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Assessment of New York City Urgent Care Centers’ Emergency Preparedness and Infection Prevention and Control Practices, 2016–2017

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 May 2021

Jasmine Jacobs-Wingo ,
Norman L Beatty ,
Kristine Jang  and
Mary MK Foote Open the ORCID record for Mary MK Foote [Opens in a new window]
Jasmine Jacobs-Wingo
Affiliation:
Temporary Epidemiology Field Assignee Program, Division of State and Local Readiness, Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Long Island City, NY, USA
Norman L Beatty
Affiliation:
University of Arizona College of Medicine Tucson, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Tucson, AZ, USA
Kristine Jang
Affiliation:
State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY, USA
Mary MK Foote*
Affiliation:
Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Long Island City, NY, USA
*
Corresponding author: Mary M.K. Foote, Email: mfootemd@health.nyc.gov.
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Abstract

Background:

Urgent care centers (UCCs) have become frontline healthcare facilities for individuals with acute infectious diseases. Additionally, UCCs could potentially support the healthcare system response during a public health emergency. Investigators sought to assess NYC UCCs’ implementation of nationally-recommended IPC and EP practices.

Methods:

Investigators identified 199 eligible UCCs based on criteria defined by the Urgent Care Association of America. Multiple facilities under the same ownership were considered a network. As part of a cross-sectional analysis, an electronic survey was sent to UCC representatives assessing their respective facilities’ IPC and EP practices. Representatives of urgent care networks responded on behalf of all UCCs within the network if all sites within the network used the same policies and procedures.

Results:

Of the respondents, 18 representing 144 UCCs completed the survey. Of these, 8 of them (44.4% of the respondents) represented more than 1 facility that utilized standardized practices (range = 2-60 facilities). Overall, 81.3% have written IPC policies, 75.0% have EP policies, 80.6% require staff to train on IPC, and 75.7% train staff on EP.

Conclusion:

Most UCCs reported implementation of IPC and EP practices; however, the comprehensiveness of these activities varied across UCCs. Public health can better prepare the healthcare system by engaging UCCs in planning and executing of IPC and EP-related initiatives.

Keywords

urgent careemergency preparednessinfection prevention and controlambulatory carenon-acute care
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 16 , Issue 3 , June 2022 , pp. 1059 - 1063
Copyright
© Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2021

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