Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

AHRQ Looks to Formalize Primary Care Definition

Federal researchers from the Agency on Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) posted a draft technical brief with the goal of establishing a standardized definition for primary care. AHRQ’s initiative aims to address the existing variability in definitions of what’s considered primary care to align research efforts that ultimately drive policy. AHRQ is looking at three factors: what type of provider is providing the care; where care is delivered; and types of services. A public comment …

Walgreens Launches Direct Urgent Care Business

Retail pharmacy giant Walgreens is intensifying its expansion into provider services by launching virtual care in nine states that represent a large swath of its existing customer base, according to Fierce Healthcare. The on-demand telehealth service will cover common health needs, including urgent care services. Patients can schedule virtual consultations with healthcare professionals via chat or video. Notably, Walgreens will not accept insurance for these visits with most chat encounters priced at $33 and video …

New CKM Syndrome Combines Multiple Chronic Conditions

The American Heart Association introduced the concept of a new medical condition called cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome (CKM) in a recent article in Circulation. The rising incidence of multiple chronic health issues in younger Americans, particularly obesity, diabetes, and heart and kidney disease, calls for earlier diagnosis and risk assessment, the association says. The synergy between metabolic risk factors, such as abdominal fat, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and elevated blood sugar, has long-term effects on health …

Dollar General Tests Mobile Healthcare

Dollar General, with more than 19,000 retail stores, has entered into a strategic partnership with mobile medical services company DocGo. The plan is to deploy mobile clinics to rural areas where Dollar General has a foothold. Approximately 80% of Dollar General’s stores are located in towns with populations of fewer than 20,000 residents, which are typically areas short on clinicians as well. DocGo’s self-pay rates start at $69. On the ground, a pilot program in …

One Medical Adds to Bezos’ Wealth

This year’s Forbes list of the wealthiest Americans includes a class of 11 healthcare leaders, topped by Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon. The reason why Bezos—and his $161 billion bank account—qualifies in the healthcare category is because of Amazon’s recent acquisition of the primary care concierge-medicine provider One Medical. For $199 a year, One Medical members receive low-acuity services, labs, same-day appointments, and no-cost 24/7 access to virtual care. The company operates brick-and-mortar locations …

HIPAA Reminder About Snooping

Even after years of training programs, clarifications, and guidance, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) continues to confuse healthcare professionals. A top 3 list presented in Physicians Practice outlines some cautions and misunderstandings about this comprehensive patient-protection law. Much of the list centers on proper protocol for workers in healthcare settings who might have access to the medical records of their fellow employees—in other words, “snooping behavior.” You can’t escape the …

Gestational Diabetes and Long-Term Health

A recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine involving more than 91,000 female participants 25 to 42 years old reveals that moms with a history of gestational diabetes face a slightly increased risk of mortality over a 30-year period compared to those without a history of the condition. The researchers found that women reporting a gestational diabetes diagnosis were 1.28 times more likely to experience mortality—a rate of 1.74 per 1,000 person-years compared to 1.49 …

WellNow Fellowship Program Recognizes New Graduates

The fall 2023 class of fellows completing the WellNow Urgent Care Traditional and Accelerated Fellowship program turned their tassels and celebrated their graduation day at the end of September. Since 2018, a total of 216 fellows in 6 states have graduated from WellNow’s development programs, and 90 percent of graduates have gone on to serve in full time positions as advanced practice providers (APPs) at WellNow centers. According to Chief Medical Officer Robert Biernbaum, DO, …

STD Rates Increase 6% In 1 Year

In recent years, the United States has witnessed a surge in cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), notably chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea, as per data sourced from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and analyzed by US News & World Report. In 2021, gonorrhea cases showed a 28% increase, and syphilis cases showed a spike of 74%. The cumulative burden of STDs was pronounced with more than 2.5 million reported cases of chlamydia, …

Carbon Health Inks Risk-Based Contract with UHC

In a recent webcast, Steve Cain, CEO of UnitedHealthcare of California, and Myoung Cha, Chief Strategy Officer of Carbon Health, announced that the insurer will begin an at-risk primary care arrangement for the state’s commercial PPO market in partnership with Carbon Health, starting in January 2024. The deal represents Carbon Health’s first at-risk arrangement. Under the contract, Carbon Health will be accountable for the total cost of care for UnitedHealthcare’s PPO-covered lives in the state over the …