Immunization

[unable to retrieve full-text content] Baptist Health Floyd purchases two ambulances to transport patients    Evening News and Tribune

CHARLOTTE — Novant Heath is facing a class-action lawsuit, which accused the hospital of charging at least one patient a $2,000 "visitation fee" when she visited the emergency room. The lawsuit, which was filed in mid-December on behalf of Micandria Darroux, claims Novant is charging a hidden fee for ER visits. She went to the ER in Charlotte on Jan. 16, 2021. Later, a bill showed up on the mail showing a total charge of $4,116.65. The total included a "visitation fee" of approximately $2,000. Channel 9 later learned this is called a "facility fee." [  ALSO READ: Novant allows unlimited hospital visitors again as COVID-19 metrics decline  ] The lawsuit said that "visitation fee" came as a surprise, claiming Novant had used an "unfair, false, deceptive and unlawful practice of charging its emergency care patients and substantial, unagreed upon fee." Anchor John Paul talked to State Treasurer Dale Folwell who has been pu...

"For Summit Health, it's all about the patient – improving access to care and providing better care for the patient," said Jeffrey Le Benger , MD, CEO, Summit Health. "The My Summit Health app is at the heart of our patient-centered focus and in delivering on Summit Health's uniquely connected kind of care."  In describing the significance of the app, Regional Chief Medical Officer Daniel Frogel , MD, the lead clinical advisor for the app's development, said, "We are more closely connecting our patients to their care, ultimately allowing us to help them along their journey to better health. And we're accomplishing this by placing technology directly in their hands, empowering them to carry their health system around with them everywhere they go." The My Summit Health app is centered on a digital-first user interface and experience, while incorporating features that will allow patients and their families the flexib...

Photo courtesy of Wally Gobetz, Creative Commons license CHATHAM – Liberty Commons Physician and hospitalist at Cape Cod Hospital Dr. Marcial Santos is planning to run the Boston Marathon on April 18 in honor of medical patients who passed away due to COVID-19. A physician in charge of patients admitted to the hospital, Santos witnessed first hand the acute effects of COVID-19 on patients during the early stages of the pandemic. "It was so hard to see people pass without being able to do much of anything, especially at the hospital setting at the beginning," said Santos. "I could give oxygen, prescribe steroids, try other methods, but too often it wasn't enough," he said. "So I decided to train to run a marathon to honor those patients who don't have a chance to breathe fresh air anymore. I don't want to take them for granted." A Cape resident since 2005, Marcial joined the Esplanade Association in Boston, a group dedicated to supporting ...

It's no surprise to dental professionals that a healthy mouth is critical to overall health and wellness. But could a healthy mouth also lead to healthier eyes? Emerging research suggests that infection and inflammation may travel between the mouth and the eyes. Dental hygienists are poised to offer valuable education and prevention regarding oral health and eye health, including potential vision problems and blindness. With the infectious pathway, bacteria travel from the oral cavity and metastasize to the eye. The eye, just like the mouth, skin, and gut, has a unique and individualized microbiome. Factors that may influence the makeup of the eye microbiome include ethnicity, geographic region, age, contact use, and oral and intestinal health. 1 Harmful pathogens can enter the bloodstream and lymphatic system and travel throughout the body to the eye. Dysbiosis can occur when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites disrupt the normal eye microbiome. Eye diseases are more likely ...

Ingrown toenails are very common. In fact, an estimated 20 out of 100 people who visit their healthcare provider because of foot problems have an ingrown toenail. Because of the irritation and pain it causes, most people notice an ingrown toenail right away. Treating it early on is key to helping manage inflammation and preventing infection. When infection is present, it's always important to speak with your healthcare provider or podiatrist to discuss treatment options. However, there are some well-known home remedies that can help relieve the pain. This article will discuss what to do if your toenail is infected and ingrown and when to see a healthcare provider. ThamKC / Getty Images Symptoms An ingrown toenail happens when one or both sides of the nail begin to grow into the soft skin of the toe. One of the first signs of an ingrown toenail is pain around the affected area. In addition to pain, signs and symptoms of an infe...

Whooping cough ( pertussis ) is a respiratory infection that's caused by the Bordetella pertussis bacteria. It spreads easily through coughing or sneezing. The infection often triggers severe coughing episodes that make it difficult to eat, breathe, or sleep. While it is often thought of as a childhood disease, adults also develop the infection. Fortunately, there are vaccines available to protect against whooping cough. This article discusses who needs a vaccine, age ranges, and possible side effects. GeorgiNutsov / Getty Images Do I Need the Whooping Cough Vaccine? In the United States, vaccination against whooping cough is recommended for people of all age groups. This include babies, children, teens, adults, and pregnant people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends two vaccines to protect against whooping cough: Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP) for babies and children under age 7 Tetanus, d...

Joseph S. Pete The fires at blast furnaces at the old Indiana Harbor West steel mill in East Chicago have burned for more than a century. But they won't forge iron for much longer. Chicago-area industrialist Clayton Mark, one of the early pioneers of the American steel industry, partnered with his father to found the well point, small casting and steel pipe company known as Mark Manufacturing Co. in 1888. Its products were used in furniture, cars, bicycles, drinking water wells, hydrants, home electrical systems and oil wells stretching from Texas to the Middle East. The company thrived to the point at which Mark started building a steel mill along the Lake Michigan lakefront in the fledgling industrial city of East Chicago in 1916 to supply his own company's growing steel needs.  Mark helped develop East Chicago during its early pe...