Practice Management
Public health officials in the Seattle area are advising local residents of a pediatric case of measles that presented to Franciscan Urgent Care – West Seattle. Because the measles virus can remain in the air for hours, there may be concerns of potential exposure for anyone who was in the center between 3:30PM and 8:00PM on June 10, they say. The most likely time an exposed person might develop symptoms would be between June 17 …
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Top officials of the digital health operator Done Global were arrested last week for alleged healthcare fraud that drove about $100 million worth of stimulant drugs into consumers’ hands. According to the Department of Justice press release, the CEO and the clinical leader of Done Global allegedly created a scheme to provide access to attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drugs for consumers in exchange for monthly subscription fees on the telemedicine platform. The company spent millions …
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The Food and Drug Administration is considering a recommendation for tailoring the COVID-19 vaccines for the 2024-2025 respiratory virus season to the JN.1 variant, according to Reuters. It’s been the dominant variant this year, and shots may target JN.1’s subvariants as well. The subvariant KP.2 was estimated to account for more than 28% of COVID-19 cases over a 2-week period in mid-May. Not unlike the annual flu vaccine, COVID vaccines are developed months in advance …
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Between 2008 and 2022, the per capita rate of cannabis use increased by 120%, according to research published in Addiction. And now for the first time, the number of Americans who use cannabis almost every day has surpassed the number who drink every day. In 2022, an estimated 17.7 million people reported using cannabis daily or near-daily. By comparison, the median drinker reported drinking alcoholic beverages on 4 to 5 days in the past month …
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Presentations of kidney stones tends to increase during summer when rising temperatures and higher humidity lead to dehydration, according to a news item in USA Today. Climate change might be a big-picture factor in the rising rates of kidney stones, but an individual’s dietary choices are also likely contributing to the increase, according to a source quoted in the news item. A study published a year ago in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases found …
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Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported by ABC News shows a significant rise in whooping cough cases across the United States. This year, 4,864 cases have been reported, nearly triple the 1,746 cases recorded at the same time last year. However, the recent case numbers are comparable to 2018-2019, before the COVID-19 era. In Oregon, the local health authority reported 178 cases as of May 29, marking a 770% increase from …
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The Department of Health and Human Services is monitoring the ongoing fallout from the Change Healthcare cyberattack and has launched a dynamic website that will be updated as information emerges. In addition, Change Healthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group (UHG), is now essentially tasked with sending out the required HIPAA breach notifications to patients and completing related administrative requirements on behalf of any provider that was affected. Federal officials at the Office for Civil Rights ruled …
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has asked state health officials to keep up with flu surveillance over the summer to watch for human-to-human spread of the H5N1 bird flu virus, according to CIDRAP. Flu surveillance generally wanes during the warmer months when there are fewer seasonal flu virus cases. H5N1 vaccines exist, but the nation is far from ready for a full-scale national vaccine program should the virus become a widespread health …
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Sonoma Specialty Hospital in Sebastopol, California, just 5 years ago was facing bankruptcy, but a sale helped to keep the facility’s doors open while also adding inpatient beds. However, the hospital’s current owner, American Advanced Management, has not made good on its obligation to operate an urgent care (UC) center to serve patients after the closure of the original hospital’s emergency department. Sonoma County is now seeking $1.3 million in loan repayment from the owners …
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A pediatrician hit the road recently with Incredicare, a mobile pediatric urgent care that serves 4 communities in the Las Vegas area. Incredicare was founded by Robert Wilkinson, MD, a dual-boarded physician in general pediatrics and pediatric emergency medicine who serves as the medical director of the pediatric emergency department at Summerlin Hospital. Four nurse practitioners also see patients in the colorful mobile clinic vehicle that’s decorated with a cartoon bear. Services include the typical …
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