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 active members of the AMA.
The latest numbers: According to Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc, President of Urgent Care Consultants and Senior Editor of JUCM, the number of urgent care centers in the United States has grown to more than 14,360 rooftops as of June 2024. It stands to reason that with consistent growth in the specialty comes greater motivation for clinicians who practice in urgent care settings to influence the larger healthcare ecosystem.