Global Point of Care
Webinars
The Impact of Point of Care Testing on Urgent Care Throughput
Published December 18, 2025
Summary
Emergency departments are overwhelmed, often managing patients who could be safely treated in urgent care settings… if the right diagnostic tools were available. Without point-of-care testing (POCT), urgent care centers may face challenges in rapidly assessing and managing mid-acuity cases, leading to unnecessary ED transfers and longer wait times. This gap affects both patient outcomes and institutional efficiency. Patients, especially seniors, face delays and overcrowded EDs, while health systems miss opportunities to reduce costs and improve throughput. Expanding the capabilities of urgent care centers may help increase their utilization and ability to alleviate system strain.
This webinar will showcase:
- How Newark Urgent Care implemented POCT to deliver faster diagnoses, reduce ED transfers, and improve care quality
- Practical insights into workflow integration, clinical protocols, and measurable outcomes, empowering participants to bring similar improvements to their own institutions
Learning Objectives
Following this session, participants will be able to:
- Describe the clinical and operational challenges of managing mid-acuity patients in urgent care settings
- Identify key considerations for implementing point-of-care testing in urgent care settings, including workflow design and quality oversight
- Examine the role of rapid diagnostic testing in improving patient triage and reducing unnecessary emergency department transfers
- Discuss measurable outcomes and community impact associated with enhanced urgent care capabilities
Presenter Biography
Dr. Watson has been a practicing Emergency Physician for 20 years. She is dual board certified in Emergency and Internal Medicine. She has held leadership roles, both locally and nationally. Dr. Watson was academic faculty for the Emergency Medicine Residency at ChristianaCare in Newark, DE. She is also presently a clinical associate professor at Sidney Kimmel Medical College. After a decade as the medical director of a hospital based free-standing ED, she left this role to become the president of the first and only Level 1 Urgent Care Center in the nation. When she is not providing patient care, Dr. Watson is also a mother to two daughters, a wife, and a Master in the martial arts.
Titles of those appearing in the recording represent their roles at the time the webinar took place and may not reflect their current positions.
Who Should Watch
Urgent Care Physicians, Urgent Care Medical Directors, Nurse Practitioners (NPs), Physician Assistants (PAs), Urgent Care Clinical Leaders, Urgent Care Operations Directors, Practice Administrators, Point-of-Care Testing (POCT) Coordinators / Managers, Laboratory Directors, Laboratory Managers, Clinical Educators, Quality Improvement Leaders, Healthcare Operations Leaders