Community health news

By Karen Elliott: Cold and flu season is here. Are you looking for ways to keep your family healthy?

Handwashing is a simple way to prevent the spread of germs and keep everyone healthy and able to go to school, work, and other activities. According to the Centers for Disease Control, handwashing can prevent one in three cases of diarrhea and one in five respiratory infections such as cold or flu.

Soap and water are the best tools to use. If soap and water aren’t available,...

By Katie Kufahl: A crying baby can make just about anyone anxious, but new parents or caregivers can feel especially worried or frustrated when their baby cries and they don’t know how to help. 

The period of purple crying helps parents understand this time in a young baby’s life. Crying is a normal part of every infant’s development. The acronym PURPLE describes specific characteristics of an infant’s crying during this...

Having a baby means new parents have a long list of questions and worries: Do we have the best car seat? Is the nursery stocked with the right supplies? Is our home safe enough?

Feeding a newborn is one area that shouldn’t cause worry. “Without a doubt, breastfeeding is the healthiest choice for moms and babies,” said Katie Kufahl, registered nurse and Birth Center manager at Community HealthCare System in Onaga.

August is National Breastfeeding Month, and...

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 Association...