By Toni Clare Hogencamp MD
Immediate Past President
As I prepare each newsletter, I take a moment to review the last six months while contemplating the upcoming half-year in the field of medicine. As I sit down to compose my final newsletter as President of SPUC, I find myself reflecting not just on the recent six months or the three years of my tenure but also on the remarkable journey of the past decade since the inception of SPUC.
SPUC started humbly as a monthly conference call among Urgent Care leaders but has since blossomed into a community of over 400 members, marking a significant milestone with our upcoming 10th national conference. In the past decade, pediatric urgent care has not just expanded physically, with more standalone sites, but has also embraced virtual care options, broadening its range of services. SPUC continues to stand as a platform offering networking, educational opportunities, and crucial support for both leaders and providers in this field.
As we envision the next decade, our role in nurturing the health and wellbeing of children is poised to become even more pivotal. Statistics show that more than a quarter of children make annual visits to urgent care, with a significant 10% visiting more than three times a year. These encounters present invaluable touchpoints where we can address a spectrum of concerns, from social determinants of health to mental health needs, fluctuations in weight, or the management of chronic health issues.
While these aspects might extend beyond the immediate scope of urgent care visits, they afford us the unique opportunity to identify, acknowledge, and communicate these concerns to their primary healthcare providers. By doing so, we contribute substantially to the holistic care and support of the children we serve.
As we welcome the familiar ebb and flow of winter ailments, let us embrace the predictability it brings to our practice while remaining steadfast in our commitment to the comprehensive well-being of the young patients entrusted to our care.
