BATAVIA, Ill., 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.
Ethically, our commitment to “do no harm” includes taking steps to prevent the spread and further evolution of the SARS-Cov-2 virus so we protect our patients, our colleagues and families, and ourselves. In addition, urgent care centers continue to bear the burden of testing and diagnosis of COVID-19, and often without adequate payment from commercial insurers. The longer the pandemic continues, the more it threatens the very existence of urgent care centers.
Urgent care centers have played a critical role throughout the pandemic, and once again they are desperately needed to ensure testing and COVID-19 diagnoses are readily available. Safe and healthy team members are essential for that to continue, so we urge all urgent care centers as well as other healthcare organizations to require their employees to be vaccinated.
We stand with the growing number of experts and institutions that support the requirement for universal vaccination of health workers. We do recognize that some workers cannot be vaccinated because of identified medical reasons and should be exempted, but this is a small minority and should be considered on a case-bycase basis alongside medical advice and applicable regulations.
We also recognize that fear and mistrust exists, and that continued efforts are necessary to address workers’ concerns as mandates are enacted. CUCM and UCA will continue to provide linkage to CDC and WHO resources for addressing vaccine hesitancy.
America’s urgent care centers are committed to providing high-quality on-demand healthcare in thousands of communities while also protecting the health and well-being of our teams who are called to deliver that care. The best scientific evidence indicates that COVID-19 vaccinations are safe and effective, and the surest way of controlling the spread of this continually evolving virus; therefore we endorse a mandate for HCW vaccinations and support all organizations that adopt such policies.
About the College of Urgent Care Medicine
The College of Urgent Care Medicine (CUCM) was founded by physicians from the Urgent Care Association to provide a physician voice for the specialty. In 2016 the membership of CUCM expanded to include physician assistants and nurse practitioners and in 2020 to include all UCA clinician members. CUCM and UCA continue to work closely to advance the clinical practice of urgent care medicine.
About the Urgent Care Association
he Urgent Care Association (UCA) is a membership association of leaders, providers, and suppliers in the field of on-demand, consumer-focused healthcare. UCA advances the industry and supports member success through advocacy, research, education, collaboration, and high standards of care. The association maintains an active online presence and member community for daily exchange of best practices. For more information, visit www.ucaoa.org.