by Marius Ged, on Oct 10, 2022 2:09:34 PM
Welcome to the October edition of our news roundup for the urgent care field, brought to you by Ged Lawyers. Our roundups cover everything from new imaging techniques and research to the latest firm growth strategies for increased revenue. Stay tuned for updates on the latest happenings in medical imaging!
What's New in FL Urgent Care
1) Lakeland Regional Health Aims to Build Hybrid Emergency Department/Urgent Care Clinic
Lakeland Regional Health plans to double its northwest campus in size by building an emergency department and urgent care center hybrid. If the city approves the plan, the nonprofit provider will grow from 150,000 to 300,000 square feet in its 20-acre facility.
An ER/urgent care hybrid directs patients to care based on the severity of their injuries or condition. They are also billed only for the type of care they receive.
In 2021, Lakeland Regional Health’s main campus emergency department was ranked as the second busiest in the United States, with nearly 200,000 visits. The hybrid model would redirect some patients to urgent care, rather than emergency care.
"The trend in healthcare is accessibility," said Patrick Phillips, LRH's senior vice president of business development and chief strategy officer. "That's driven by patient demand, more consumers' demand. Our goal is to bring health care services closer to the community."
Industry Updates
1) Musculoskeletal Urgent Care Centers Often Do Not Accept Medicaid
In the last few years, many musculoskeletal or orthopedic urgent care centers have opened nationwide. These facilities typically serve patients with acute injuries like fractures and sprains.
Patients who visit orthopedic urgent care clinics, while emergency departments treat fewer patients with minor concerns. What’s more, this type of clinic lowers costs for both clients and the healthcare system.
However, one population may be left out of orthopedic urgent care clinics: low-income patients. In Daniel Wiznia’s study of the 29 musculoskeletal urgent care locations in Connecticut, only four took patients without checking their insurance status. 66 percent did not accept Medicaid. In contrast, another six more clinics only accepted this type of insurance if patients had prerequisite conditions.
What’s more, most new orthopedic facilities in the state were opened in affluent areas rather than in neighborhoods with the greatest need.
2) Nurses with Flexible Schedules Happier, Less Likely to Leave Their Positions Than Their Full-Time Counterparts
A recently-released study from IntelyCare, a nurse staffing platform, found that nurses and nursing assistants who were employed on a per diem basis were happier than those working in a full-time capacity. Specifically, a third of full-time nurses were anxious or uncertain about their careers, in contrast to only one in five of those working in the so-called “gig economy.”
What’s more, per diem nurses said they were less likely to quit their current jobs - only 13 percent reported seeking alternative employment in contrast to 30 percent of permanent nursing professionals.
More than 500,000 registered nurses are planning to leave the profession by the end of the year. Many cited workload and work-life balance as key reasons for their dissatisfaction, and the flexibility and compensation offered by per diem hiring was an attractive alternative.
Growing Your Practice
1) How to Use Queueing and Texting Software Solutions to Manage Patient Flow
Most urgent care operators already know that typical medical scheduling every half hour doesn’t work for urgent care. Rather, these clinics work with, as Dr. David Stern, CEO of urgent care software company Experity calls them, “dynamic queues of patients.”
Specifically, on-demand healthcare clinics don’t have consistent patient flows, and they see walk-ins with immediate concerns. So, static appointment scheduling software is almost always ineffective for urgent care clinics.
Instead, these clinics increasingly turn to queue software that shares changing wait times with patients via text.
CityMD, the largest urgent care provider in New York City, developed queuing and texting software that monitored patient volume and texted clients with appointment updates. At the same time, these shortened wait times allowed practitioners to spend more time with patients and simplified workflows for staff.
2) The Step by Step PIP Suit Recovery Guide For Medical Providers
When medical providers demand PIP payments from insurance companies, they may face delays, underpayments, or refusals. If your clinic faces a negligent PIP demand, what options do you have? Here’s a step-by-step guide to the process.
- Re-check the unpaid insurance claim. Ensure you’re not missing anything on the EOB form's explanation code explaining why payment has been denied or delayed.
- Choose a lawyer. Find a firm that doesn’t collect any of your recovered funds, just attorneys’ fees.
- Prepare for the pre-suit stage. Before filing the suit, the medical provider’s attorney will send a letter detailing the problem and asking the insurance provider to pay within 30 days.
- If the insurance company does not pay, the provider may decide to file the suit. As part of the suit, the provider’s attorney will file the litigation and set a date for a pre-trial conference.
Florida’s ever-changing no-fault state laws are confusing for any medical practitioner to understand. A partnership with Ged Lawyers means that we will walk you through the PIP suit process and decide if you have a valid demand.
Call us at (561) 867-4765 or toll-free at 844 - 4GEDLAW to schedule a consultation.
