Practice Management
Cases of measles have been cropping up in Delaware, New Jersey, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington with additional cases reported in the past week in Ohio and Maryland. In the Maryland case, the department of health warned the public about possible exposure at Dulles International Airport. Officials in Philadelphia at the end of January confirmed at least 9 known cases in that city alone. It’s concerning because measles was declared eliminated in 2000 by the Centers for …
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Advocacy organizations recently launched a campaign promoting an “Obesity Bill of Rights.” The declaration speaks to the rights of individuals with obesity to be treated respectfully and to receive patient-centered, high-quality healthcare. For example, the advocacy groups call for the right to accessible obesity treatment that allows for privacy and uses equipment that fits patients’ bodies. That could translate to blood pressure cuffs of an appropriate size, larger gowns and drapes, or even larger chairs …
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Syphilis rates increased by nearly 80% between 2018 and 2022, and what’s making matters worse is the ongoing shortage of injectable penicillin, the go-to treatment for patients with syphilis. Public health agencies now are recommending providers ration the drug, according to Kaiser Health News. Pregnant patients should be prioritized first because penicillin is considered the safest treatment for the population. Doxycycline would be an appropriate drug for syphilis cases, but it’s discouraged for pregnant moms …
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According to a newly released Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, 207,255 total syphilis cases were documented in the United States in 2022, representing a nearly 80% increase in just 5 years. Although cases hit historic lows in 2000 and 2002, the trendline has climbed steeply since. Cases in nearly every demographic group and region increased, CDC says. Even more concerning, 3,755 cases of congenital syphilis were recorded among newborns in 2022, which represents more …
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CVS revealed in a statement on January 30 that it will close 25 of its retail-store-based MinuteClinic locations in Greater Los Angeles in February, leaving just 11 rooftops in the area. The company said the closures will “help support future growth and design the next evolution of community health destinations,” according to reports from the LA Times and Orange County Register. Affected employees who do not find a new position within the company reportedly will …
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A 12- year-old male presents to urgent care with his mother complaining of facial pain. The patient experienced a trip-and-fall accident at home. He landed on a carpeted floor and now complains of facial pain. View the image taken (occipitomental/Waters view) and consider what your diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the following page.
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An 18-year-old male presents with chest pain with coughing for one day. The patient has no known medical history. 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 53-year-old man presents to urgent care concerned about a spreading rash underneath his arms for the past 3 weeks. He initially thought it was an allergic reaction to a new deodorant, but the rash persisted after stopping the deodorant. The rash is not itchy. The patient has a history of type 2 diabetes. On examination, a broad, well-demarcated, thin, scaly plaque is seen extending from the lateral chest over the axilla to the upper …
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Urgent Message: A quality improvement project demonstrated increased referral rates to primary care from an urgent care telemedicine service line for those who did not have a primary care provider. Brianna Woodruff, DNP, ARNP, FNP-C; Khara’ A. Jefferson, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, CHC Citation: Woodruff B, Jefferson K. Using Urgent-Care-Based Telemedicine to Increase Primary Care Referrals: A Quality Improvement Project. J Urgent Care Med. 2024; 18(5): 40-47. Key words: Effective care, primary care referral, telemedicine, urgent …
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Do you remember what it was like in the summer of 2020? If that summer had a theme, it would have been “overlooked.” Everyone was jumping up and down and waving their arms to get the attention of suppliers, government agencies, payers, diagnostic companies, and pharmaceutical companies so we could meet the needs of the patients literally lining up in front of our centers. We had to fight for every single thing we got, and …
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