Urgent care medicine is an exciting rapidly-developing specialty. Over the past sixteen years working in an urgent care medicine, I have had the opportunity to watch the field rapidly develop into a full-fledged speciality. Last year this culminated in the formation of the
Urgent Care Association of America. This was an exciting development as it marked the first time that urgent care physicians and administrators were represented in a fully-democratic national organization.
Urgent Care Convention – 2005
This last April, over 250 urgent care professionals gathered at the first annual UCAOA Convention in Orlando. The Convention was a smash hit. Administrators spent a full-day pre-conference learning billing skills from Elizabeth Woodcock, while fledgling urgent care entrepreneurs spent a full day learning the secrets of success from urgent care veterans. Quality educational programs were offered in both a clinical track and an administrative track. Jim Gore, MD and Ken Palistrant, MD were elected to the Board of Directors. The accreditation program of the Urgent Care Association was unveiled.
Urgent Care Center Accreditation
The urgent care center accreditation program will allow urgent care centers to get credit for providing quality urgent care services. The accreditation process will allow centers to evaluate and make conscious improvements in almost every area of the delivery of health care services.
Challenges and Developments in Urgent Care
The specialty of urgent care medicine has many challenges ahead. Over the upcoming months, I hope to share many of these challenges with our Practice Velocity customers and other visitors to the website. It will take the efforts of all of us in the urgent care industry to allow us to improve public access.
