babies

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. Nancy Zidek

A recent study about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, has made news headlines. The study was published in the journal eBioMedicine and stated that the biochemical marker for the cause for SIDS was discovered. This is exciting news, but the big headline is not completely accurate. The study was based in Australia. The group analyzed blood samples taken at birth from 600 newborns. The researchers then found that babies who died from SIDS had a lower level...

Community HealthCare System has continued its commitment to improving the health of moms and babies by earning High 5 for Mom & Baby Premier recognition. High 5 for Mom & Baby is a program developed by the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund to increase and support breastfeeding in Kansas.

The High 5 program provides resources and a framework to help Kansas hospitals and birth facilities implement 10 evidence-based practices proven to support successful breastfeeding,...

Annie Crumbaker’s daughter Emmy is five months old. Crumbaker smiles when she talks about her, and you can hear the pride in her voice when she describes her: “She’s such a happy baby,” said the proud mom. (Baby Emmy is pictured above in the arms of her dad, Kyle.) 

Crumbaker was not all smiles the day Emmy was born. Although she anticipated an uncomplicated birth like those of her other three children, Crumbaker’s labor did not progress as expected,...

Community HealthCare System has been awarded a Center of Excellence in Education and Training for Infants and Families Affected by Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome by Vermont Oxford Network, or VON. 

The award recognizes multidisciplinary care teams for completing training to care for babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome, or NAS. Neonatal abstinence syndrome is drug withdrawal syndrome experienced by infants exposed to opioids while in utero. Infants born with NAS are more likely...

When babies are born, time is of the essence to screen for problems that could cause developmental disability or severe illness.

The Kansas Newborn Screening Program, a collaboration between public health, hospitals, providers, and the parents of newborns, has provided essential screenings at no cost to families since 1965. Community HealthCare System, or CHCS, is among the Kansas hospitals being recognized for meeting or exceeding screening goals.

Required screenings include...

UPDATE, March 25: This event is postponed so we can focus on COVID-19. We will reschedule as soon as we are able! Thank you for your understanding. 

Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 25, and join Community HealthCare System for a day dedicated to the health of you and your family. Our Health Fair starts early at Onaga Community Hospital with affordable labs and a variety of educational booths and activities.

Whether you’re 18 or 85, regular screenings are important...

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...