Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Data Show More Institutions Getting into the Urgent Care Market

Hospital chains and insurance companies continue to invest in urgent care centers at an ever-increasing pace, while also forging partnerships with independently owned clinics, according to a report from Merchant Medicine. The perception is that as Americans live to an older age—and stay active longer while doing it—they want more convenient care for nonemergent injuries while maintaining a relationship with institutions they’ve come to trust. Current data from the Urgent Care Association (UCA) show that …

UCA Webinar: Building Business by Building Relationships

Some healthcare facilities may view urgent care as the competition, but there’s mutual benefit to establishing complementary relationships among local providers and settings, not to mention patients and employers. That’s the message Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc Practice Velocity will impart in a one-hour webinar to be hosted by the Urgent Care Association (UCA) on Thursday, March 24, at 1 p.m., Central time. An active referral network benefits not only both healthcare facilities, but patients …

UCA Webinar: Taking Measure of Patient Satisfaction

The key to gaining patient loyalty is ensuring patient satisfaction. But how do you measure that—outside of noticing that you don’t have many repeat visits? One of the earliest and best-regarded entrants into the urgent care market, David Stern, MD will suggest approaches in Measuring Patient Satisfaction: Keeping It Simple, a one-hour webinar to be hosted by the Urgent Care Association (UCA) February 18 at 1 p.m., Central. Dr. Stern is CEO of Practice Velocity, …

UCA Webinar: The Wisdom of Having an On-Site Lab

The decision to operate a lab on site at your urgent care center is not one to be taken lightly. While saying “yes” would lead to another layer of overhead and regulation, it could also make life easier for your patients—possibly meaning they’ll become loyal customers. Besides that, though, how much space would it occupy? How much volume would the lab need for it to be a worthwhile endeavor? CLIA specialist Milly Keeler will answer …

UCA Webinar Assesses Financial Tools

If improving your urgent care center’s financial management is one of your New Year resolutions, consider signing up for Financial Forecasting: Learn How to Use Key Financial Tools, a live webinar to be hosted by the Urgent Care Association (UCA) on Thursday, December 17 at 1 pm, Central. Speaker Luke Hart, a former urgent care CEO, will discuss tools to help increase cash flow, better assess your debts and risks, and leverage strong relationships with …

Notes From the Convention

Lee A. Resnick, MD, FAAFP As I write this, the annual convention of the Urgent Care Association (UCA) is in full swing in Las Vegas. This year’s assembly is the largest gathering of urgent care professionals in the world … ever. With well over 700 attendees, the energy is palpable. The excitement surrounding the discipline and the industry has never been greater as more and more physicians, entrepreneurs, health systems and others clamor for a …

Addressing the Data Drought

Urgent message: The second UCA Benchmarking Survey takes one small step toward filling the information gap in urgent care medicine. Introduction: Although the practice of urgent care medicine is not a new phenomenon, there is a significant absence of reliable information about the industry. One first step toward filling that void was initiated last year when the Urgent Care Association’s Benchmarking Committee released the results of its first-ever benchmarking survey of UCA members and others …