Community health news

Community Healthcare System, (CHCS) is expanding its behavioral health services and has entered into partnership with Integrated Health Services (IHC). With that partnership, Amy Jones, LSCSW, will begin offering behavioral health service via telemedicine weekly on Thursdays and Fridays in mid-September.

Jones earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s in Social Work from Aurora University and also has specialized training and certification in Autism.  A member of the Neurodivergent...

We are making it easy and cost-effective for you on to get your annual labs on Saturday, October 14th. Plus, you can get your flu shot or COVID booster. 

Take charge of your health at Onaga Community Hospital Saturday, October 14. Join Community HealthCare System (CHCS) at their annual Health Fair and Community Baby Shower.  Low-cost labs, vaccines, information for new parents and many more activities are planned.

Low-cost labs will be offered from...

August is National Breastfeeding Month.  It’s the perfect opportunity to highlight the benefits breastfeeding provides to both mom and baby.

“The benefits of breastfeeding babies are well documented,” says Katie Kufahl, registered nurse, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and Birth Center manager at Community Healthcare System (CHCS) in Onaga. Breastfeeding is by far the best choice for mom and baby.”   Early initiation of breastfeeding,...

August is National Immunization Awareness Month, so it’s a perfect time to make sure your family’s immunizations are up-to-date. Many diseases are preventable through vaccines and they help provide immunity to potentially life-threatening diseases.

Immunizations are important as they reduce the spread of preventable diseases that can result in illness and death.  According to Michele Reisinger, widespread immunizations have saved many lives and injuries and have even...

How do you find healthcare services in your community when a loved one needs recovery and rehabilitation? What kind of services are available? How can you best prepare for your future needs? How can you safeguard your health and quality of life?

Community HealthCare System will help answer these questions in a new event series at the St. Marys Senior Center. All are welcome to join for CHCS Connect sessions in April and May. Presentations will begin at 11:30 a.m., and upcoming topics...

No matter your age or health status, regular screenings are important. Community HealthCare System will make it easier to obtain those screenings on April 29 with a Health Fair in both St. Marys and Holton.

The Health Fair will offer low-cost labs from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. in both locations. Individuals can receive a complete blood count, chemistry panel, thyroid screen, cholesterol panel, and hemoglobin A1c for diabetes screening for $25. A prostate specific...

By Meranda Schmitz, RN

During American Heart Month, we are exploring heart disease risk factors each week along with tips to help reduce your risk. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, puts you at risk for heart disease and stroke, which are leading causes of death in the United States. Nearly half of adults in the United States (47%, or 116 million) have hypertension. The table below shows the different stages of hypertension. Take a look...

By Meranda Schmitz, RN

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. February is American Heart Month, so we are featuring weekly information about heart disease risk factors along with tips to help reduce your risk.

Many factors increase your risk of heart disease. Some factors are controllable, whereas others – such as family history – are not. Controllable risk factors for heart disease include high cholesterol levels, high...

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.

For the Pfizer booster, anyone age 12 and up who has completed a primary vaccine series, with the last dose at least two...