Steve Sellars, Cheif Excecutive Officer
As we close out 2025, I find myself reflecting on a year defined by both challenge and progress. It’s been a year of reconnection—of reestablishing relationships, realigning priorities, and recommitting to what makes Urgent Care such an essential part of healthcare. Whether through chapter conferences, advocacy meetings, or direct conversations with our members, one message continues to ring true: Our collective story has never been more important to tell, and data is one of the most powerful ways we can tell it.
Over the past several months, the Urgent Care Association (UCA) has focused on identifying how we, as a field, can better measure and demonstrate the value of Urgent Care. We’ve proven that we can improve access, relieve pressure on emergency departments, and provide care that’s efficient and cost-effective. But in today’s healthcare environment, knowing isn’t enough, showing is what moves the needle.
Demonstrate With Data
That’s why it’s essential that we invest more deeply in data initiatives that define and quantify the quality of care that Urgent Care delivers every day. From measuring visit outcomes and clinically appropriate prescribing to tracking screening utilization and follow-up effectiveness, our goal is to demonstrate that Urgent Care consistently provides high-quality, evidence-based care that leads to better health results.
When we pair these outcomes with compelling stories from our front lines—the families who received timely, effective treatment, the employers who saw healthier, more productive workers, and the communities that gained reliable access to care—we can present a narrative that resonates with patients, payers, employers, and policymakers alike.
But data isn’t just about advocacy, it’s also about insight. The more we measure, the better we become. Data helps us identify best practices, improve quality, benchmark performance, and elevate clinical excellence across our industry. It enables us to see not only where we stand, but where we can go next. UCA wants to turn those insights into action to help every member strengthen performance, improve outcomes, and raise the standard of care across Urgent Care.
Collaboration is Key
As this work expands, collaboration will be key. We can’t paint a complete picture of Urgent Care’s impact without the participation of our members. If you’re collecting outcomes data, piloting innovative models, or tracking trends that reflect Urgent Care’s value, I encourage you to share them with us. Together, we can build a more unified, evidence-based story of our collective contribution to healthcare.
As 2025 comes to an end, I want to thank each of you for your engagement, your ideas, and your unwavering commitment to your patients and teams. You are the foundation of this industry, and the reason Urgent Care continues to thrive, even in uncertain times. The innovation, resilience, and collaboration I’ve witnessed over the last few months give me tremendous confidence in our future.
Looking ahead to 2026, we’ll continue building on this momentum, expanding our data capabilities, amplifying Urgent Care’s voice in national conversations, and strengthening the support we provide to every member. Together, we’ll turn our experiences into measurable evidence, and our evidence into meaningful impact.
Thank you for your partnership and for all you do every day to advance Urgent Care. On behalf of the entire UCA team, I wish you and your loved ones a happy, healthy, and restful holiday season. I look forward to the work and the progress that lies ahead.