Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Expert Perspectives on Telemedicine in Urgent Care

Urgent message: Telemedicine—or “at-home” medicine—affords unique business opportunities to urgent care providers who can overcome barriers to adoption such as reimbursement. Introduction Telemedicine is a topic that frequently comes up among UCA’s membership as an area of interest. Some urgent care providers view telemedicine, or “at-home” medicine, as an opportunity; others see a threat. A lot of questions exist about telemedicine and with this roundtable, we’ve pulled together the unique experience of individuals who are …

An Urgent Care Operator’s Guide to Hiring and Managing a Lawyer

Urgent message: This article is a broad overview of how lawyers work and charge and what to do to avoid some of the most common pitfalls inherent in the attorney-client relationship. ALAN A. AYERS, MBA, MAcc Practice Velocity Success in business entails being prepared and there will be times when it’s unavoidably necessary for you, the urgent care operator, to engage the services of an attorney. From structuring and starting up the business, to reviewing …

HIPAA for Urgent Care Centers: A Primer

Urgent message: This article discusses potential penalties for violations of HIPAA and key steps urgent care centers should take in order to avoid such penalties. BART WALKER and MEGGAN BUSHEE Complying with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) can be a daunting challenge for smaller providers. As the urgent care industry grows, its providers will become much more visible targets for scrutiny by the federal government with respect to HIPAA compliance. In addition, …

Marketing Strategies: School, Sports, and Camp Physicals

Urgent message: Sports physicals offered by an urgent care center can be a “win” for both the center and the community. The community gets a flexible source for a time-critical service and the center gets another way to attract new and repeat business. ALAN A. AYERS, MBA, MAcc Practice Velocity Schools, camps, inter-league and club sports programs typically require a pre-participation physical examination to evaluate a participant’s general health, fitness level, risk of injury and …

Expert Perspectives on Grassroots Marketing in Urgent Care

Urgent message: Grassroots marketing tactics can be effective in engaging a center’s providers and staff with the communities they serve while also educating prospective patients about the availability of urgent care. Introduction This roundtable focuses on grassroots marketing for urgent care centers, which differs from traditional advertising in that it involves more interaction with prospective patients and requires a hands-on approach to building relationships and spurring word-of-mouth in the community. The panel of experts we’ve …

Understanding the Freestanding Emergency Department Phenomenon

Urgent message: FSEDs have a role to play in our health care system but it’s not to supplant urgent care centers. ALAN A. AYERS, MBA, MAcc, Experity Introduction Freestanding emergency departments (FSEDs) are walk-in medical facilities—structurally separate and distinct from a hospital—that hold themselves out to provide emergency care to the general public. While they claim many similarities to hospital EDs—capabilities to diagnose and stabilize cardiac arrest, stroke symptoms, breathing problems and trauma—there are also …

Identifying Risks and Finding Shelter in an Urgent Care Compliance Program

Urgent message: The escalating pressure on the industry to decrease health care costs has resulted in an increase in audit activity from government and private payors for everything from billing and coding to HIPAA and kickbacks. Therefore, it’s more important than ever for urgent care centers to build a culture of compliance. DAMARIS L. MEDINA The health care industry is in the throes of a dynamic regulatory enforcement climate. Federal and state regulators and third-party …

Improving Urgent Care Center Profitability Through Medical Supply Management and Accounting

Urgent message: Many urgent care centers lack an inventory management process and do not accurately account for their utilization of supplies. Improving how a center manages and accounts for supplies can have a direct impact on the bottom line. ALAN A. AYERS, MBA, MAcc Practice Velocity Introduction A quick and easy way to improve your urgent care center’s profitability may be as close as your supply closet. Many urgent care centers lack defined processes for …

Post-Visit Follow-up Calls: Improving Patient Satisfaction, Center Profitability and Clinical Outcomes

Urgent message: Call-backs within 24 to 48 hours of discharge can identify potential complications, ensure that instructions are followed, and reinforce a positive visit experience. ALAN A. AYERS, MBA, MAcc, Experity Introduction Urgent care centers provide immediate medical attention to patients who feel their symptoms are too pressing to wait for an appointment with their primary care physician, but not serious enough to warrant a visit to the emergency room (ER). With extended night/weekend hours, …

Achieving Consistency and Scalability in Urgent Care Service Delivery

Urgent message: Investing time in designing repeatable processes and documentation can pay off in a more efficient, effective, and scalable urgent care operation. ALAN A. AYERS, MBA, MAcc Practice Velocity Introduction Despite management’s best intentions to deliver extraordinary patient experiences, many times employees just don’t know what to do. Front-line staff members are often conflicted between “doing what’s right” for the business, avoiding management scrutiny, exerting extra unrewarded effort, and “doing what’s right” for the …