Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

CPAP Machines Linked to More Than 500 Deaths

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a statement saying at least 561 deaths reported between April 2021 and September 2023 may be linked to Philips sleep apnea devices, typically referred to as “CPAP” (continuous positive airway pressure) machines. About 5 million of the devices were first recalled in 2021. The CPAP machines contain materials that have been found to deteriorate and cause serious health concerns. At issue is the polyester-based polyurethane (PE-PUR) foam components …

Schools Ease Student Return Protocol, Perhaps Too Much

The American Academy of Pediatrics offers recommendations for parents with sick kids, saying they should stay home for fever, vomiting, or diarrhea in the past 24 hours or when kids aren’t well enough to participate at school. But many school districts have their own sets of rules for when a child can or cannot come to class. According to AP News, 25% of California students missed 10% of class days last school year, and the …

Join the Bouncebacks! Book Club to Discuss a Critical Case

On February 5, 2024, the Bouncebacks! book club will talk through a new case from the book “Bouncebacks! Critical Care” (published in 2021) from 8PM to 9PM (Eastern) in a virtual meeting room. Fellow clinicians can join in the discussion of a case of a 52-year-old man with alcohol use disorder and chest pain. All the related information will be presented, and ownership of the book is not required to participate. Panelists include Heath Jolliff, …

GoHealth Adds New Leaders, Announces Expansion Plans

GoHealth Urgent Care recently announced plans to craft new health system partnerships and to open its 300th center location by the end of the year, according to a company press release. GoHealth currently operates about 270 centers in several states. At the same time, the company also announced leadership expansions to complement its growth strategy. Todd Latz, GoHealth’s Chief Executive Officer, noted two newly created roles on the executive team: Tom Oram will become the Chief …

Urgent Care Takes the Pressure Off Emergency Departments

The overarching surge in emergency department (ED) visits nationwide has created an access issue marked by prolonged patient wait times and healthcare provider burnout, according to an influencer article in Med City News by Benjamin Barlow, MD, Chief Medical Officer for Experity. Dr. Barlow notes patients often disregard urgent care (UC) as a viable alternative to the ED, which contributes to the strain on ED clinical teams. Too often, consumers seek non-emergent healthcare in EDs …

Military Reinstates ECG Screenings For Recruits

Starting next year, the U.S. military plans to launch a cardiac screening program for all potential recruits, according to Military.com. Proposed federal legislation mandates the Department of Defense (DoD) begin a pilot program by October 2024, providing electrocardiograms (ECGs) to military recruits. This initiative follows the extension of current ECG screening programs used by the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy, and West Point, which began after 2 Naval Academy student deaths resulted from cardiac …

Positive Perception of Urgent Care Rises

A new poll from Gallup found that Americans have a more favorable perception of the care and attention they receive at urgent care compared to many other provider types. Among the list of 9 healthcare players in the 2023 Health and Healthcare survey, urgent care ranks just above the middle at number 4. Here’s how respondents rated urgent care: “Excellent/Good”: 56%; “Only Fair”: 32%; “Poor”: 10%. Nurses receive the best rating from consumers with 82% …

Community Response Helps Save Emergency Medicine Program

Christus Spohn Shoreline Hospital’s emergency medicine residency program was recently saved from a planned closure that was slated for 2026, according to MedPage Today. Response from residents, faculty, and local politicians eventually turned the tide on the decision to close the program. After administrators initially announced the program’s termination in October, widespread community support encouraged the county’s commissioners to meet and look for solutions. On December 1, officials approved a 6-year deal, allocating annual funding …

Ohio County Raises Alarm Over Pediatric Pneumonia Outbreak

Health officials in Ohio are tracking a surge in pediatric pneumonia cases in Warren County, with 145 cases reported in children aged 3 to 14 since August. Although these are considered “typical pediatric pneumonia cases” in terms of severity, the prevalence has led to an unusually high number of hospitalizations, meeting the criteria for an outbreak according to the Ohio Department of Health. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that the national …

‘Tripledemic’ Has 35% of Americans on Edge

A survey of 1,559 adults conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania found that 35% of Americans worry that they or someone in their family will get respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in the next 3 months. The same percentage (35%) said they are worried that they or someone in their family will get COVID-19 in the next 3 months, up from 21% in August 2023. Flu concerns are somewhat higher, however, …