Community health news

Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV, is a common virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. The virus has been making headlines recently because of a high number of more severe cases in children. Emergency rooms in metropolitan areas are seeing a large number of RSV-related visits, and many children have been hospitalized. Some hospitals, including Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, are reaching capacity because of RSV and influenza.

Although the...

You may have heard that new COVID-19 boosters have been approved and recommended. These boosters are bivalent vaccines, offering protection against COVID-19 along with the omicron variant. The updated boosters are now available at CHCS clinics.

Individuals recommended to receive a bivalent COVID-19 booster are as follows.

We often invoke sayings about the importance of time: time is of the essence, time flies, and time is money. When someone has a stroke, taking quick action can improve survival rates and outcomes, so it’s worth taking a little time to understand the warning signs and what to do when you or a loved one experience them.

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel carrying oxygen and nutrients to the brain is blocked or ruptures, causing brain cells to die. The American Stroke...

Community HealthCare System clinics in six northeast Kansas locations were recently recognized as achieving Patient-Centered Medical Home status by the National Center for Quality Assurance, or NCQA. PCMH is a model of healthcare delivery focused on treating the whole patient through the lifespan.

“The PCMH designation means that our clinics offer a higher quality of care. When a patient is seen for an appointment, our care teams aim to focus on the overall health of the patient....

Hallie Beardsley was 42. She was a busy single mom to her two kids, and although she knew she needed to get a mammogram, she says she just “hadn’t gotten around to it.”

She’s glad she finally made the time, because the mammogram revealed a large mass that proved to be a rare type of breast cancer. Beardsley said she “completely lost it and thought it was a death sentence,” but her CHCS provider, Physician Assistant Jeremy Brandt, and...

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Everyone can take steps to help prevent suicide. The most important steps are to talk openly about suicide and to learn about resources that can help you or loved ones recognize signs of a mental health crisis and find needed assistance. Below is a list of actions you can take to safeguard your own mental health and the health of those around you.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many families’ routine healthcare appointments. Immunization rates for children are lower than before this disruption, and that’s a cause for concern for healthcare providers around the country. Immunizations prevent many diseases and reduce the transmission of infections in our communities, and they are one of our most important tools in protecting the health of our children.

Dr. Kendra Reith and Dr. Nicholas Cahoj recently...

Make Onaga Community Hospital a stop on your journey toward good health on Saturday, October 8.  Community HealthCare System will be hosting both a Health Fair and a Community Baby Shower that day. Low-cost labs, vaccines, information for new parents, and more will be available.

The Health Fair will offer low-cost labs from 7:00 to 10:00 a.m. Individuals can receive a complete blood count, chemistry panel, thyroid screen, cholesterol panel, and hemoglobin A1c for...

by Dr. Kendra Reith

Summer is here, and families are hitting the road for vacations and enjoying time outdoors. Taking a moment to review a few best practices and tips can help you keep your youngest family members safe this summer.

Heading out on a road trip? Take a close look at your child’s car seat. According to Safe Kids Worldwide, road injuries are the leading cause of preventable deaths and injuries to U.S. children, and when correctly used, child...