Influenza Virus Symptoms

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Three Baptist Minor Medical Center locations have permanently closed down. The locations closed on Sunday, October 22. This decision was made to "better serve" their patients, the hospital said. The following locations are now closed: Baptist Minor Medical Center-Bartlett 7424 U.S. Highway 64, Suite 111 Baptist Minor Medical Center-Memphis 3295 Poplar Avenue, Suite 105 Baptist Minor Medical Center-Olive Branch 8990 Germantown Road Alternate walk-in clinics available for patients: Baptist Minor Medical Center-Cordova 6700 N. Germantown Road 901-753-7686 Baptist Medical Group-Humphreys Family Practice Clinic 6685 Poplar Avenue, Suite 120 Germantown, TN 38138 901-685-8245 Baptist Medical Group-Memphis Primary Care Associates 1520 Union Avenue Memphis, TN 38104 901-276-2410 Baptist Medical Group-Forest Hill Family Practice 8970 Winchester Road Memphis, TN 38125 901-794-5806 For urgent and...

A drug-resistant and potentially deadly fungus has been spreading rapidly through U.S. health care facilities, a new government study finds. The fungus, a type of yeast called Candida auris, or C. auris, can cause severe illness in people with weakened immune systems. The number of people diagnosed with infections — as well as the number of those who were found through screening to be carrying C. auris — has been rising at an alarming rate since it was first reported in the U.S., researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Monday. The increases, "especially in the most recent years, are really concerning to us," the study's lead author, Dr. Meghan Lyman, chief medical officer in the CDC's Mycotic Diseases Branch, said in an interview. "We've seen increases not just in areas of ongoing transmission, but also in new areas." The CDC's new warning, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, comes as the Mississippi Depart...

Situated in the northwestern corner of Arizona, Mohave County is the fifth-largest county in the United States by area. Despite the vastness of land, Mohave County is home to only 3% of Arizona's overall population, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. While its population is small, Mohave County is representative of a big problem in health care — a shortage of primary care physicians. Arizona meets just 39% of its residents' primary care needs and must add 497 to 667 primary care physicians to eliminate its primary care physician shortage, according to data from the University of Arizona Center for Rural Health at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. While all 15 of the state's counties face a shortage of primary care doctors, the shortages are worse in rural areas, such as Kingman and Lake Havasu City in Mohave County. To address this problem, the University of Arizona Health Sciences launched the Primary Care Physician Scholarship program. In exch...

A reminder just ahead of flu season: When you roll up your sleeve for the shot this year, skip the standard version and opt for one with more oomph. Since the summer of 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended that adults 65 years and older get immunized with what's known as a high-dose or adjuvanted influenza vaccine. These shots can offer greater protection to older people, who, due to immune system changes that happen with age, do not have as strong a response to vaccination as younger, healthier people. ...

As we enter flu season, health officials are ramping up vaccine distribution. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that, with rare exceptions, everyone 6 months and older get a flu vaccine.   Vaccination is vital to protecting individuals, communities and to avoid more strain on already overburdened health care systems, according to health care experts. Last season, people vaccinated against the flu were about 40% to 70% less likely to be hospitalized because of flu illness or related complications, according to preliminary estimates from the CDC.  USA TODAY spoke with Amy Lynn Safaty, a CVS pharmacist and district leader based in Long Island, New York, and Helen Maser, a Walgreens Pharmacist and Pharmacy Manager based in Manhasset, New York, on everything you need to know about the flu shot this year.  When should you get the flu shot?  Helen Maser: There's never a better time th...

Flu season is just around the corner, and the time is fast approaching for residents to consider getting their annual vaccine. While the flu is often relatively mild, infection can carry dangerous — and even deadly — consequences for some. And that risk is one of the major reasons health officials encourage most everyone to roll up their sleeves and try and stymie the spread. Here's a primer on flu shots, based on information shared by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: When is the best time to get a flu shot? September and October are ideal times to get the flu shot. But if you miss that window, it's still helpful to get it later in the cold-and-flu season, even through January or later. What kind of flu shot should I get? Health officials suggest that those age 65 and older get either a higher-dose or "adjuvanted" flu shot. An adjuvant is an ingredient that helps create a stronger immune response. When it comes to the flu vaccine, there are thr...

High-Quality Primary Care Services, Close to Home From newborns to the elderly, our compassionate primary care physicians (PCPs) specialize in the overall health and wellness of all family members. PCPs have a broad range of expertise and play an important role in your everyday health care. Except for emergencies that require urgent medical attention, your PCP should be the first person you contact about a health concern. Your PCP can: Take care of routine medical problems such as aches, pains and colds Provide annual check-ups, immunizations and other preventive care Diagnose and monitor chronic conditions Provide health education and prescriptions Refer you or your child to a specialist when needed Our primary care practices are all certified as patient-centered medical homes (PCMH), a national symbol of quality that is earned by successfully passing a strict review process. This means that you can trust our practices to have the right staff, tools, systems and resource...