Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Could This Young Patient Really Have a STEMI? A Case Report of a Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection

Urgent Message: It is important to quickly obtain an electrocardiogram in patients presenting with chest pain or other symptoms suggestive of acute coronary syndrome, even for those who are young and without traditional coronary risk factors. Citation: Krauss WC. Could This Young Patient Really Have a STEMI? A Case Report of a Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection. J Urgent Care Med. 2024; 19 (1):21-23 Key Words: chest pain, spontaneous coronary artery dissection, acute coronary syndrome Abstract …

Development and Implementation of a Headache and Migraine Pathway in Pediatric Urgent Care: A Quality Improvement Initiative

Urgent Message: There are an estimated 250,000 visits annually associated with pediatric headaches in the United States, 84% of which are not treated according to best evidence-based practice (EBP). The development of an EBP headache and migraine pathway in a pediatric urgent care improved access to evidence-based guidelines and increased clinician confidence and knowledge regarding the diagnosis and management of headaches in children. Sarah J. Nembu, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, CPNP-AC; Melissa R. Penkalski, DNP, APRN, …

Mistaken Identity

For as long as I can remember, Urgent Care has defined itself in the context of something else. We’re “more than primary care but less than emergency,” and “we’re like those drugstore clinics but we can do a lot more.” Or “we fill a gap in on-demand access.” I guess that is necessary when you are new and small and unknown. The problem with this kind of definition is that it’s so other-dependent. The way …

Older Migraine Drugs Work Better, Cost Less

Some older triptan drugs are better at relieving acute migraine pain than newer drugs, a systematic review and analysis of 137 randomized controlled trials suggests. As published in BMJ, researchers considered pain relief and freedom from pain at 2 hours in addition to sustained freedom from pain at 24 hours for nearly 90,000 participants who were randomized to one of 17 oral migraine drugs or placebo. All 17 drugs studied were more effective than placebo. …

UCCOP Seeks AMA Specialty Recognition

The Urgent Care College of Physicians (UCCOP) recently submitted its application to the Specialty and Service Society (SSS) of the American Medical Association (AMA). The application is the first step toward specialty recognition. According to UCCOP, the strategic initiative is part of an effort to amplify the voice of urgent care clinicians within the AMA. The SSS decision should be forthcoming in November. Entrance into the SSS requires that a percentage of UCCOP physicians be …

CityMD Expands Into Connecticut

CityMD is set to open a new urgent care clinic in Norwalk, Connecticut, later this month. For the past 15 years, CityMD has operated clinics in New York and New Jersey, and the new location is the company’s first expansion beyond those 2 states, according to a press release. A second Connecticut location will open in Fairfield in 2025. New neighbors: CityMD partners with Summit Health, a multispecialty group that offers internal medicine, nephrology, and …

Northwell Health-GoHealth Earns Autism Friendly Designation

For patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a trip to a healthcare provider can cause distress. Many with ASD are particularly sensitive to light, sound, textures, and touches. Some have advocates, loved ones, or parents who assist with communication. Yet, few urgent care providers have the insight or the resources to improve the experience of clinic visits for those with ASD. Three Northwell Health-GoHealth pediatric centers in New York recently partnered with the national organization …

ED and UC Main Source of Care For Many Americans

The Aflac Wellness Matters Survey generally reports on routine medical check-ups and cancer screenings, barriers for patients in obtaining screenings, and influences that prompt patients to seek out check-ups and screenings. The recent 2024 report also provides a small snapshot of the urgent care patient population. As cited in the survey with just over 700 employed adults ages 18-65 responding, the emergency department and urgent care centers are the main source of healthcare for many …

Urgent Care Occupational Medicine Ensures Worker Safety

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently investigated a serious case of violations of worker safety standards that led to a 31-year-old factory employee who developed accelerated silicosis ultimately needing a double lung transplant. Other workers at the same home-products manufacturing facility in Chicago also reported unresolved lung disease from breathing silica dust, including severe illness that will require a lung transplant for at least one more employee in the future. Urgent care operators …

When An Urgent Care Contracts as Primary Care

Over the past 2 decades, urgent care has been on the forefront of consumerism. Increasingly, healthcare consumers are realizing how much they are contributing to the cost of healthcare delivery through taxes and payroll premium deductions, and therefore, they’re more motivated than ever to attain the full value of the benefits they’ve paid for. Urgent care has remained focused on the consumers’ sense of value by appealing directly to patients as clinics market their convenient …