Practice Management
The National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) was created to record malpractice payments, disciplinary action, restrictions of privileges, and other red flags for physicians who may be less likely to provide excellent care for others. Unfortunately, as with any solution to a real problem, it’s not perfect. Providers with poor records may not get flagged in spite of past transgressions. That can present a real problem when you’re trying to hire clinical staff in a hurry. …
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A few weeks ago, we warned you about clusters of multiple, vaccine-preventable infection in North Carolina and South Carolina. Add New Jersey and New York to the list of states with communities seeing outbreaks of measles at present. The New Jersey Department of Health has confirmed 33 cases of measles in two counties; all three of the cases in one of those counties occurred in the same household, and nine cases confirmed in the other …
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Constant distractions, overindulging in alcohol, the potential for slick driving conditions, and other seasonal risks add up to greater likelihood of injury and illness at this time of year—making for an estimated increase of 10% to 15% in trips to urgent care centers and emergency rooms, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Holiday decorating alone accounts for roughly 15,000 trips to the ED. Further, many people spend the holidays far from home—and far away …
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Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) jumped onto the general public’s radar screen in 2018, thanks to the greatest number of cases ever in the U.S. With 10 days left on the calendar for this year, there have been 158 confirmed cases in 36 states. While that’s still a relatively low number, widespread media coverage has made parents acutely aware of the potentially devastating and long-lasting effects, perhaps driving many to visit the local urgent care center when …
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Print issues of JUCM, as well a coverage in JUCM News, have offered insights into the role urgent care can play in improving antibiotic stewardship across the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released data on the potential for devastating consquences: 23,000 Americans die annually from antibiotic-reisstant infections every year. Given the greater frequency with which patients seek an antibiotic prescription in urgent care centers, you are in an ideal position …
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Recognizing what you’ve known for years—that the appeal of urgent care to the U.S. patient population continues to grow, with no signs of diminishing—US News & World Report turned its attention to why that’s the case in a recent issue. Calling the rise of urgent care “meteoric,” the article calls out three primary factors—accessibility and convenience, cost savings, and array of services—as chiefly responsible for drawing more patients every year, with the number of facilities …
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It’s not news that there’s a shortage of primary care physicians that is expected to affect both primary care and urgent care practices more and more in the coming years. It’s also well established that advanced practice practitioners (APPs)—nurse practitioners and physician assistants—are being called on to shoulder more of the work load in medical practices of every stripe. A physician-penned opinion piece recently published by The Hill asserts that trend is a viable solution …
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On-site urgent care services have been growing in popularity in workplaces for some time, to the extent that occupational medicine is a substantial revenue stream for many urgent care businesses. Now some operators are seeing a similar opportunity in senior living communities. As noted in a recent entry on the Senior Housing News website, Christian Living Communities (CDC), which operates or manages assisted-living, memory care, and life plan communities in Colorado, Utah, and Missouri, brought …
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FastMed Urgent Care and NextCare Holdings, Inc. have announced plans to join forces in a merger that would create a company with 251 urgent care centers in 10 states. Under the terms of the agreement, Urgent Care Holdings of America, LLC, doing business as FastMed Urgent Care, would acquire 100% of NextCare Holdings, Inc. If it’s approved, closing is expected to come within the next 60 days. As a standalone company, FastMed owns and operates …
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The appearance of a tick native to eastern Asia and Korea in the U.S. has alarmed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention enough that the agency issued a formal report on it this week. Several factors make the tick newsworthy: The fact that the Asian longhorned tick has been found in Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Connecticut, Arkansas and West Virginia indicates that global travel and climate change are likely to bring …
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