Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Update: Another State Takes a Hard Look at Pharmacist Prescribing

Montana has joined the growing number of states to consider expanding the authority pharmacists have to make clinical decisions and direct care. As reported by Kaiser Health News, the state’s Senate Public Health, Welfare and Safety Committee recommended a bill that would allow pharmacists to generate and supply prescription refills, along with originating prescriptions for medications and devices in certain situations. The bill has gained support on the rationale that, like many areas, Montana is …

A Comparison of Chief Complaints, Specific Diagnoses, and Demographics of Pediatric Urgent Care Visits Before and During the COVID- 19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Study

Zaharoula A. Viennas, MD; Julie Martin, MAEd, MMS, PA-C; Benjamin Klick, MD; Tammy Speerhas, DNP, FNP-C, RN, CEN, CME; Turaj Vazifedan, DHSc; Danielle Millspaugh, DNP, FNP-C; Jennifer Ferris, MD; Margret Bedle, MD; Lauren Paluch, DMSc, PA-C; and Theresa Guins, MD Urgent message: Research has shown distinct differences in patterns of children presenting to emergency rooms during COVID-related lockdowns. However, data specific to urgent care have been lacking previously. Citation: Viennas ZA, Martin J, Klick B, …

When Things That ‘Could Never Happen’ Do Happen, You Must Have a Plan

We’re no mathematicians, but the odds of a vehicle crashing through the front door of an urgent care center have go to be awfully slim. And yet, it happens—very recently in Tiffin, OH, in fact. As reported by The Advertiser-Tribune there, a driver hit the accelerator instead of the brake when pulling into a parking space in front of the clinic. No one was injured. However, believe it or not, in addition to having to …

Urgent Care Is a Hot Topic of Conversation—as a Franchising Opportunity

There’s no debating that urgent care has had many ups and downs, as well as constant evolution since its inception. What started with entrepreneurial providers essentially creating a new way to practice medicine has revolutionized healthcare. Ownership structures have evolved right along with the industry, with hospital systems and venture capitalists recognizing the financial benefits, as well. It was inevitable, then, that the idea of franchising urgent care centers would come at some point. Forbes …

The COVID Era Has Decimated Provider Satisfaction. Are You Doing Enough to Support Your Team?

The COVID-19 era has had a profound, deleterious effect on healthcare providers’ level of happiness in their work and in life, according to Medscape’s 2023 Physician Lifestyle and Happiness Report. Prepandemic, they were a pretty happy bunch, with 84% saying they were “somewhat” or “very” happy in their lives outside of work. Now, though, according to the report, only 58% can say that. There was a similar drop relating to work, specifically, too. Previously, 75% …

Persistent Misinformation About Urgent Care Suggests We Need to Boost Engagement

If you read the opinion piece implying that urgent care is somehow complicit in the lowering life expectancy in the United States, written by a first-year medical student and published by a medical news service last week, you were probably struck by the flood of misinformation and misguided notions it contained. For example, the author took issue with some urgent care operators’ messaging to their surrounding communities. “UCCs in some cases still market themselves as …

Urgent Care’s Best and Brightest Called Out by the Urgent Care Foundation

Founded by entrepreneurial physicians, the urgent care industry has always possessed a pioneering spirit. That has served the industry well and fueled growth and evolution even during tough times (like the COVID-19 pandemic, most recently). Recognizing that it takes true thought leaders to drive both innovation and clinical excellence throughout, the Urgent Care Foundation has announced the latest class of Industry Award recipients, all of whom will be honored at the 2023 Urgent Care Convention …

Some Things May Be Better Left Unsaid—Especially to the Patient

Conversations with patients go on all day—every day of every week of every year. It’s hard to name anything more ordinary in an urgent care center. It’s important to remember this is not the case for the patient, however. Especially in urgent care, it’s likely that if a patient came in to see you their day is anything but ordinary. Many may see any provider at all once a year, at most. So, those interactions …

Despite Progress, Antimicrobial Resistance Remains a Threat. What Are You Doing About It?

The U.S. healthcare system has been criticized for being a bit too willing to prescribe antibiotics, often for patients who are suffering through viral, not bacterial, infections, thereby fueling increases in antimicrobial resistance. To its credit, the urgent care industry has rallied together to make antibiotic stewardship a priority. That commitment needs to be continued and amplified to fight what the World Health Organization calls “high levels” of antimicrobial resistance around the globe, however, as …

Update: Will the Measles Outbreak Creeping Across the Midwest Be Contained?

As we reported previously, an outbreak of measles in Ohio and Minnesota has sparked concerns that other states in the region and beyond could be vulnerable to a similar uptick in cases. While that fear has proven unfounded so far, the number of cases in Ohio has continued to climb over the past couple of months. As reported by The Hill, 85 cases have been confirmed, with hospitalization needed for 34 of those patients. The …

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