September 24, 2026

For years, our Annual Convention has brought together Urgent Care clinicians, operators, executives and industry partners to learn, connect and grow.

We’re excited to introduce an experience that better reflects what this gathering has become:

𝗨𝗖𝗔 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟳 | 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟭 – 𝟰

Why Convergence? Because this event is 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. It’s where operators, clinicians, executives, and industry partners 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗨𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲.

At UCA Convergence, your experience is built around your goals:

While some things have changed, our commitment remains the same: bringing together the Urgent Care community to learn, lead and elevate our field.

𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲

𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝗹𝗺 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵, 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮 | 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟭-𝟰, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟳

𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗨𝗖𝗔 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗨𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿.

Great Urgent Care starts with exceptional people. That’s why UCA is excited to co-present the Staff Excellence Award with Experity at this year’s Limelight Awards. We want to recognize the individuals who go above and beyond to deliver outstanding patient care, elevate the patient experience and strengthen their teams every day.

This is your opportunity to shine a spotlight on the people who make Urgent Care exceptional.

Nominations are now open and must be submitted by October 15, 2026. Help recognize the unsung heroes of Urgent Care by nominating a deserving colleague today.

A study highlighted in the Journal of Urgent Care Medicine explored how computer use during patient visits impacts the patient experience. The findings suggest that while electronic health records are essential to care delivery, the way clinicians use computers in the exam room can influence patient perceptions of communication, engagement and overall satisfaction.

For Urgent Care clinicians, the takeaway is clear: maintaining eye contact, explaining how technology supports care and balancing screen time with patient interaction can help preserve the personal connection patients value. As technology continues to play a larger role in healthcare, thoughtful exam room communication remains a key driver of patient satisfaction and trust.

Registration is open for the 2026 North East Regional Urgent Care Association (NERUCA) Conference from October 4 – 6 in Montville, CT. This is where Urgent Care owners, operators, clinicians and vendors will convene for an enriching experience focused on Urgent Care leadership and hands-on skills development.

This dynamic event aims to address pressing industry challenges while offering essential continuing medical education (CME) courses for providers.

Attendees will have ample networking opportunities to connect, share insights and explore collaborative solutions in the ever-evolving landscape of Urgent Care.

Mercy-GoHealth Urgent Care has successfully renewed its Accreditation, Urgent Care Certification and Antibiotic Stewardship Commendation across 42 centers serving Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.

This achievement demonstrates Mercy-GoHealth Urgent Care’s ongoing commitment to maintaining the highest standards of quality, safety and consistency in patient care. By renewing these distinguished recognitions, the organization continues to showcase its dedication to clinical excellence, exceptional patient experiences, operational best practices and continuous improvement across its growing network of centers.

Walk In MD Clinic Urgent Care has successfully renewed its Accreditation, Urgent Care Certification, Occupational Health Certification and Antibiotic Stewardship Commendation across its two centers in Massachusetts.

You’ll walk away with:

Don’t forget: Accredited and Certified centers with the current Standards Manual receive a $500 registration discount.

Whether you’re preparing for your first survey or looking to strengthen your Accreditation efforts, this workshop delivers the guidance, resources and support you need to move forward with confidence.

Seats are filling quickly. Secure your place today before registration reaches capacity.

Looking for practical strategies to improve STI care in the Urgent Care setting?

In collaboration with Roche, we are proud to offer 𝗦𝗧𝗜 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹-𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲, an on-demand educational resource designed for those seeking actionable approaches to screening, testing, treatment and patient engagement.

Explore expert insights, real-world considerations and strategies you can apply in practice at your convenience.

Thank you to all the Nurse Practitioners and Physician Associates who bring expertise, compassion and excellence to Urgent Care every day. Your dedication helps deliver high-quality care to countless patients and communities across the country.

Looking to connect with fellow APCs, share insights and grow your impact in Urgent Care? Join the 𝗔𝗣𝗖 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 (𝗦𝗜𝗚) and become part of a dedicated community of NPs and PAs shaping the future of the specialty.

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

Tuesday, October 6 | 11 am – 12 pm CT

Join Vertex’s expert-led discussion on a treatment for acute pain in adults. Explore the product’s clinical trial results and learn how to identify patients who may benefit from this treatment.

Wednesday, October 7 | 12 pm – 1 pm CT

M&A can be a powerful path to growth, but why would you ever walk away from a clinic with strong revenue and positive patient reviews?

Carbon Health co-founder Caesar Djavaherian shares lessons from the company’s M&A journey, including what operators should examine before a deal, the chart-level signals that can reveal risks to revenue quality, and the assumptions that often lead buyers in the wrong direction.

Join us on October 7 to learn how Carbon Health built greater oversight into its M&A process and what Caesar would evaluate first knowing what he knows now.

Wednesday, September 30 | 2 pm – 3 pm CT

Who is this session for:

Urgent Care owners and decision makers who want strategies for DME and bracing profitability – either by cost avoidance or by revenue generation; in order to improve financial performance without increasing administrative load.

Conversation highlights:

Featured speakers:

Urgent Insights are timely conversations impacting the business of Urgent Care.

This session is sponsored by Enovis as part of the UCA Urgent Insights series. Urgent Insights is a sponsored educational discussion facilitated by the Urgent Care Association (UCA). Sponsorship and participation do not constitute endorsement by UCA of any company, product, service, recommendation, position, or viewpoint expressed during the session. Opinions, data, and recommendations shared by speakers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of UCA.

Tuesday, October 13 | 12 pm – 1 pm CT

Human trafficking can go unnoticed in healthcare environments, even when professionals are in a position to observe potential indicators. Save the date for Human Trafficking: The Crime Hidden in Plain Sight, a UCA webinar featuring Thomas Ruck. Participants will explore potential indicators, appropriate response strategies, reporting considerations and ways to increase team and organizational preparedness.

Pediatric Asthma Flares Rise After School Resumes

Pediatric asthma flares spike sharply once school starts, with a French 2025 dataset showing the peak hitting in week two of the new term — ED visits jumped 135% and urgent home-care calls rose 111%. Drivers include increased exposure to respiratory viruses, allergens, and indoor pollutants, combined with interruptions in controller treatment during summer break. Classroom exposure to VOCs and formaldehyde, plus irregular or skipped maintenance medication over the summer, compound the risk. Urgent Care Clinical implications: Clinicians should review each child’s asthma control, confirm inhaler technique, and update their written action plan. Push flu vaccination early so protection kicks in before viral season ramps up — clinician recommendation remains one of the biggest levers for parent uptake. Full Access: Medscape

Fertility Treatments and the Risk of Kawasaki Disease Among Offspring

This nationwide Japanese birth cohort study found that fertility treatments were linked to a higher risk of Kawasaki disease before age 5. Compared with spontaneous conception, ovulation induction, intrauterine insemination and IVF all raised risk by roughly 40–60%, while ICSI showed no increased risk. Researchers suspect the hormonal and epigenetic effects of ovarian stimulation and lab-based fertilization may drive this. Urgent Care Clinical implications: Urgent Care clinicians should ask about conception history when evaluating a young child for possible Kawasaki. Full Access: JAMA

Gestational Hypertension Has Increased, Affecting 1 in 10 Pregnancies

A CDC report analyzing US birth certificate data from 2016–2024 found that gestational hypertension rates jumped 73%, from 6% to 10.4% of pregnancies. That’s a rise from roughly 236,000 to over 377,000 cases a year. The increase was seen broadly across the population, not just in specific subgroups. Experts link the trend to rising rates of obesity, gestational diabetes and older maternal age at pregnancy. Urgent Care Clinical implications: Urgent Care clinicians seeing pregnant patients should screening BP during every visit, even in low-risk visits and should refer urgently for signs suggesting progression to preeclampsia. Full Access: JAMA

Are E-Scooters More Dangerous Than Motorcycles and Bicycles?

This UK study compared e-scooter, motorcycle and pedal-cycle trauma using national registry data (2020–22) and rental operator data (33M+ rides). E-scooter riders had over 3x the risk of traumatic brain injury and vascular trauma compared to motorcyclists, plus higher internal organ injury risk—though fewer fractures. Helmet use was rare (under 6%), kids made up a disproportionate injury share, and women faced higher injury severity. Crash rates tracked with local deprivation, while injuries were more severe in wealthier areas. Urgent Care Clinical implications: Urgent Care clinicians should consider a lower threshold for imaging in e-scooter trauma given the outsized TBI and abdominal/vascular injury burden, even without an obvious fracture. Ask about helmet use and counsel accordingly, especially with pediatric and female patients. Full Access: Nature

Cefepime and Mortality—A Dosing Problem, Not a Drug Problem

A meta-analysis of 110 trials found cefepime linked to higher 30-day mortality than other β-lactams, most clearly in adults, febrile neutropenia or severe infections, and at higher doses. That conflicts with the FDA’s earlier finding of no added risk. The authors and an accompanying commentary still don’t recommend dropping the drug. They call all-cause mortality a blunt outcome in critically ill patients, and suggest the deaths may reflect under- or overexposure rather than the drug itself. Cefepime’s safety margin is narrower than that of other β-lactams, so dosing matters. Urgent Care clinical implications: This shouldn’t change practice for typical Urgent Care use, but dose cefepime carefully for renal function and watch for neurotoxicity (confusion, myoclonus) in older adults. Full Access: JAMA

Infant Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Childhood Asthma: A Nationwide Registry-Based, Sibling-Controlled, And Genome-Wide Association Study

Researchers combined Finnish registry data on nearly 1 million children with Nordic genetic cohorts to ask whether severe infant RSV causes childhood asthma or just flags kids already prone to it. Children hospitalized with RSV in their first year had about 3.7 times the risk of later recurrent wheeze or asthma, and the link held in sibling comparisons. Unaffected siblings also had about double the usual rate, so family susceptibility plays a part too. RSV-related wheeze started earlier, needed more inhaled steroids at ages 1–2, faded after age 5, and came with lower eosinophils, which suggests a more transient, less allergic pattern. Urgent Care Clinical implications: Expect early, non-allergic wheeze in children with a history of RSV hospitalization, and reassess the need for controller therapy over time rather than assuming lifelong asthma. Ask about infant RSV history, and reassure families that many of these children improve by school age. Full Access: The Lancet

Most Americans Know How to Control Mosquitoes; Many Unsure How to Use Insect Repellent

A new Annenberg survey found that most people know the basics: 82% say preventing bites and controlling mosquitoes at home is the best defense against West Nile and dengue, and 64% routinely take precautions. Knowledge of how to use repellent is much weaker. Only 31% know to apply sunscreen first and repellent second, 15% know repellent shouldn’t go under clothing, and 18% know to look for an EPA-registered product. Only 16% worry about catching one of these diseases, and 56% can’t identify West Nile symptoms. The CDC has reported 504 human West Nile cases in 41 states so far this year, 363 of them neuroinvasive. Urgent Care Clinical implications: Clinicians should counsel on repellent: EPA-registered products, sunscreen first, nothing under clothing, none for infants under 2 months. Keep West Nile on the differential for febrile or neurologic presentations during mosquito season, since patients often won’t connect their symptoms to a bite. Full Access: APCC

Nationwide Increase in Reported Human Rabies Exposures: Rabies Post-exposure Prophylaxis Administration

CDC issued a Health Advisory on September 10 about a nationwide rise in rabies exposures and errors in post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Rabies inquiries to CDC were up 17% in July and August compared with last year, and use of rabies vaccine and HRIG rose about 33% and 76%. Supplies are fine, but mistakes lead to unnecessary treatment, adverse effects, and cost. The most common errors are gluteal vaccine injections, poor HRIG infiltration of wounds, mixing HRIG and vaccine in one syringe or site, and giving HRIG to previously vaccinated patients. Urgent Care Clinical implications: Do a careful risk assessment before starting PEP, check prior vaccination and immune status, and call your health department. Full Access: CDC

October 8, 2026

Each year, National PA Week provides an opportunity to recognize the remarkable contributions Physician Associates (PAs) make to patient care across the healthcare industry. In Urgent Care, their impact is especially significant.

PAs are often among the first healthcare professionals patients encounter when seeking care for illnesses, injuries and unexpected health concerns. Their clinical expertise, adaptability and commitment to patient-centered care help ensure patients receive timely, high-quality treatment when they need it most.

Beyond direct patient care, many PAs serve as leaders, educators, mentors and advocates within the Urgent Care profession. Their contributions help shape clinical best practices, support workforce development and strengthen the future of healthcare delivery.

During National PA Week, UCA proudly celebrates the Physician Associates whose dedication, compassion and expertise make a lasting difference every day. Thank you for the care you provide, the lives you impact and your commitment to advancing the Urgent Care profession.

Behind every great Urgent Care center are team members who go the extra mile. UCA and Experity are proud to recognize those remarkable individuals through the Staff Excellence Award at this year’s Limelight Awards.

If someone on your team consistently demonstrates excellence in patient care, teamwork and service, now is the time to give them the recognition they deserve. The nomination deadline is October 15, 2026. Don’t miss the opportunity to shine a spotlight on an outstanding colleague. Submit your nomination today.

The UCA Convergence 2027 Call for Proposals is now open, and we invite clinicians, operators, executives, educators, researchers, innovators, advocates and industry partners to help create an engaging and impactful learning experience for our community.

We’re looking for practical, credible and engaging contributions that help attendees:

We’re seeking contributors who can share real-world lessons, actionable strategies and practical solutions that attendees can immediately apply.

Important Dates

Submit your proposal by November 15.

As vaccine hesitancy continues to influence pediatric healthcare, a recent study examined the attitudes of families seeking care in Urgent Care centers. Researchers found that concerns about vaccine safety, effectiveness and necessity remain common, underscoring the ongoing challenges clinicians face when discussing immunizations with parents and caregivers.

The findings highlight the important role Urgent Care clinicians can play in building trust, addressing misinformation and supporting informed decision-making. By understanding the factors that contribute to vaccine hesitancy, clinicians can strengthen patient conversations and help improve confidence in recommended childhood vaccinations.

Ottehr is a revolutionary EHR for Urgent Care practices.

Our AI-enabled platform bundles all of the most important features – Ambient Scribe, AI-assisted charting/coding/billing, RCM support – into one low monthly fee on one platform.

Solutions.Vantage are sponsored content.

UCA’s Industry Perspectives series brings practical ideas, trends and insights from companies working alongside you in the Urgent Care space.

This issue spotlights bioMérieux’s video resource (60-min watch), Pathogen Surveillance Today: Why It Matters and Where We Need to Go (Episode 1), which explores how stronger surveillance, connected data sources and modernized reporting can help healthcare organizations improve situational awareness, identify emerging threats faster and make more informed operational and clinical decisions.

Industry Perspectives are sponsored content.

The College of Urgent Care Medicine is proud to welcome Lindsay Bishop, MSN, APRN, FNP, FCUCM, in our latest class of Fellows.

An experienced Nurse Practitioner and clinical leader, Lindsay has built an impressive career spanning Urgent Care, occupational medicine, clinical operations, quality improvement and clinician development. Throughout her career, she has successfully bridged frontline patient care with strategic leadership, helping organizations improve clinical performance, enhance quality and patient safety and strengthen clinician engagement and development.

Lindsay’s ability to connect organizational strategy with the realities of frontline care exemplifies the leadership, innovation and dedication recognized through Fellowship. We congratulate Lindsay Bishop, FCUCM, on this well-deserved achievement and welcome her as the newest Fellow of the College of Urgent Care Medicine

The College of Urgent Care Medicine is proud to welcome Christina Helsby Ray, MMSc, PA-C, FCUCM, in our latest class of Fellows.

Christina is an accomplished healthcare executive and clinical leader whose career has been dedicated to strengthening clinical operations, clinician development, quality improvement and patient care across the Urgent Care setting.

A collaborative and forward-thinking leader, Christina has played a key role in fostering strong partnerships between clinical teams, healthcare systems and operational leaders. Her dedication to clinical excellence, workforce development and innovation has helped shape the future of Urgent Care while maintaining a steadfast commitment to patient-centered care.

We congratulate Christina Helsby Ray, MMSc, PA-C, FCUCM, on this well-deserved achievement and look forward to her continued contributions to advancing Urgent Care medicine.

The College of Urgent Care Medicine is proud to welcome Colleen Marzilli, PhD, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, NEA-BC, PHNA-BC, CNE, MedSurg-BC, CCM, FCUCM, in our latest class of Fellows.

Dr. Marzilli’s career reflects a remarkable dedication to healthcare leadership, nursing advocacy, academic excellence and patient care. An accomplished academic leader, Dr. Marzilli has served in faculty and program leadership roles, helping to develop innovative educational programs, support student success and advance evidence-based practice.

In addition to her academic and leadership accomplishments, Dr. Marzilli remains actively engaged in clinical practice, providing care across Urgent Care, primary care and emergency settings. Her commitment to quality improvement, clinician education, patient-centered care and professional advocacy has made a lasting impact on both the nursing profession and the communities she serves.

Through her leadership, scholarship, clinical excellence and dedication to developing future healthcare leaders, Dr. Marzilli exemplifies the values recognized through Fellowship. We congratulate Colleen Marzilli, PhD, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, NEA-BC, PHNA-BC, CNE, MedSurg-BC, CCM, FCUCM, on this well-deserved achievement and celebrate the impact she continues to make across clinical practice, academia and healthcare leadership.

If you are interested in becoming a Fellow, use the link below.

When it comes to diagnostic testing, the right decision can have a significant impact on patient care, operational efficiency and your bottom line.

𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘄𝗮𝗯: 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 explores the real-world considerations behind building an effective testing strategy in Urgent Care. This on-demand course covers topics including CLIA-waived versus CLIA-moderate testing, common pitfalls, platform selection, reimbursement considerations, clinician education and more.

You’ll gain practical insights to help strengthen diagnostic decision-making and optimize testing in your center.

Explore this free resource and elevate your testing strategy

The College of Urgent Care Medicine (CUCM) and the Urgent Care College of Physicians (UCCOP) were proud to participate in this year’s Royal New Zealand College of Urgent Care (RNZCUC) Bootcamp and Fellowship Ceremony — an event made even more meaningful as RNZCUC marked its 25th year of Urgent Care’s recognition as a specialty. The occasion underscored the growing international momentum behind Urgent Care as a distinct clinical field.

A highlight of the program was a panel discussion on the global perspective of Urgent Care, featuring CUCM/UCCOP’s immediate past president Dr. Cesar Jaramillo and past president Dr. Chris Chao, Journal of Urgent Care Medicine’s (JUCM) Editor-in-Chief and CUCM/UCCOP President Dr. Lindsey Fish, and the Urgent Care Association’s President Dr. Cassandra Donnelly, alongside guests representing other countries. The conversation offered a rare side-by-side look at how Urgent Care is developing across different health systems, and where international colleges can learn from, support and collaborate with one another.

On the clinical education side, Dr. Chao delivered a well-received presentation, “Right Test, Right Patient, Right Time: Point-of-Care Testing for Respiratory Infections in Urgent Care,” sharing practical, evidence-based guidance for frontline Urgent Care clinicians.

The CUCM/UCCOP team also attended the Fellowship Ceremony, celebrating RNZCUC’s newest fellows, and took part in a research network workshop aimed at building collaborative infrastructure for Urgent Care research. JUCM’s continued participation added to a strong multi-organization presence at the event.

CUCM/UCCOP shared updates on the Colleges’ work and strategic planning, and explored avenues for future collaboration with international partners. The energy in the room was contagious; colleagues from around the world engaged deeply with topics directly shaping the future of Urgent Care practice, united by shared goals and a shared commitment to high-quality care.

Moments like this remind us why international representation matters so deeply to our specialty. Urgent Care looks different in every health system, and every delegation that crosses an ocean to sit at the same table brings back perspective, expertise and relationships that no single country could build alone.

Steve Sellars, Chief Executive Officer

For much of Urgent Care’s history, convenience was our calling card. Walk-in access, extended hours, seven-day availability, and locations close to where people live and work changed what patients expected from healthcare. Convenience helped build this field, but it won’t be the only thing defining our future.

Last month, I wrote about the forces reshaping healthcare: growing challenges with primary care access, rising costs, pressure on emergency departments, and employers searching for better ways to connect their workforce with affordable care. Those challenges create an enormous opportunity for Urgent Care, but they also ask more of us.

The next evolution of Urgent Care is about becoming an even stronger healthcare partner. That starts with recognizing what we do, and what we don’t do. Urgent Care isn’t a replacement for primary care. Patients need longitudinal relationships with primary care clinicians, particularly for chronic disease management and preventive care. Hospitals and emergency departments remain essential for patients requiring higher-acuity services. But between those settings is an enormous and growing need for timely, high-quality and affordable, everyday healthcare. That’s where Urgent Care excels.

Each day, approximately half a million patients turn to Urgent Care. Our clinicians evaluate illnesses and injuries, perform diagnostic testing, provide occupational health services, identify conditions requiring higher levels of care, and help patients determine what should happen next. That last part is increasingly important.

Being the front door to everyday healthcare isn’t simply about treating the patient in front of us. It’s about helping that patient move appropriately through a very complicated healthcare system. Imagine the opportunity when an Urgent Care visit more seamlessly connects a patient back to primary care, helps a health system avoid unnecessary emergency department utilization, gives an employer’s workforce faster access to appropriate care, or identifies a patient who needs more specialized treatment. In that model, our value extends beyond the individual visit.

For clinicians, this evolution reinforces the importance of clinical excellence, appropriate referrals, care coordination, and practicing at the top of our capabilities.

For operators, it creates opportunities to build stronger relationships with health systems, employers, payers, and other healthcare partners.

It also requires us to demonstrate our value. Access matters, but increasingly, our partners will expect evidence of quality, outcomes, appropriate utilization, patient experience, and cost. That’s why UCA’s work around Advocacy, benchmarking, quality standards, industry data, and initiatives like the Bring Congress to Urgent Care campaign is so important. Through that campaign, we’re inviting policymakers into our centers to see firsthand the quality, access, and value Urgent Care delivers to patients, communities, and the broader healthcare system. Together, these efforts help build the credibility required for Urgent Care to assume a larger role in healthcare delivery.

That credibility, and the relationships that support it, will be increasingly important moving forward. The organizations that thrive won’t simply be those that see the most patients or operate the most centers. They will be those that understand how Urgent Care fits into the larger healthcare ecosystem and build relationships that make the entire system work better.

We should be proud that convenience helped establish Urgent Care. Now we have an opportunity to build on it. Our next chapter is about becoming more connected, more measurable and more valuable to patients, employers, payers, and healthcare partners who increasingly depend on us. That’s how we move from being a convenient place to receive care to an indispensable partner in delivering it.

Risk of Post-acute Symptoms and Conditions After SARS-CoV-2 Compared to Other Respiratory Viral Infections: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Researchers pooled 14 cohort studies comparing lingering symptoms in adults after SARS-CoV-2 with those after other respiratory viruses, mostly influenza-like illness, influenza and RSV. Only a few outcomes were clearly more common after COVID: pulmonary embolism, abnormal breathing, fatigue, hemorrhagic stroke, brain fog and palpitations. Heart rate abnormalities were borderline, and most other outcomes were no more frequent than after other viral infections. The authors conclude that post-COVID condition is one example of a broader group of post-acute infection syndromes, not something entirely unique to SARS-CoV-2. Urgent Care Clinical implications: Clinicians should take persistent fatigue, dyspnea, palpitations, and cognitive complaints seriously after any respiratory virus, not just COVID. Keep PE and cardiopulmonary causes on the differential for patients with post-COVID breathing or heart symptoms. Full Access: International Journal of Infectious Diseases

Nationwide Increase in Reported Human Rabies Exposures: Rabies Post-exposure Prophylaxis Administration

CDC issued a Health Advisory on September 10 about a nationwide rise in rabies exposures and errors in post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Rabies inquiries to CDC were up 17% in July and August compared with last year, and use of rabies vaccine and HRIG rose about 33% and 76%. Supplies are fine, but mistakes lead to unnecessary treatment, adverse effects, and cost. The most common errors are gluteal vaccine injections, poor HRIG infiltration of wounds, mixing HRIG and vaccine in one syringe or site and giving HRIG to previously vaccinated patients. Urgent Care Clinical implications: Do a careful risk assessment before starting PEP, check prior vaccination and immune status and call your health department. Full Access: CDC

Deaths: Leading Causes for 2024

National Center for Health Statistics reports that the 10 leading causes accounted for 70.9% of all U.S. deaths in 2024, with the ranked order largely unchanged from 2023. Heart disease (22.2%) and malignant neoplasms (20.2%) remained first and second, followed by accidents/unintentional injuries (6.4%), cerebrovascular disease (5.4%), and chronic lower respiratory disease (4.7%). The most notable movement was suicide rising from 11th to 10th, while COVID-19 fell from 10th to 15th on a 37% year-over-year decline in deaths. Unintentional injury was the leading cause of death for every age group from 1 through 44 years. Urgent Care Clinical Implications: The dominance of unintentional injury across all working-age groups reinforces that trauma, overdose, and injury-related presentations are the highest-yield targets for risk assessment and intervention in the ambulatory and Urgent Care setting. Full Access: NVSS

Antibiotic Treatment and Antimicrobial Resistance in Urinary Tract Infections Among the Older Population in Denmark, 1999–2023

This national register-based surveillance study tracked prescribing of four UTI antibiotics (pivmecillinam, sulfamethizole, trimethoprim, nitrofurantoin) in Danes ≥70 years and resistance in E. coli and K. pneumoniae urine isolates. UTI antibiotic consumption peaked in 2014 and fell 28.4% by 2023, while resistance to all four agents declined significantly from 2018 to 2023 — trends the authors attribute to national stewardship initiatives begun after 2013. Notably, pivmecillinam use rose 3.5-fold yet its resistance fell, and the number of urine isolates rose over the period, hinting at more infections or more testing. The design is descriptive and ecological, so the stewardship-to-resistance link is correlational, not causal; the agents and the ≥70 primary-care/long-term-care population also limit US applicability. Urgent Care Clinical implications: The one portable, guideline-consistent takeaway is that pivmecillinam maintains low resistance despite heavy use and is a rational first-line agent for uncomplicated UTI. Full Access: Europe’s Journal on Infectious Disease

New Syphilis Tools App

Frontline clinicians are likely finding that diagnosing syphilis can be challenging — limited time, competing priorities, and complex diagnostics make it hard to act confidently and quickly. That is exactly why CDC funded this project and partnership with the University of Washington. Syphilis Tools is a new, free app that healthcare providers can use as a clinical reference for syphilis screening, testing, and treatment. Urgent Care Clinical Implications: Clinician can use interactive tools within the app to interpret serologic tests, identify syphilis stages, determine treatment regimens, and monitor titers, all from one app. Full Access: CDC

24 AI tools ranked for patient safety: Stanford, Harvard study

Stanford and Harvard researchers benchmarked 24 AI systems (20 generalist LLMs and 4 retrieval-augmented clinical tools) on 1,100 real physician-to-specialist consult cases, scored by 29 board-certified physicians. The four medical-specific tools (AMBOSS LiSA, Doximity Ask, OpenEvidence, Glass Health) tied for best, with potentially severe harmful errors in 2.9-5.4% of cases, versus roughly 9-25% for the generalist models. More than 80% of severe errors were omissions (recommending too little) rather than harmful actions. Urgent Care implications: Clinical decision support in Urgent Care should favor evidence-grounded, medical-specific tools over general chatbots, and since omission is the dominant failure mode, clinicians should use AI to check for missed workup, follow-up, and referral steps rather than as a sole answer. AI should be used carefully and should not replace evidence-based recommendations. Full Access: Becker Hospital Review

Consistency Key to Managing Pediatric Constipation

At AAP 2026, pediatric GI specialist, argued that managing pediatric constipation depends on consistency. Treatment starts with an effective disimpaction (oral PEG or magnesium citrate, sometimes with a stimulant laxative, often done at home). Otherwise, softener alone can cause leakage around retained stool, and families wrongly conclude it isn’t working. Maintenance therapy then aims for a soft stool daily, paired with scheduled toilet sits, foot-stool positioning, and rewards for behaviors the child controls, such as taking medication and sitting. Recovery can take months to years, so written green/yellow/red action plans and school bathroom accommodations help prevent relapse. Urgent Care Clinical Implications: Urgent Care visits often catch children at the impaction or overflow-soiling stage, so offering a home cleanout plan and clear counseling that fiber or a short softener course alone won’t fix it can prevent repeat visits. Give a written action plan and arrange prompt PCP follow-up to carry the maintenance phase. Full Access: Contemporary Pediatrics

Post-Treatment Vaginal Microbiota Predicts Bacterial Vaginosis Recurrence in Concurrently Treated Couples

This post-hoc pooled analysis gave women standard 7-day oral metronidazole and their male partners oral metronidazole plus topical 2% clindamycin. Repeat BV at 4 weeks was 20.7%, well below the 46% in the untreated-partner control arm of the StepUp trial. Women whose Nugent score was still 4-10 on day 8, before resuming sex, had about 2.8 times the risk of repeat BV (about 35% vs 12%). IUD users trended toward higher risk. The authors conclude that re-infection and persistence of BV-associated organisms are distinct, overlapping pathways, and that partner treatment only addresses the first. Urgent Care Clinical Implications: For recurrent BV, partner treatment will not fix persistence, so repeating the same regimen in a woman who never cleared is likely to fail, and a short-interval recheck before resuming sex may identify those women. Full Access: The Lancet

October 22, 2026

Now featured on UC Compass, the UC Ready designation recognizes Urgent Care organizations that have adopted a structured, standards-aligned approach to assessing and supporting clinician readiness during onboarding. The designation highlights employers that are committed to helping clinicians build the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to thrive in the Urgent Care environment. Make sure to filter “UC ready” to see your list of options

For job seekers, UC Ready serves as a trusted indicator that an organization values professional development and has invested in a thoughtful onboarding process. For employers, it offers a way to demonstrate their commitment to workforce excellence, quality care and continuous improvement. As Urgent Care continues to grow and evolve, initiatives like UC Ready help connect talented clinicians with organizations dedicated to setting them up for success from day one.

Register now and find your people

Help shape what comes next for Urgent Care at UCA Convergence 2027.

We’re inviting clinicians, operators, executives, researchers, educators, innovators, advocates and industry partners to propose practical, credible and engaging contributions that can help the Urgent Care community make better decisions, improve care, strengthen organizations and advance the field.

Have expertise, evidence, experience, research or a tested approach to share? 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝘆 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟱.

UCA’s Industry Perspectives series brings practical ideas, trends, and insights from companies working alongside you in the Urgent Care space. Procedures stall when room setup depends on memory.

In this free Industry Perspectives article, Bionix® and Owen Dahl show how standardized readiness, including illuminated tools, ReadyHub™ staging and preparation guidance, helps Urgent Care teams prepare consistently on every shift.

Industry Perspectives are sponsored content.

The College of Urgent Care Medicine is proud to welcome David A. Miller, MD, MHA, CHCEF, FCUCM, FAAFP, in our latest class of Fellows.

Dr. Miller brings more than 30 years of experience in medicine, with a career spanning primary care, Urgent Care, clinical leadership, and healthcare administration. A longtime advocate for accessible, high-quality care, he developed and implemented an Urgent Care program at a federally qualified community health center and spent more than a decade providing clinical and administrative leadership for the program.

Throughout his career, Dr. Miller has balanced patient care with broader healthcare leadership. He currently serves as a healthcare executive overseeing a wide range of clinical and operational services while continuing to practice as an Urgent Care provider. His experience also extends to emergency management, disaster relief, physician leadership, and community service.

A dedicated leader within the medical profession, Dr. Miller has held leadership positions in professional organizations and has been recognized for his contributions to Family Medicine, including being named Missouri Family Physician of the Year in 2021.

Dr. Miller’s longstanding dedication to patient care, clinical leadership, community service, and the advancement of Urgent Care reflects the values recognized through Fellowship. We are proud to welcome David A. Miller, MD, MHA, CHCEF, FCUCM, FAAFP, as a Fellow of the College of Urgent Care Medicine.

The College of Urgent Care Medicine is proud to welcome Katlyn Poupore, MSN, FNP-BC, FCUCM, in our latest class of Fellows.

An experienced Family Nurse Practitioner and healthcare leader, Katlyn has built her career around advancing clinical excellence, strengthening healthcare operations, and supporting the growth and development of advanced practice providers. Her experience spans Urgent Care, occupational health, family medicine, and emergency medicine, giving her a broad perspective on delivering high-quality, patient-centered care.

Throughout her career, Katlyn has led initiatives focused on clinical quality, operational performance, workforce planning, and provider development. She has also played an important role in developing fellowship and academic programs, mentoring advanced practice providers and nursing students, and creating evidence-based educational initiatives that support professional growth and clinical excellence.

With a collaborative approach to leadership, Katlyn is committed to connecting organizational strategy with frontline patient care while creating opportunities for clinicians to learn, grow, and succeed. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice to further strengthen her expertise in clinical leadership.

Katlyn’s dedication to clinical excellence, education, innovation, and the advancement of healthcare professionals reflects the values recognized through Fellowship. We are proud to welcome Katlyn Poupore, MSN, FNP-BC, FCUCM, as a Fellow of the College of Urgent Care Medicine.

Urgent Caring, the quarterly peer-reviewed publication of the Urgent Care College of Physicians (UCCOP) in collaboration with the College of Urgent Care Medicine (CUCM), is now accepting submissions for First Quarter 2027 and future issues.

Urgent Care is its own specialty — and the people who know it best are the ones practicing it every day. That’s you.

We accept submissions on a rolling basis. Send your work whenever it’s ready, and we’ll place it in an upcoming issue.

Feature articles we’re looking for:

Short pieces — we want these too!

Not every contribution needs to be a full article. These short items help fill out each issue, and they’re a great way to get involved:

Peer reviewers wanted!

We’re also looking for members willing to review submissions. It’s a great way to sharpen your own writing and give back to the specialty.

Why publish with Urgent Caring?

How to submit: Visit the link below and include your name, credentials, affiliation and a short title.

Want to run an idea by us first? Reach out — we’re happy to help you shape a topic.

Information for Authors

Articles submitted to Urgent Caring should be no longer than two pages, excluding images and references. Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis and will be published at the discretion of the editors in an upcoming issue.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

Urgent Caring allows the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI), when it is under the following recommendations: :

Original human thought. The central idea of every article, its essence, must be the original thinking of the author(s), not generated by AI. The majority of the article must be written by the author(s), and all content must be reviewed, verified, and approved by them before submission.

Authorship. AI tools may not be listed or cited as authors. They cannot take responsibility for the work, approve the final version, declare conflicts of interest, or enter into copyright agreements.

Acceptable uses. AI may be used in a supporting role, such as checking spelling and grammar, formatting, assisting with literature searches, or improving clarity. It should not be used to generate an article’s concept, arguments, or conclusions.

Disclosure. Any use of AI beyond the acceptable uses described above, such as creating or altering images and graphics or collecting and analyzing data, must be disclosed at submission and in the article, naming the tool, its version, and how it was used.

Accountability. Authors are fully responsible for everything in their article, including any portion produced with AI assistance. This includes confirming that every reference is real and correctly cited and that no content is plagiarized. Undisclosed or inappropriate AI use will be treated as a breach of publication ethics

Let’s keep building the evidence base for Urgent Care — by Urgent Care.

Tracey Quail Davidoff, MD, FCUCM, and Cesar Mora Jaramillo, MD, FAAFP, FCUCM

Editors-in-Chief, Urgent Caring

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

Sebastien leads commercial operations across the Americas and oversees Freightos’ global airline portfolio. With over a decade of executive aviation and air cargo experience, including leadership roles at Air Canada Cargo across revenue management, strategic alliances, and digital transformation, Sebastien brings deep operational and commercial perspective to modern freight digitization.

Executive Abstract & Discussion Overview

In this edition of Freight Thoughts, Judah Levine sits down with Sebastien Podgorski to explore the structural shifts happening across air cargo procurement.

While the last decade focused on digitizing search, dynamic rates, and e-bookings, the next industry frontier is about procurement intelligence. Across this three-part video series, Sebastien breaks down:

Why Peak Season Exposes Your Freight Procurement Vulnerabilities

- Peak Season Exposes Flaws

Peak demand does not create procurement problems. It exposes existing operational friction that teams ignore during stable periods.

- The Static vs. Dynamic Paradox

Air freight operates in a highly dynamic market, yet many forwarders still manage procurement using static spreadsheets, manual rate checks, and siloed communication.

- Contract vs. Spot Execution

The challenge isn’t choosing between long-term allocations or spot rates; it’s having the real-time data needed to know precisely when to utilize each.

- Data Context over Human Stitching

Highly skilled logistics professionals currently spend excessive time manually connecting fragmented data sources instead of focusing on commercial strategy.

Why Peak Season Exposes Your Freight Procurement Vulnerabilities

- Peak Season Exposes Flaws

Peak demand does not create procurement problems. It exposes existing operational friction that teams ignore during stable periods.

- The Static vs. Dynamic Paradox

Air freight operates in a highly dynamic market, yet many forwarders still manage procurement using static spreadsheets, manual rate checks, and siloed communication.

- Contract vs. Spot Execution

The challenge isn’t choosing between long-term allocations or spot rates; it’s having the real-time data needed to know precisely when to utilize each.

- Data Context over Human Stitching

Highly skilled logistics professionals currently spend excessive time manually connecting fragmented data sources instead of focusing on commercial strategy.

Why Peak Season Exposes Your Freight Procurement Vulnerabilities

- Peak Season Exposes Flaws

Peak demand does not create procurement problems. It exposes existing operational friction that teams ignore during stable periods.

- The Static vs. Dynamic Paradox

Air freight operates in a highly dynamic market, yet many forwarders still manage procurement using static spreadsheets, manual rate checks, and siloed communication.

- Contract vs. Spot Execution

The challenge isn’t choosing between long-term allocations or spot rates; it’s having the real-time data needed to know precisely when to utilize each.

- Data Context over Human Stitching

Highly skilled logistics professionals currently spend excessive time manually connecting fragmented data sources instead of focusing on commercial strategy.

Weekly highlights

Ocean rates – Freightos Baltic Index

- Asia-US West Coast prices (FBX01 Weekly) were level

- Asia-US East Coast prices (FBX03 Weekly) increased 1%

- Asia-N. Europe prices (FBX11 Weekly) increased 6%

- Asia-Mediterranean prices (FBX13 Weekly) increased 3%

Air rates – Freightos Air Index

- China – N. America weekly prices increased 19%

- China – N. Europe weekly prices increased 8%

- N. Europe – N. America weekly prices increased 2%

Analysis

Trends in international ocean logistics seem even more confusing than usual lately: more Iranian attacks but more Hormuz traffic; more crude exports but oil prices still around $100 per barrel; more risk of Houthi attacks on passing ships, but more container vessels returning to the Red Sea anyway.

Iran has stepped up the frequency of attacks on vessels around the Strait of Hormuz, partially because transits and crude flows through the waterway have increased in recent weeks. Last week an Iranian projectile sunk a Dubai-linked container vessel, indicating that even some container ships are taking the risk of transiting the strait, though most traffic still comprises tankers.

Despite some estimates that the increase in tankers exiting the Persian Gulf is contributing to Middle East crude exports approaching pre-war levels, crude prices – still pricing in elevated risk – remain high.

Houthi-Saudi violence is intensifying, with recent Houthi advances along the Red Sea increasing its potential leverage over maritime traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the likelihood of attacks on passing vessels.

Despite that heightened risk – which since late 2023 had been enough to divert the vast majority of container traffic away from the Red Sea – container carriers continue their steady march back through the Suez, with estimates that transits will fully recover during Q1 of the coming year.

Why carriers are more comfortable going back now than during similar, earlier high-risk stretches is a good question. The answer is probably a mix of high current fuel costs and congestion levels with evolving geopolitical considerations. These considerations may include, as Peter Tirschwell recently pointed out, Houthi interest in security and stability for most Red Sea traffic that could somewhat legitimize the group in relation to the West – alongside increased pressure directed at Saudi Arabia and its passing vessels.

Whatever the reasons, that the Red Sea container rebound is happening gradually instead of all at once should mitigate the extent of schedule disruptions and vessel bunching that will occur as more vessels arrive earlier than slotted. That this restoration unfolded post the early-July Asia – Europe demand peak, and will continue through the coming low demand months will also mean less disruption to shippers than if the return coincided with peak season.

Current port congestion levels – though backlogs and delays are finally easing at Far East hubs – continues to absorb some container capacity, and will help carriers maintain rate levels even as effective capacity increases from vessels circulating more quickly via the Red Sea. Overall though, the Red Sea return – if geopolitics allow its completion – increases the overcapacity risk for carriers in 2027.

At the moment, even with Red Sea-driven effective capacity increases and slumping demand on Asia – Europe trades, spot rates are recently trending up on these lanes after months of declines.

Asia – N. Europe Freightos Baltic Index rates climbed 6% last week to $3,442/FEU and prices to the Mediterranean increased 3% to $3,927/FEU on recent GRIs aimed at putting pressure on rates as 2027 long term contract negotiations get underway. Some forwarders are skeptical however, that increases will stick given current market conditions.

Transpacific ocean rates were stable but still highly elevated last week at $8,126/FEU to the West Coast, with prices up 1% to $9,700/FEU for the East Coast. Daily rates so far this week are showing signs of increase – despite expectations that volumes are finally cooling – possibly due to capacity reductions as the lanes enter slow season.

Last month some carriers announced plans for significant transatlantic container price increases in October. So far though transatlantic spot rates have increased only about $200/FEU to $2,850/FEU since the end of September. Prices are however 25% higher than a year ago, possibly reflecting upward pressure from elevated bunker costs.

In air cargo, the EU is set to introduce a November 1st €2 small parcel handling fee on top of the €3 customs surcharge introduced in July for low value imports that previously entered via the de minimis exemption. This additional fee could increase the China – Europe e-commerce volume draw down seen since July, which has led to some downward pressure on air cargo rates and shifted freighter capacity to other lanes.

Freightos Air Index data show ex-China rates increased last week, possibly on a post-Golden Week backlog rebound or signalling the start of peak season pressure. Prices posted a sharp 19% gain to $6.88/kg to the US and an 8% climb to $3.87/kg to Europe.

But while the global benchmark is 30% higher than a year ago on elevated fuel costs and volume growth – with transpacific rates 25% higher year on year – Asia – Europe prices are down 3% compared to last October, possibly reflecting e-commerce volume adjustments on this lane.

Freightos Terminal™: Real-time pricing dashboards to benchmark rates and track market trends.

Procure™: Streamlined procurement and cost savings with digital rate management and automated workflows.

Rate, Book, & Manage™: Real-time rate comparison, instant booking, and easy tracking at every shipment stage.