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Doctors Warn About Flu as Holiday Approaches
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Doctors Warn About Flu as Holiday Approaches
On 13WHAM.com
December 23 2014, 10:47 AM EST By Rachel Glaser
Dr. Williams said patients with flu-like symptoms are coming in at a record number. In the last two weeks, Dr. Williams said she's seen between 30 to 40 patients every day, and almost all have tested positive for the flu.
"They come in with high fevers, body aches, headaches, cough, sore throat, abdominal pain some people have nausea and vomiting and it's really quite uncomfortable," said Dr. Williams. "People are really sick."
The waiting room at Rochester Immediate Care was full of patients who said they had gotten the vaccine and now, months later, they've got the flu. "What happened this year that there was a little bit of a mutation in the flu virus and it's a little different from our vaccine for this year," said Dr. Williams.
Dr. Williams says it's the perfect storm: the flu shot is less effective against the strain of the flu that seems to be more severe and more contagious and the timing couldn't be worse. "Because families are together, people have traveled, I think people who are not feeling well go to parties anyways and see other family members anyways," said Dr. Williams.
As people head to the airport to shopping malls and then head home for the holidays, Dr. Williams said it's speeding up the spread of the virus and putting more people at risk. "Oh it is tough with the holidays," Dr. Williams said, "You really can't be around other family members, especially the very young and the very old." Those two groups are more susceptible to the complications with the flu.
As for the babies and the elderly from developing viral pneumonia or other seriously, potentially deadly respiratory illnesses, Dr. Williams said some people may have to skip holiday celebrations. "If you have a fever and flu like symptoms you really do need to stay home and a lot of people are having to stay home for as much as 5-7 days," she said.
If diagnosed within the first two days of symptoms, doctors can prescribe an anti-viral medication like Tamiflu which might make patients feel better faster but Dr. Williams said people can be contagious for up to two weeks.
Doctors and officials from the Monroe County Health Department said the best form of prevention is still the vaccine and they're pushing those who haven't gotten in to go out and get the shot now. While the flu shot is less effective, it still offers some protection.
Dr. Williams said people who get vaccinated may have a less severe case of the flu than those who didn't. "It's never too late to get the vaccine. The flu season is just beginning, it could last for another month, six weeks and you get some protection from the vaccine after two weeks," said Dr. Williams.
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WNY Immediate Care Retains In-Network Status With BlueCross BlueSheild
Monday, December 23, 2013
Western New York Immediate Care will remain part of the BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York network.
The New York State Supreme Court has ruled that Western New York Immediate Care will retain in-network status into 2014, according to a news release issued by the Amherst-based company.
BlueCross BlueShield had announced on Nov. 6 that it was canceling its contract with Western New York Immediate Care after the two sides had failed to reach a new agreement.
“We’re pleased with the court’s decision. Our goal remains the same: To provide the very highest quality health care to our community. Value, access and accountability are hallmarks of our organization,” Greg Daniel, president of TeamHealth Urgent Care Division, the management company of Western New York Immediate Care, said in a statement.
BlueCross BlueShield issued its own statement, emphasizing the urgent-care options available to its clients.
“We continue to advocate for lower costs and highest quality for our members,” it said. “In addition to Western New York Immediate Care’s five locations, there are an additional twelve urgent-care-center locations in Erie County that remain in BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York’s provider network."
Western New York Immediate Care currently operates urgent-care sites in Amherst, Williamsville, Orchard Park, Cheektowaga and Buffalo.
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Hope for Customer Service in Health Care?
Monday, July 2, 2012
Earlier this year I wrote a column about the sorry state of customer service in medical care. But recently I had the pleasure (how often can you use that word in the context of health care?) of being treated, literally, to a striking exception.
Last week I was getting ready for a business trip to Asia and got a sore throat the day before leaving. Preferring not to go without antibiotics if I needed them -- or worse, wind up needing medical care in China or Vietnam -- I stopped, without an appointment, into a nearby Immediate Care facility (division of TeamHealth holdings, NYSE: TMH). The company is one of a growing number of chains providing an alternative to emergency room visits and a range of other common outpatient services, from sniffles to stitches, fever to fractures, and more. But unlike any typical ER, it provides these services with as much of a focus on the patient/customer experience as on quality medical care.
Immediate Care promises minimal wait times, immaculate facilities and pleasant, compassionate people, and during my visit they delivered flawlessly. The building looked more like a day spa than a doctor's office. I was checked in quickly and efficiently and seen within 20 minutes, and every person I dealt with -- from the front desk to the clinicians -- was smiling and unfailingly courteous, attentive and caring.
I was so impressed by the experience that I contacted the corporate office to learn more. In keeping with the company's name and ethic, I got an immediate response. Salvatore Durante, the company's Urgent Care Operations manager, gave me a five-point summary of what makes the business tick. Interestingly -- but not surprisingly -- it's all about humans as beings, not bodies:
