Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

CDC In Colorado to Manage Bird Flu Outbreak

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has sent a 9-member team of epidemiologists, veterinarians, and clinicians, plus an industrial hygienist, to Colorado to assist with managing a bird flu outbreak affecting both humans and poultry, according to the agency. Colorado reported 4 confirmed human cases of the infection and a possible 5th case earlier this week. As part of the ongoing evaluation, additional samples are being tested with the anticipation of additional cases …

Cyberattack Costs UnitedHealth $2.45B Against Profitable Q2

UnitedHealth Group—the parent company of Change Healthcare, which is still reeling from a massive data breach in February—raised its forecast regarding the financial impact of the cyberattack to as much as $2.45 billion on the year. That’s more than double its previous estimate. Meanwhile, UnitedHealth reported Q2 profits of $4.2 billion and revenue increases of nearly 7%, according to Healthcare Dive. After input from federal officials a few weeks ago, the company was put on-task …

Urgent Care For Kids Deal Adds 11 Locations

Urgent Care for Kids in Houston, Texas, this week announced the acquisition of 11 Pediatrix Medical Group Primary + Urgent Care clinics, formerly operating under the NightLight Pediatrics Urgent Care brand. Since its establishment in 2011, Urgent Care for Kids has offered traditional urgent care as well as telehealth services, and with the acquisition, brings its total number of clinic locations to 23. Portfolio peek: Urgent Care for Kids is a subsidiary of Goodside Health, …

Sepsis Procedures and Training Now Required For UC Centers in Maryland

A newly minted law in Maryland requires hospitals and urgent care centers to develop evidence-based protocols and education for the early recognition and treatment of sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock. And there’s a sense of urgency to develop new programs quickly because the clinical enhancements must be implemented on or before January 1, 2025. The policy is also known as “Lochlin’s Law,” named after a child who died of sepsis after a case of …

AMA: Burnout Levels Slowly Improving for Physicians

The percentage of physicians experiencing at least 1 symptom of burnout has fallen below 50% for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, according to the American Medical Association (AMA). The AMA’s 2023 annual survey, which included more than 12,400 physicians from 31 states, revealed a slow decline in burnout from a peak of 62.8% in 2021. Reported burnout levels fell to 53% in 2022 and further decreased to 48.2% in the most recent …

Study Finds New Semaglutide Benefits, No Link to Suicidal Thoughts

A study published in the Lancet last week investigated millions of U.S. medical records to determine whether semaglutide increased the risk of neurological and psychiatric conditions within the first year of use compared to 3 other common antidiabetic medications. Authors found no association between semaglutide and a higher risk of the 22 studied conditions (eg, psychosis; bipolar disorder; depression; anxiety; opioid and alcohol use disorder; etc.). In fact, patients on semaglutide showed lower rates of …

Health Leaders Less Worried About Cost Reduction: Survey

For years, the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions annual survey of healthcare finance leaders found cost reduction was consistently among the top 3 priorities for organizations. However, the latest survey indicates a shift: cost reduction has now fallen to the bottom of the list of priorities—suddenly ranking at number 17 out of 17 choices. At the same time, around 25% of finance leaders reported missing their operating margin targets over the past 3 years. Behind …

Antimicrobial-Resistant Gonorrhea Becomes Global Concern

Canada’s public health agency has reported an increase in antimicrobial-resistant gonococcal infections. Data on 3,377 gonorrhea cases revealed that over a span of 2 years, antimicrobial-resistant gonococcal infections increased while gonococcal cultures demonstrating resistance rose from 24.8% in 2020 to 44.5% in 2021. Resistance to ciprofloxacin was most prevalent, rising from 46.6% of cases in 2020 to 63.1% in 2021. More than 80% of the gonorrhea cases studied were among males, and 55.5% of those …

NPs Advocate for Independent Practice in Texas

In Texas, nurse practitioners (NPs) are advocating for legislation that would allow them to practice independently without physician oversight. Texas is 1 of just 11 states that require such supervision. Although the policy proposal still has a long way to go, medical professionals are using the interim to chime in on the pros and cons—including the enhanced capabilities with physician-led care as well as the costs of physician engagement, which could start at $50,000 a …