New neighbors: CityMD partners with Summit Health, a multispecialty group that offers internal medicine, nephrology, and …
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For patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a trip to a healthcare provider can cause distress. Many with ASD are particularly sensitive to light, sound, textures, and touches. Some have advocates, loved ones, or parents who assist with communication. Yet, few urgent care providers have the insight or the resources to improve the experience of clinic visits for those with ASD. Three Northwell Health-GoHealth pediatric centers in New York recently partnered with the national organization …
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The Cannabis Research Institute recently set up a research lab at the Illinois Medical Center in Chicago to evaluate the potential harms and benefits of marijuana. Researchers will study recreational and medical uses as well as plant cultivation. Efforts are supported by a 3-year, $7 million grant from the Illinois Department of Human Services with anticipation of applying for additional research grants from other governmental and nonprofit organizations. Even so, it can take years to …
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The Aflac Wellness Matters Survey generally reports on routine medical check-ups and cancer screenings, barriers for patients in obtaining screenings, and influences that prompt patients to seek out check-ups and screenings. The recent 2024 report also provides a small snapshot of the urgent care patient population. As cited in the survey with just over 700 employed adults ages 18-65 responding, the emergency department and urgent care centers are the main source of healthcare for many …
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Ohio became the latest state to embrace the PA Licensure Compact, a multistate portability agreement that allows physician assistants (PAs) to practice in any of the participating states without the need for an additional license. The compact now includes 13 states, which means an activation threshold has now been reached, according to the compact commission’s website. The entity can begin work to operationalize the compact with data systems and onboarding, which could take another year …
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Memorial Hermann Health System and the Aldine, Texas, school district in the Houston area this month opened the doors of a health education trade school for high school students. The Health Education and Leadership (HEAL) High School delivers a curriculum that combines academic classes with hands-on learning for healthcare careers. Students participate in job-shadowing, simulation labs, paid healthcare internships, professional mentoring, and other work-based learning experiences, according to the school’s press release. Students choose from …
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One clue that helps forecast the forthcoming respiratory virus season in North America is the trend data from the Southern Hemisphere’s experience. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that the 2024 flu season, which is winding down this month, was similar to previous flu seasons in the Southern Hemisphere—a signal that northern countries may not see any particular highs or lows in terms of severity or case numbers. Flu activity in South …
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In 2023, the median emergency department (ED) visit time among U.S. hospitals was 163 minutes, an increase of just 1 minute over the previous year, according to new data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as reported by Becker’s. The latest dataset covers ED visits recorded from October 2022 through September 2023. Delta Health System’s Medical Center in Greenville, Mississippi, tops the list of hospitals or health systems with the longest median …
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The Department of Health and Human Services’ cybersecurity center recently released an advisory about a “ransomware-as-a-service” group called Everest that is now focused on the $4 trillion healthcare industry. According to an emailed newsletter from the American Hospital Association, the group is known to access systems through compromised user accounts and remote access tools. The ransomware is designed to attack by initially gaining unauthorized access to an organization’s data through credential theft. The attacker then …
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