Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Can a Grocery Chain Succeed in Offering Primary Care Where Other Retailers Have Generally Failed?

Regular readers of JUCM News and JUCM know that multiple drugstore chains, big box retailers, and others have tried hard to steal business away from urgent care. While pharmacy companies have had a modicum of success in drawing patients concerned they could have strep throat and the like, no one has really been able to establish a substantial foothold in the way urgent care has. That doesn’t stop other companies from trying, though. In fact, …

May Is the Time to Celebrate Urgent Care—and Remind the Community Why They Should Do the Same

The Urgent Care Association has designated May as Urgent Care Awareness Month, complete with a campaign dedicated to raising awareness of the industry among the public, including policymakers at every level. And while the aphorism that the rising tide lifts all the boats is usually true, UCA’s efforts will be multiplied with every individual urgent care operator that takes part in the effort. The Association has created a library of materials to assist, including a …

Too Many Physicians Regret Their Career Choice. Have You Checked in with Your Team?

Not too long ago, we shared news about a Mayo Clinic Proceedingsstudy that found only 57.1% of respondents would choose to become a physician again. That should have come as no surprise, in light of other pieces of the data—particularly the revelation that 62.8% of respondents claimed at least one manifestation of burnout. Now comes news that many clinicians may be either dealing with or trying to prevent going down that road by cutting back …

Hospitals Are Bracing for an Onslaught of Uninsured Patients; Will the Ripples Reach Urgent Care?

JUCM News readers know that state and federal regulations adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic are being rescinded or are expiring in waves, with direct and indirect effects on urgent care. With May 11 marking the end of the official federal public health emergency, the Association of American Medical Colleges’ AAMC News reports that some 17 million people formerly covered via emergency Medicaid enrollment are now likely to lose that coverage, with approximately 6.8 million not …

Be Aware: It’s Getting Harder to Predict the Seasonality of RSV

As you probably recall, there was a marked difference in rates of respiratory syncytial virus at a certain point during the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveal that there was essentially no RSV “season” in 2020–21, presumably due to school closures, masking, and social distancing practices. Before the pandemic, RSV cases started to climb in October, peaked in December, and essentially disappeared by April. Now, the Journal …

Acute Mental Health Care Needs Spawn Creative Solutions. Is There an Opportunity There?

Medical and mainstream media are again full of articles reporting on the urgent—and steadily growing—challenge of ensuring people experiencing a mental health crisis get care when they need it. Most recently, the Journal of the American Medical Association published research revealing that children and young adults, in particular, present to emergency room with mental health complaints in greater numbers than ever, including a steep increase in visits related to suicide. The article notes that while …

Social Media Is Rich in Marketing Opportunities—but Also Reputational Risk

It’s unlikely that an urgent care operation could build a robust marketing presence without savvy use of social media. From basic Facebook pages to more sophisticated use of Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms, the only real limits are in the user’s field of vision. The same source of potentially rich rewards is also a minefield where one misstep can ruin the center’s reputation, however. The same goes for individuals within the operation, of course. …

Spring Has Sprung—so Tick Season Is Just Getting Started

Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever may get the lion’s share of the headlines, but in reality there are any number of tick-borne illnesses that can accompany tick bites and burrowing. That’s part of the message a ProMedica Urgent Care for Kids nurse practitioner wanted to impart when she participated in an article published by The Blade in Toledo, OH recently. While it may not surprise you, her explanation that the type of illness …

Is the Monkeypox Outbreak Over—or Just Taking a Breather?

It’s only been a couple of months since some cities, such as New York, declared the monkeypox outbreak that started in 2022 “over,” but Chicago health officials have issued a warning that from April 17 to just this week seven new cases have been reported there. While they’ve classified the severity of the alert as “low,” they note that only one case had been reported from February 1 through April 16. So, in addition to …

When the School Campus and Urgent Care Campus Are One and the Same

Members of the Liberty School District’s elementary school community don’t have to go far for care when illness or injury strikes in the middle of the school day; in fact, they don’t even have to leave the grounds. WFMJ in Youngstown, OH reports that as of a few weeks ago, the “Leopard MedClinic”—named for the school mascot but operated by QUICKmed Urgent care—is open and ready to see students with urgent care needs. The intent …