The College of Urgent Care Medicine
Corticosteroid Stewardship
Steroid stewardship is the systematic effort to administer or prescribe glucocorticoids in a rational, evidence-based manner, balancing any benefits and the potential risks. There is evidence that even a short course of CS increases the risk of fracture, blood clots, GI bleeding, mood changes, sleep disturbances, heart failure, and sepsis.
Click Here to read the UCA/ CUCM Position on Corticosteroid Stewardship.
X-Ray Image Read & Interpretation
In May 2021, the American College of Radiology’s Council issued its resolution: “Nonphysician members of the healthcare team, such as radiologic technologists, nurses and others, should not be involved in the interpretation of an imaging examination…”
Click Here to read the UCA/ CUCM Position on the Read & Interpretation of X-ray Images
Syphilis – Benzathine Penicillin G Shortage
The CUCM Clinical Response Committee supports the use of benzathine penicillin G for the treatment of primary and secondary syphilis per CDC guidelines. We recommend clinics stock benzathine penicillin G if possible. If this is not feasible, or unavailable, we recommend aligning with your local public health department or other local clinic or hospital to arrange for patients to receive benzathine penicillin G in a timely fashion. Patients should be treated with doxycycline only if no other option for benzathine penicillin G exists.”
Click Here to read the UCA/ CUCM Position on Benzathine Penicillin G
Eliminating Preventable Maternal Mortality
The goals of this multidisciplinary effort include:
Statement Supporting Modernization of Physician Assistant Practice
The Urgent Care Association (UCA) and College of Urgent Care Medicine (CUCM) strongly support modernizing Physician Assistant (PA) practice. UCA and CUCM together are the largest trade and professional associations in urgent care with more than 4000 member centers representing urgent care clinical and business professionals from the United States and abroad.
Click Here to read the UCA/CUCM Statement Supporting Modernization of Physician Assistant Practice
Statement on Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination of Health Care Workers
July 28, 2021 – Due to the recent COVID-19 surge and the availability of safe and effective
vaccines, the College of Urgent Care Medicine (CUCM) and Urgent Care Association (UCA) join our fellow
healthcare associations and organizations in advocating that all health care employers require their workers to
receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Click Here to read the UCA/CUCM Joint Policy Statement on Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination of Health Care Workers.
Urgent Care Providers Respond to AMA’s Principles for Urgent Care
June 24, 2021 – During its June 2021 Special Meeting, the American Medical Association House of Delegates adopted a policy calling on entities that establish or operate urgent care centers to follow several principles focusing on the value of urgent care visits as complements to the primary care physician or usual source of care.
Click Here to read the UCA/CUCM Statement: Urgent Care Providers Respond to AMA’s Principles for Urgent Care.
Urgent Care Industry Responds to Criticism of UnitedHealthcare’s ER Policy
June 17, 2021 – The recent criticism of UnitedHealthcare’s ER policy plans (to review ER visits that were non-emergencies and consider changes in coverage) by the American Hospital Association and the American College of Emergency Physicians intimated that patient safety would be compromised if patients chose initially to be seen in a lower-cost site of care, such as an urgent care center.
Click Here to read the UCA/CUCM Statement: Urgent Care Industry Responds to Criticism of UnitedHealthcare’s ER policy