By Elena Larranga, Physician Assistant/Urgent Care & Float Providers Team Lead
Given the evolving and high-demand nature of Urgent Care, continuing education is not just a professional responsibility, it is a critical component of delivering high quality, evidence-based care. Clinical skills workshops, held regularly for Chief Andrew Isaac Health Center (CAIHC) Urgent Care staff, serve as a vital platform for ongoing learning, skill refinement, and confidence-building among providers. These hands-on sessions, which focus on procedures such as splinting, suturing, biopsies, and the management of common urgent care presentations, directly impact the quality of care we provide to our patients.
Benefits for Providers
For clinicians, these workshops offer a structured environment to reinforce core competencies, stay current with best practices, and learn new techniques or updates to procedural protocols. Even experienced providers benefit from the opportunity to practice rarely used but essential skills in a low-pressure, collaborative setting. These workshops promote professional growth, encourage clinical curiosity, and ultimately enhance diagnostic and procedural accuracy.
Benefits for Patients
When providers are confident and well-practiced in essential clinical procedures, patients benefit from more efficient, safe, and effective care. Improved provider proficiency leads to faster interventions, reduced complications, and higher patient satisfaction. Patients trust their care teams more when they see that their providers are skilled, knowledgeable, and committed to staying up-to-date in their practice.
Supporting a Culture of Excellence
These workshops also foster a team-based culture of continuous improvement. By encouraging knowledge-sharing and peer-to-peer learning, we strengthen our Urgent Care teams and raise the standard of care across our facilities. This culture of ongoing education not only improves clinical outcomes but also boosts provider morale and retention.
Clinical skills workshops conducted at CAIHC are a cornerstone of excellence in Urgent Care. They support providers in maintaining and advancing their skills, and most importantly, they translate into safer, more effective care for the patients we serve.