Practice

It’s well documented that the United States has been in the grips of a narcotics addiction crisis for too long. Less established, until now, is the toll it might be taking on healthcare workers who themselves may be addicts and at risk for overdose and resultant death. Unfortunately, a report just published by the Annals of Internal Medicine reveals that those working in a healthcare setting are actually more likely to die from an overdose …

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has instituted policies wherein outstanding medical debt under $500 is no longer reportable to credit reporting companies like Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. While that may offer some degree of protection to healthcare consumers who have been billed exorbitant charges by freestanding emergency rooms and other facilities infamous for hitting patients with “hidden” charges, it takes away one more incentive for deadbeats to make good on their obligations—and urgent care operators …

Whether due to a scarcity of candidates or hoops those candidates and their prospective employers have to jump through in order to meet state regulations, it takes a long time to bring a new healthcare provider on board. In fact, according to an article newly published by Becker’s Hospital Review, only employers in consulting, finance, and engineering have to look longer than the 59.5 days (median) it takes to hire a new provider. Bringing a …

The wildfires raging through Maui are just the latest example of how environmental disasters place healthcare facilities in the position of having to provide care for the sick and injured in the community while also ensuring the needs of team members are met, not to mention guarding against threats to the facility itself. A recent report from NBC News told part of that story through the experience of Reza Danesh, MD, who runs an urgent …

For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic plunged many urgent care providers into the depths of burnout, there are signs that optimism may be resurging among healthcare professionals. According to a report published by Morning Consult, 58% of healthcare workers surveyed reported being optimistic about healthcare’s future while 61% reported that they’ve “mostly” been successful in coping with work stressors over the preceding 6 months. While that’s good news, the survey clearly indicates there’s …

Ripple effects of the recent federal debt ceiling haggling could have significant effects on public health departments’ ability to test and treat patients for possible sexually transmitted infections, according to a report from CNN. All told, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expects to lose approximately $1.3 billion in funding, according to the report, with local health outreach programs, including those related to STIs, expected to take an especially heavy hit. Given the already …

It’s not news that patients are very likely to wait longer to see a provider in a hospital emergency room than in an urgent care center. That’s why UC continues to thrive. It may come as a surprise to learn exactly how long patients wait in some EDs, though. According to an article published by Becker’s Hospital Review, during a recent survey period the average ED wait time was nearly 8 hours (476 minutes) at …

Urgent care providers and operators are primarily (and appropriately) concerned with the quality of the care they provide. Having gravitated to urgent care, it’s likely they also care deeply about efficiency and cost. One factor that may draw (or dissuade) patients could be hovering under the radar, however. According to an article published on REjournals.com, location is right up there with service and quality when patients are choosing among healthcare facilities to visit. In fact, …