Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Where to Find Current Information on Change Health Cyberattack Remedies

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 …

Heat Waves Increase Risk of Preterm Birth

Researchers have identified local heat waves as a factor that can lead to an increased risk of preterm birth and stillbirth, according to a cohort study published in JAMA Network Open. Authors found a significant link between periods of high temperatures in some of the top metropolitan statistical areas in the United States and early deliveries. Looking at 53 million births from 1993 to 2017, they concluded that after 4 consecutive days of mean temperatures …

CDC Ramps up H5N1 Surveillance

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 …

Clinicians May Not Recognize Rare Measles Cases

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported a surge in measles cases, including 57 cases associated with a migrant shelter in Chicago, Illinois, according to a new CDC report. It previously recorded 97 confirmed cases in the first quarter of 2024. It’s a significant uptick when compared to the average of 5 cases during the first quarters of 2020-2023. Almost all recent cases were among the unvaccinated. Among the World Health …

County Questions CA Hospital’s Closure of UC Clinic

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 …

Goldman Sachs Acquires Xpress Wellness

Goldman Sachs Alternatives recently announced its acquisition of Xpress Wellness, LLC. Xpress Wellness is affiliated with a physician-led rural healthcare platform that includes urgent care clinics serving Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas. The deal is positioned to accelerate the development of new and existing markets as well as to build out additional healthcare services, according to a press release. Recent moves: Within the portfolio of Latticework Capital Management since 2018, Xpress Wellness opened 30 de novos …

EHRs Haven’t Captured Prevalence of Long COVID

Long COVID is possibly more prevalent than what might be recorded in electronic health record (EHR) diagnostic or referral codes, according to a descriptive study in eClinicalMedicine. Researchers analyzed clinical data from more than 19 million adults in England from November 2020 to January 2023. A total of 55,465 patients were identified with long COVID, based on 20,025 diagnostic codes and 35,440 referral codes. Median follow-up was 2.2 years, and the rate of long COVID …

Panel Recommends Treatments for Pediatric Vitiligo

A clinical panel recently issued dozens of recommendations for treating vitiligo in pediatric, adolescent, and young adult patients, as published in a consensus statement in JAMA Dermatology. The main conclusions point out that topical calcineurin inhibitors, topical corticosteroids, and topical Janus kinase inhibitors are effective treatments for vitiligo in these age groups. Treatment decisions should also consider factors such as the location of vitiligo, body surface area affected, age, and other patient-specific factors. Perhaps a …

Nevada Doc Launches Mobile Pediatric Care

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 …

Program Seeks Clever Cyberattack Patches for Health Devices

Federal leaders are increasing their efforts to address healthcare cyberattacks, hard on the heels of the recent Change Healthcare and Ascension breeches. A $50 million program was announced this week to encourage the development of practical tech tools that would effectively disconnect healthcare devices such as heart monitors and electrocardiogram machines when needed then fix the weakness before bringing the machines back online. The aim is to identify vulnerabilities and customize patches that could be …