Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Could Telehealth Be the Key to Urgent Care Realizing ‘Triple Aim?’

Urgent care has continued to grow based on its attributes of improving patients’ care experience at a lower cost than the emergency room, and by contributing to healthier populations—a triad of goals referred to as “triple aim.” Maintaining that growth may depend on outpacing other settings’ ability to change with the times. Twenty years since its inception—coinciding with urgent care’s own growth trajectory—telehealth may prove to be an invaluable tool in accomplishing that. One operator …

CDC: New Data Show Flu Shots Save Children’s Lives

Children whose parents ensure they get flu shots stand a significantly lower risk for death from influenza than children who are not vaccinated, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In fact, the CDC says between 2010 and 2014 flu vaccinations reduced the risk of flu-associated death by half among children with underlying high-risk medical conditions, and by nearly two-thirds among healthy children. The study, published in Pediatrics, is thought …

Survey: Most Physicians Earning More and Are More Satisfied Than Last Year

Upheavals among payers, an unsure future for a national health plan, and evolving payment models have not dampened physicians’ enthusiasm for what they do for a living—in fact, most are happier than ever with their choice of profession, and are making more money at the same time, according the 2017 Medscape Physician Compensation Report. The data put average physician compensation at $294,000 annually, taking into account both the full array of specialties and primary care. …

More Locations + More Patients = $15 Billion Urgent Care Marketplace

The urgent care industry has gone from upstart to “an established segment of the U.S. healthcare industry,” according to a new report from Kalorama Information, which put the overall value of the market at $15 billion. Even better, Kalorama predicts it will continue to grow annually through at least 2021. Over that time, cold, flu, and sore throat will continue to be the primary complaints that drive patients to seek urgent care, followed by lacerations, …

New Limits on Prescribing Opioids for Acute Pain

Ohio is placing new limits on the prescribing of opioid medications for acute pain, forbidding clinicians from writing more than a 7-day supply for adults, or a 5-day supply for minors (down from up to 90 days, currently). Prescribers will be allowed to override the acute pain limit if they identify a specific reason in their patients’ medical records, though this is not likely to apply in the urgent care setting. Further, the limits do …

Recognizing Ethical Companies in the Healthcare Marketplace

Seven health systems—including more than one with a stake in the urgent care marketplace—are among the World’s Most Ethical Companies, according to a new listing from the Ethisphere Institute. Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), Baptist Health South Florida, Cleveland Clinic, Covenant Health, Northwell Health, Sharp HealthCare, and University Hospitals were all recognized for their ethics and compliance programs; corporate citizenship and responsibility; creating a culture of ethics; governance; and their leadership, innovation, and reputation. More …

Helping Workers Take Ownership by Giving Them Ownership

Many urgent care operators work hard to get their employees to take ownership of their jobs. Now one of the key stakeholders in the growth of the urgent care industry has taken those efforts to the next level by literally making employees partial owners of the company they work for. Practice Velocity CEO David Stern, MD surprised employees at a recent town hall-style meeting by telling them how much he appreciates the positivity they bring …

Geisinger Says No Thanks to Performance Bonuses for Physicians

Geisinger Health System is turning away from industry trends that see physicians being paid bonuses tied to quality and patient satisfaction, instead vowing to pay them straight salaries that are at or above national averages for compensation. Previously, Geisinger has paid their 1,600 physicians—including those staffing their urgent care centers—based on a formula of 80% salary and 20% performance bonus, as is common these days (though the percentages may vary somewhat from system to system). …

Urgent Care College is Rebranding to Recognize All Clinicians

Urgent care centers are staffed by more than just highly qualified physicians. Other clinicians—nurse practitioners and physician assistants among them—contribute to the success of a practice and have ongoing educational needs, too. Recognizing that, the Urgent Care College of Physicians (UCCOP) has been renamed the College of Urgent Care Medicine (CUCM). Sean McNeeley, MD, president of the College and a regular contributor to JUCM, revealed the change in a new monthly newsletter called Urgent Caring. …

Urgent Care–Primary Care Partnership Lauded

A pair of medical practices—one urgent care and one primary care—received a municipal business award for a cooperative venture to make care as accessible as possible for their surrounding communities. Immediate Care Walk-In and CentraState Healthcare System forged an affiliation in 2015 to open a combination primary/urgent care facility in East Windsor, NJ. For their efforts, they received the town’s 2016 Business Award for Community Enhancement, based on polling of residents who were asked to …