Urgent message: Much has been written about the integration of occupational medicine into urgent care practice. However, doing so successfully requires consideration of many important factors. This is the first in a series of articles that will examine occupational medicine in the urgent care setting from the financial and practice management viewpoint, with the aim of guiding the urgent care decision-maker and practitioner in the best practices of business and clinical occupational medicine practice. Max …
Read More![Drug Screening Market Expected to See Healthy Growth Through 2022 Drug Screening Market Expected to See Healthy Growth Through 2022](https://www.jucm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Drug-Screening-Market-image.jpg)
Drug Screening Market Expected to See Healthy Growth Through 2022
New data show the market for companies that provide drug screen services—which would include urgent care operators who offer occupational medicine services—should grow at a 10.2% clip annually through 2022. By that time, the total market value would be $8.63 billion (up from $5.32 billion in 2017). The Drug Screening Market Report from ReportsnReports reasons that demand will continue to be driven by growing drug and alcohol consumption among workers, combined with increased enforcement of …
Read More![Prepare Yourself and Your Staff: CDC Extends Projected Flu Season Prepare Yourself and Your Staff: CDC Extends Projected Flu Season](https://www.jucm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/National-Media-Volleys-image.jpg)
Prepare Yourself and Your Staff: CDC Extends Projected Flu Season
The 2017–2018 influenza season doesn’t just seem long, thanks to the high volume of cases—and deaths—this year; it’s actually going to last longer than usual, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In fact, the CDC says flu season hasn’t even peaked yet; flu activity continues to be widespread in every state except Hawaii and has remained unchanged for 3 weeks—and indicator that the natural wane is still ahead of us. Nearly 12,000 …
Read More![Mercy Stresses the Urgent Care Option as ED Volume Swells Mercy Stresses the Urgent Care Option as ED Volume Swells](https://www.jucm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Mercy-Stresses-the-Urgent-Care-Option-image.jpg)
Mercy Stresses the Urgent Care Option as ED Volume Swells
Like many facilities across the country, Mercy Hospital in Fort Smith, AR wrestles with overcrowding in the emergency room, especially during flu season. In addition to higher patient volume, resources are further stretched due to staff calling in sick in greater numbers. The administration is dealing with the crisis by employing all available resources, including making the most of the flexibility of the urgent care model. Mercy has dedicated one location specifically to patients presenting …
Read More![Government Report: U.S. Needs Better Occupational Health and Safety Surveillance Government Report: U.S. Needs Better Occupational Health and Safety Surveillance](https://www.jucm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Government-Report-image.jpg)
Government Report: U.S. Needs Better Occupational Health and Safety Surveillance
The timing couldn’t be better for urgent care operators who offer occupational medicine services, as a new government report challenges various stakeholders to establish more robust health surveillance practices in the workplace. A Smarter National Surveillance System for Occupational Safety and Health in the 21st Center, published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, calls for greater coordination among federal agencies and the states, as well as the creation of regional occupational safety …
Read More![Epic Comes Under Fire for Possible Anticompetitive Practices Epic Comes Under Fire for Possible Anticompetitive Practices](https://www.jucm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Epic-Comes-Under-Fire-image.jpg)
Epic Comes Under Fire for Possible Anticompetitive Practices
It’s common for competitors to question each other’s practices as they fight for every percentage point of market share—less so for potential customers to accuse companies of being “one of the biggest impediments to innovation in healthcare.” That’s what happened recently in the EMR marketplace, though, as Fairview Health Services CEO James Hereford leveled that very charge at Epic, the EMR provider, according to an article in the St. Paul Business Journal. Epic has been …
Read More![Dangerous Fake News Story Spreads Flu Misinformation on Social Media Dangerous Fake News Story Spreads Flu Misinformation on Social Media](https://www.jucm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Dangerous-Fake-News-image.jpg)
Dangerous Fake News Story Spreads Flu Misinformation on Social Media
Fake news has been lamented, scorned, or poked fun at for various reasons and from various political perspectives for the past year, but right now a fake news story circulating on social media could put lives in danger. First appearing on Facebook, the “article” falsely claims that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acknowledged that influenza vaccine has been responsible for many deaths attributed to flu this year. The myth-busting website Snopes debunked the …
Read More![New Approaches to Opioid Abuse Zero in on Physicians New Approaches to Opioid Abuse Zero in on Physicians](https://www.jucm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/New-Approaches-image-1.jpg)
New Approaches to Opioid Abuse Zero in on Physicians
As researchers and legislators in some states consider restrictions on physicians to write prescriptions for opioid pain medications, new research indicates there could be a way to continue prescribing safely—albeit a way that is likely to raise some eyebrows. First, in Indiana, the state hospital association, medical association, and health department have pooled their resources to create guidelines for physicians in the state. In a nutshell, they’re advising physicians to cut back on prescribing opioids …
Read More![FDA Recommends Scaling Down X-rays for Children FDA Recommends Scaling Down X-rays for Children](https://www.jucm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/New-Approaches-image.jpg)
FDA Recommends Scaling Down X-rays for Children
The Food and Drug Administration has issued a new guidance suggesting there should be something of a kids’ menu for imaging, one that employs the lowest dose of radiation possible when imaging younger patients (or avoids x-rays altogether, if feasible). “Pediatric patients generally require less radiation than adults to obtain a quality image from an x-ray exam, so doctors must take extra care to ‘child size’ the radiation dose,” the FDA said in a statement. …
Read More![Attention, Provider: You Can Be Sued for HIPAA Violations in Some States Attention, Provider: You Can Be Sued for HIPAA Violations in Some States](https://www.jucm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Attention-Provider-image.jpg)
Attention, Provider: You Can Be Sued for HIPAA Violations in Some States
Connecticut is the latest state to decide that healthcare providers can be sued for breaches of patient confidentiality under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). The Connecticut Supreme Court set the precedent when it decided that one patient’s breach of confidentiality and negligence claims against a provider could move forward. In essence, the decision paves the way for patients to use HIPAA as a standard of care and to sue providers …
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