The Urgent Care Association (UCA) recently announced Richard Park, MD, as the new president of its Board of Directors. In addition, the Urgent Care Foundation (UCF) has appointed Steve Sellars, CEO of Premier Health, as their board president; two new members were named to the UCA board; and the College of Urgent Care Medicine (CUCM) added new members to its fellows program. The announcements marked the first time advanced practice clinicians (APCs) were named to board roles within the organization, and were made during the 2019 Urgent Care Association Convention & Expo held April 7-10 in West Palm Beach, Fla.

“This year’s convention was very exciting, bringing together thought leaders from all corners of the on-demand industry to share pioneering ideas and best practices,” said Laurel Stoimenoff, CEO of UCA. “And our Urgent Care Foundation Awards Celebration after-party turned out to be a hot spot for major industry news, with DocuTAP and Practice Velocity announcing a new name for their recently announced merger.”

UCA Board of Directors

Dr. Richard Park is the founder and CEO of CityMD, a leading urgent care provider in the New York Metro Area and Seattle. He is board-certified in emergency medicine and completed his medical studies at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, followed by a residency at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center where he served as chief resident.

“I am honored to accept the position as UCA Board President and look forward to collaborating with industry leaders to increase access and improve care delivery for patients,” said Dr. Park. “I will leverage my experience in emergency medicine and urgent care to help advance the UCA mission and support its continued efforts to meet the needs of on-demand healthcare teams as they continue to grow and evolve.”

Dr. Park holds expertise in all facets of urgent care delivery and operations and continues to educate both residents and attending physicians as the co-director of NS-LIJ’s Manhattan Board Review for Emergency Medicine. He is also the author and co-editor-in-chief of the McGraw-Hill’s Intensive Review of Emergency Medicine.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Park as the new board president for UCA,” said Stoimenoff. “He understands the importance of ongoing education and innovation, and his extensive experience will help enhance the association’s positive impact on our diverse membership.”

Two new members and two re-elected members of the UCA Board of Directors were announced at the convention. The new members include Lori Japp, PA-C, vice president of urgent care at UCHealth; and Thomas Charland, founder and CEO of Merchant Medicine. Lou Ellen Horwitz, director of staff development and communications for Retail Health and Community-based Care for MultiCare Health System; and Shaun Ginter, president and CEO of CareWell Urgent Care have both previously served on the board and are now entering their second terms.

FCUCM Designations

During the Convention, the College of Urgent Care Medicine (CUCM) named new members to its fellows program, which recently expanded to include physician assistants and nurse practitioners as potential applicants. Once a clinician has been a member of CUCM for at least a year and has met the eligibility criteria, he/she can become a Fellow of the College of Urgent Care Medicine (FCUCM). This year, CUCM welcomed three fellows:

• Chrysa Charno, PA, FCUCM
• Tracey Davidoff, MD, FCUCM
• Robin Henson, DNP, FCUCM 

“Congratulations to our new fellows this year, including the first advanced care practitioners to earn the FCUCM designation,” said Dr. Jasmeet Singh Bhogal, board president of the CUCM. “APCs play an increasingly vital role within the on-demand care community, ensuring patients have access to high-quality care when they need it most. Our new APC fellows bring unique industry insight and expertise that will help CUCM stay at the forefront of on-demand healthcare innovation and best practices.”

For more information about UCA leadership or events, please visit www.gateway2better.org.