ACEP President Issues Letter Responding to Omission of Urgent Care in PR Efforts (05/09/2011)

Dr. Sandra Schneider, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), has sent a letter to several concerned physicians in response to Urgent Care News' recent reports on the growing controversy over the news release ACEP issued in March and the corresponding TIME magazine editorial written by emergency physicians Dr. Jesse M. Pines and Dr. Zachary F. Meisel. The letter specifically denies that unnecessary visits to the emergency room are causing skyrocketing healthcare costs. Urgent Care News became aware of the letter when several urgent care physicians emailed copies to us.

In the letter, Dr. Schneider denies the existence of "a campaign about non-urgent care or urgent care centers" and says the TIME magazine editorial was referring to "a press release that ACEP distributed regarding efforts in states, including South Carolina, to prevent Medicaid patients from seeking emergency care." Dr. Schneider goes on to say the press release "does not mention urgent care centers."

This very omission of urgent care in such an important discussion about the nation's healthcare is exactly what has urgent care physicians up in arms. The most vocal opponent has been urgent care physician Dr. David Stern, who wrote a blog post and a guest editorial published on Urgent Care News refuting ACEP's assertions that the ER is the only viable option for after-hours medical care.

While Dr. Stern argues the nation's 8,500-plus urgent care centers, which are open "30-50 hours beyond normal business hours," are convenient alternatives for illnesses and injuries that are not life-threatening, Dr. Schneider continues to assert that urgent care clinics are not a part of the solution for unclogging emergency departments, stating in her letter that "urgent care provides important care to appropriate patients; however, they do not impact crowding in the emergency department."

Click here to read the full letter.