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October 25 -26, 2024
After two years of operation, the South East Regional Urgent Care Association held its inaugural SERUCA conference last week for Urgent Care operators and clinicians from the Southeast. For two days, those working in Urgent Care centers across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee enjoyed the networking and education in Atlanta.
“We wanted to put people together, and by putting people together, that creates an impetus to move the ball forward,” SERUCA Founder and President Bernie Short, MD said.
Held at the Crowne Plaza Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia, the SERUCA conference – themed as Ready, Set, Go! – allowed attendees such as EB Medicine CEO Stephanie Williford to network with peers, receive clinical information and hear from thought leaders and experts in both Urgent Care and healthcare technology.
“Attending the first SERUCA conference was crucial for my professional development and networking,” Williford said. “The event provided invaluable insights into Advocacy, education and the unique challenges facing Urgent Care in our region.”
Chirag Patel, MD with Carbon Health kicked off the conference on Friday with his presentation, “AI in Urgent Care, the Future is Now!” Patel proposed AI will allow patients to receive telemedicine but may cause many patients to continue visiting Urgent Care centers due to a lack of access to technology. However, he said clinicians will be unburned from administrative work by using AI’s data and algorithms to complete forms and fill out prior authorization and referrals. He concluded by saying AI will provide Urgent Care clinicians with access to a more robust history to manage chronic illnesses.
From fingers to hands to knees, education sessions on Saturday showed clinicians advanced presentations in an Urgent Care setting. Bryan Sirmon, MD with Georgia Hand, Shoulder, and Elbow said a hand injury is a common reason for Urgent Care visits and encouraged clinicians to gain confidence in treating those injuries. He displayed several images, including a mallet finger, a Seymour fracture and a subungual hematoma during his presentation, “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” Tatiana Havryliuk, MD with HelloSono called on a volunteer as she used an ultrasound to view the volunteer’s chest and knee on the projection screen. Her “Point-of-Care Ultrasound in Action: High-Yield Uses in Urgent Care” presentation covered the lung, deep vein thrombosis, soft tissue, the musculoskeletal system and the bladder.
Other tracks included “Drop Dead EKG Findings,” “Legal Lessons 101: Urgent Care Malpractice” and “Proven Methods for Growing Your Occupational Medicine Practice.”
For two days, clinicians and operators visited booths in the Exhibit Hall, learning about new solutions and technology to elevate their practices. Exhibitors consisted of EB Medicine, Blue Ridge Imaging Technologies, Patient Care Marketing Pros, Abbott and more.
Friday featured a panel discussion, moderated by Cassandra Donnelly, DO with Piedmont Urgent Care, among Bernie Short, MD, UCA Advocacy Manager Kristin Rastatter and Patrick O’Malley, MD with EB Medicine. They tackled hot topics surrounding Advocacy in Urgent Care in the Southeast. Rastatter encouraged those in attendance to reach out to SERUCA leaders, attend conferences, join committees and get involved.
“Advocating for higher reimbursement is key for Urgent Care centers to maintain quality, invest in resources and improve access,” Rastatter said. “Establishing strong relationships and presenting a united voice are important for making real progress, so attending SERUCA’s first annual conference was a great chance to discuss how everyone can get involved in the effort.”
Though Short was happy with the turnout, he hopes to see the SERUCA conference grow with more Urgent Care operators and clinicians.
“The conference had to start somewhere,” he said. “Even if it was a small start, it had to start somewhere. Next year, I can see it being much more significant and much bigger than this.”
“I was pleased with the turnout and how well things went for SERUCA’s inaugural conference,” SERUCA Vice President Tracey Davidoff, MD said. “We look forward to planning an even bigger and better conference for next fall.”
