September 12, 2024

Headlines

Urgent Care Convention Highlight Reel

See if You’re in It!

We captured so many great moments from our time together back in April for the 2024 Urgent Care Convention in Vegas. Relive the moments and see if you made it into the highlight reel, and we hope to see you again for the 2025 Convention in Dallas. Sign up to be notified when registration opens.

Call for Speakers Has Opened

Opportunities for Research Posters Available 

The 2025 Urgent Care Convention’s theme, Evolve, invites you to inspire and engage our community with your innovative ideas and expertise. You’ll find all event details and submission requirements below. We encourage you to think creatively about how you can incorporate the theme into your session submissions.
 
We deeply appreciate your continued dedication to sharing your knowledge and passion with our attendees.

College of Physicians Submits Application to SSS

First Step Toward Specialty Recognition

The Urgent Care College of Physicians (UCCOP) submitted its application to the Specialty and Service Society (SSS) of the American Medical Association (AMA) last week. It is a key strategic initiative to amplify the voice of Urgent Care clinicians within the AMA. As more clinicians choose Urgent Care medicine as a career, it is important to acknowledge the uniqueness and value of the services we provide.  Urgent Care medicine has a tremendous impact on the health of our communities and access to cost effective medicine. 

The application is simply the first step toward specialty recognition. We await the decision of the SSS which should be forthcoming in November. Entrance into the SSS requires a percentage of our physicians be active members of the AMA. Thank you to those physicians who recently signed up to assist us with this important initiative. It is time to be recognized. 

CAN Resource Hub for Healthcare Professionals

National Concussion Awareness Day Is September 20

As a member of the Concussion Awareness Now (CAN) Steering Committee, UCA is excited to announce the launch of the new resource hub on the CAN website for healthcare professionals, focused on aggregating high-quality resources from trusted sources and CAN coalition members.

We plan to highlight resources shared by CAN coalition members and hope you will help us in promoting this important resource, aimed at being a “friendly front door” for concussion-related education, tools and resources for healthcare providers and allied professionals.

The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) is still adding new resources, so if you have a resource you’d like to include, please contact Gina Peattie at gpeattie@biausa.org.

Discover Why You Should Be a UCA Member

UCA Members Stay Current and Connected

UCA advances the Urgent Care industry and supports your success through advocacy, education, research, collaboration and high standards of excellence.

Hippo Education's OUD Decoded: A DEA-Compliant Audio Course

DEA Renewal Just Got Easier 

Hippo’s OUD (opioid use disorder) Decoded covers everything you need to satisfy the new eight-hour DEA training requirement. This engaging audio course offers practical guidance on managing pain and treating opioid and substance use disorders, all in an easy-to-digest format. Stay compliant and stay focused on patient care with Hippo.

UCA Affiliates

Fellowship in the College of Urgent Care Medicine

Become a Fellow Today

With the addition of three new Fellows (DeVon Dahlke M.P.A.S., PA-C, FCUM; Ahmed Elbedewy, MD, MBA, CPE, DNBPAS, CHCQM, FAAP, FCUCM; and Stephanie Mercer, PA-C, FCUCM), Tracey Davidoff, MD, FCUCM, Chair of the CUCM Fellowship Committee, stated, “We are excited to have two highly distinguished physician assistants earn their FCUCM status as well as a physician who already has earned so many distinctions elect to pursue becoming a Fellow. Congratulations to all!”

Becoming a Fellow is open to physicians and APCs in Urgent Care medicine. Click here to learn more about becoming a Fellow or to view the growing list of your colleagues who have achieved the status.

The Latest Urgent Updates

Urgent Updates are curated highlights of guidelines, reviewed by (and some directly coming from) Urgent Care physicians. These highlights represent the actual intent of these articles and how they relate to the practice of Urgent Care medicine.

Meet CUCM's Three Newest Fellows

DeVon Dahlke M.P.A.S., PA-C, FCUM is an Urgent Care clinician, Provider Manager and Clinical Operations Manager for Sterling Urgent Care in Logan, UT. He is an active clinician providing Urgent Care services, occupational health and DOT physicals, while also serving as a managing partner of Sterling Provider Group. As the Clinical Operations Manager, he oversees clinical practice and processes for the multi-site, multi-state Sterling Clinics organization. DeVon received his Bachelor of Science degree and his master’s degree in physician assistant studies from Idaho State University.

Ahmed Elbedewy, MD, MBA, CPE, DNBPAS, CHCQM, FAAP, FCUCM is the newest physician to achieve the Fellow in the College of Urgent Care Medicine distinction. He has 10-plus years of experience as a pediatrician and has also attained an MBA in health informatics. Originally medically trained at Cairo University, Egypt, Dr. Elbedewy completed his residency training at Nassau University Medical Center in NY. He also obtained a fellowship in Pediatric Urgent Care Medicine. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatrics and the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians and is a Certified Physician Executive. Dr. Elbedewy has served in various roles which include Executive Medical Leader, Medical Director and Physician Reviewer. Tracey Davidoff, MD, FCUCM, Chair of the CUCM Fellowship Committee, stated, “We are excited to have someone who already has earned so many distinctions also elect to pursue becoming a Fellow in the College of Urgent Care Medicine.”

Stephanie Mercer, PA-C, FCUCM is a PA with GoHealth Urgent Care in New York state and serves as GoHealth’s National Chair of Coding and Documentation. As such, Stephanie is involved in education on coding and documentation related issues as well as making changes to the EHR templates to address the evolving state of documentation and coding. She received her Bachelor of Science degree and her master’s degree in physician assistant studies from Kings College in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

Webinars, Podcasts and Education

Solutions.Webinar: Sponsored by Solv | Closing the Payment Gap: Modernizing Urgent Care for Today's Patients

Webinar: Thursday, September 26 | 11:30 a.m. CT

Today’s patients expect modern payment options—yet many Urgent Care centers are still behind. It’s time to change that. Join us for a 30-minute webinar with Solv COO Teresa Asma and Lightspark VP Lizzy Eisenberg (former leader at Afterpay and Cash App). They’ll share how to modernize your payment systems to meet patient expectations. In this session, you’ll learn:
 
  • How outdated payment systems are affecting patient satisfaction and retention.
  • How transparency can help you reduce time to pay.
  • The benefits of modernizing payments—higher patient satisfaction, better collections, and a competitive edge.

Too Hot to Handle: Essential Strategies for Burn Care

On-Demand Training Webinar Available Monday

Missed the live webinar on September 12? Not a problem. Download the training on Monday, September 16, to hear from Debbie Harrell, MSN, RN as she explores the critical aspects of burn care management. This training will cover the prevalence and types of burns from thermal injuries to chemical burns and provide essential knowledge on treatment protocols. Learn about the nuances of accidental vs. non-accidental scald burns, the role of smoke detectors in reducing burn severity and the latest advancements in burn treatment, including autografts and dressing applications. Whether you’re dealing with minor burns or complex cases, this session will equip you with the skills to provide effective and compassionate care.

Respiratory Trend Report

Key Viruses to Watch This Week

Follow the Respiratory Trend Report by HealthTrackRx this respiratory season for updates every two weeks for key takeaways and trends in respiratory virus circulation.

Perspectives on PrEP Care - DKB

CME Eligible; Ending Soon

The Urgent and Convenient Care Associations have partnered with DKBmed to offer you this educational activity. Today’s landscape of healthcare delivery reveals a shift towards on-demand care, with more patients seeking care in Urgent Care and convenient care settings. Many individuals do not have a regular source of health care, and they rely on this accessible form of healthcare. Unfortunately, people who do not have a regular source of healthcare may miss out on routine screenings and preventive health interventions. HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is our primary tool against HIV, but it remains underutilized among those most susceptible to HIV.

This dynamic infographic empowers Urgent Care and convenient care clinicians to stand on the frontlines of prevention. Start the activity to learn how PrEP can prevent HIV, safeguard the health of our communities, and create a healthier, more equitable future.

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