Practice Management
A survey of 1,559 adults conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania found that 35% of Americans worry that they or someone in their family will get respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in the next 3 months. The same percentage (35%) said they are worried that they or someone in their family will get COVID-19 in the next 3 months, up from 21% in August 2023. Flu concerns are somewhat higher, however, …
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Sentara Health has acquired full ownership of Velocity Urgent Care, according to a press release. The hospital system has been operating Velocity as a joint venture for more than 6 years, and with the acquisition, has plans to open a new location in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, early next year. With nearly 200 employees, the Velocity network of centers currently serves patients in 17 locations in Virginia. The integration aims to enhance patient access and …
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In late November, New Jersey lawmakers proposed Bill A5731, which amends one of the state’s statutes. The bill would mandate that providers in urgent care centers have degrees and qualifications equal to those required for hospital emergency department providers. The category would encompass all licensed professionals, including physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and nurse practitioners. The bill broadly defines “urgent care facility” as a health center offering episodic, walk-in care for non-life-threatening conditions. If passed, the …
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LinkedIn has launched new features specifically aimed at helping nursing professionals refine job search filters on the social media site so they can find jobs more specific to their licensing and clinical specialties. Nurses can also filter job postings by shift and schedule. By sifting through the many open positions more precisely, LinkedIn aims to make a better match not only for qualifications but also for the preferences of the 3 million job-hunting nurses that …
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As the flu season gains momentum in the United States, a triple threat of viruses—influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)—is causing concern. Children under age 5 in particular are heavily impacted, and they made up more than 10% of visits for flu-like illnesses the week before Thanksgiving, according to federal data. Pediatric hospital beds were strained across the nation with about 75% in use. Mandy Cohen, MD, director of the Centers for Disease Control …
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Blood Pressure Monitoring—Cuff Size Matters Take Home Point: The use of an inaccurately sized automated blood pressure (BP) cuff resulted in significantly inaccurate BP readings. Citation: Ishigami J, Charleston J, Miller E, et. al. Effects of Cuff Size on the Accuracy of Blood Pressure Readings: The Cuff(SZ) Randomized Crossover Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2023 Oct 1;183(10):1061-1068. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.3264. Relevance: Chronic hypertension is a leading cause of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality, and accurate measurement …
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Urgent Message: Better understanding of tympanic membrane/middle ear conditions can inform more accurate diagnoses at the point of care. Citation: LaCour J. Tympanic Membrane Conditions Beyond Otitis Media in Urgent Care Practice. J Urgent Care Med. 2023;18(3):15-19 Author Affiliation: Jeff LaCour, MD, Compassio Medical Education. Video: Watch a video featuring Jeff LaCour, MD, that further explains tympanic membrane conditions with supplemental images. WATCH VIDEO Urgent care providers are often tasked to determine the source of …
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Case presented by Jonathan Giordano, DO A 64-year-old female presents in the urgent care complaining of dyspnea for the past 3 days. After asking a few questions, you learn the woman has a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). View the ECG captured above and consider what your diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the next page
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A 51-year-old man presents to urgent care concerned about an asymptomatic rash that developed over his face within the last month. On examination, pink and violaceous, annular, scaly papules, and plaques were seen on his cheeks and within his beard area and nasolabial folds. The patient appeared well and reported no systemic symptoms. View the image above and consider what your diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the …
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Same-day ambulatory healthcare services are the hallmark of urgent care (UC). Because UC clinicians care for a wide range of conditions and injuries, they need to be proficient in a broad scope of immediate intervention services. In its latest white paper, the Urgent Care Association (UCA) noted that more organizations are moving to a staffing model with nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) serving as the primary providers on-site, rather than physicians. This model grew …
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