Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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It’s human nature to tell stories about the past and doctors aren’t immune to that impulse. The second year medical students rotating through my clinic have me reflecting on my own years as a fledgling physician, and the changes I’ve seen in my decades of practice. I remember one late evening spent in the PICU watching over a toddler who had meningitis. At one point I turned and bumped into a bedrail, which came crashing down. Both my preceptor and I jumped and I probably even shrieked. The child, however, didn’t even blink. That’s when we k...
North Central District Health Department recently released a community update on the rise in Measles cases in the U.S. Be aware that measles cases are on the rise in the United States, and while Nebraska has not seen this yet. NCDHD staff said, "Now is the time to make sure you and your family are up to date on your vaccinations. The State of Nebraska has issued a statement encouraging prioritization of vaccinations to safeguard communities. MMR, the vaccine that covers measles, is given at 12...
North Central District Health Department will sponsor a vaccine clinic, Friday, in Orchard at the community center. The clinic will run from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Vaccines for influenza, shingles, Tdap, RSV, pneumonia and COVID-19 will be available....
Spring is finally here in the Northern Plains and summer feels just around the corner. As all we Northerners know, as soon as the temperatures hit even a mild degree on the thermometer, most of us shed the jackets and long pants and our skin is front-and-center. The sunny season is prime season for mosquitoes and ticks, along with the itchy bites and all the unpleasant infections they can carry. Different species of mosquitoes and ticks can transmit different bacteria and viruses and, around...
ANDREW ELLSWORTH, M.D. One late summer day, fresh out of residency and seeing patients for the first time as a full-fledged family physician, I examined a young man who had a fever, fatigue and a bad headache. Considering the time of year, influenza was low on the list of possibilities, and COVID-19 did not yet exist. After a physical exam and listening to his story, I ordered some tests, which resulted in a diagnosis of West Nile virus. Now that we are entering the later half of the summer, the weather and environment are prime for West Nile...
The Legislature spent four hours this past week debating LB 906, which focuses on employer vaccine mandates. As amended by Health and Human Services Committee amendments, LB 906 would apply to businesses with one or more employees but would only pertain to the COVID-19 vaccine. LB 906 clarifies that if an employer requires employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, an exemption to the mandate is allowed for a medical reason, accompanied by a signed statement from their health care...
Cancer is a broad term which encompasses many different diseases and each type of cancer has different patterns and tendencies. But at its core, cancer means a group of cells which is growing uncontrollably, due to one or multiple genetic mutations. Cancer prevention is a topic we see frequently in the media and it can be hard to separate fact from fiction. Truthfully, many cancers occur at random, and even modern science does not yield any clues as to how to prevent such cancers. Supplements...
The public hearing on LB 1023 was held Thursday, Feb. 10 before the Natural Resources Committee. It reflects the work of the Statewide Tourism and Recreational Water Access and Resource Sustainability Special Committee and proposes to adopt the Lake Development Act and the Water Recreation Enhancement Act. I was appointed to serve on the STAR WARS Committee, stemming from the passage of LB 406, last year. In addition to recommendations to construct a 3,600-acre lake in or near Sarpy County and...
Health and wellness of the community will be discussed Nov. 12, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Holt County Annex, as part of the community health assessment process. Individuals are invited to offer input at the event, sponsored by North Central District Health Department The district reported 218 new COVID-19 cases in the district, Monday. The last reporting period was on Nov. 1. Free rapid COVID-19 testing will be offered Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, from 2 to 3 p.m. To register, individuals should call Cherry County Hospital at 402-376-2525 or...
North Central District Health Department will have booster doses available for persons who received Moderna and Janssen or Johnson & Johnson, Covid-19 vaccines who meet the criteria. In addition, Pfizer booster doses will continue to be available at all future NCDHD sponsored clinics. Eligible persons will be able to get a single booster dose of once their primary vaccination series is complete. The following criteria must be met: • Must be over 18 years of age. • Must have completed a pri...
North Central District Health Department now has official orders for third-dose boosters for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Eligibility requirements include: • Person is over 18; • Person must have received Pfizer for the first series of two vaccines; • Person must have received last Pfizer dose at least six months prior; • Person falls into one of the following categories: - People who should receive the booster: people 65 years and older, residents in long-term care settings, people aged 50–64 years with underlying medical condition...
A drive-through flu shot clinic will be held Monday, Oct. 4, from 2 to 5:30 p.m. at the Summerland School parking lot. It will be open to staff, students and community members. North Central District Health Department is partnering with the school to offer flu, Tdap, pneumonia, shingles and COVID vaccines. A high-dose vaccine will be available for individuals over 65. NCDHD accepts most insurance, Medicare and NE Medicaid. They are an approved provider for Vaccines for Children and Adult...
It is September, fall is in the air and what we might call "respiratory season" is nearly upon us. Respiratory season refers to the colder months in which we spend much of our time indoors, maybe October through March. Normally, this season correlates with when we see high rates of typically seasonal respiratory infections, such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus or RSV. Living through the COVID-19 pandemic has given us knowledge we can use to greatly decrease the spread of all respira...
This summer I attended the celebration of life service for Dr. Rick Holm, the original Prairie Doc who founded this newspaper column, a radio show and a television show now entering its 20th season. He died from pancreatic cancer in March 2020 during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic and thus, there was no public service at the time. Many friends and family gathered to celebrate Rick. We sat on lawn chairs, shared tales and sang songs in a beautiful park on a gorgeous evening. We recalled...
North Central District Health Department has been made aware of 59 new COVID-19 cases in the district since last reporting period on Aug. 16. Case count update as of 3 p.m., Monday, Aug. 23, includes: 4,723 total cases, 4,500 recoveries and 76 deaths, to date; and 101 total cases reported in the last 14 days. NCDHD is no longer ableto release county-based data in our districts due to HIPAA standards. Previously, the health depaprtment was granted special privileges to release the county- based...
North Central District Health Department has set times for walk-ins during vaccination clinics. Individuals who already have a scheduled appointment time should arrive at that time. Clinics will dispense Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson and/or Moderna vaccines. Walk-in locations and times include: Aug. 31: Greater Sandhills Family Healthcare - Atkinson, 9 to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 4:30 p.m., Moderna and Pfizer; Avera Creighton Hospital, 1 to 3 p.m., Moderna; Rock County Clinic, 1 to 4:15 p.m., Moderna;...
North Central District Health Department personnel have announced walk-in clinic dates and times at sites throughout the district. NCDHD will now require insurance card information prior to administering a COVID-19 vaccine. A photocopy of the front and back of the insurance card is necessary. Individuals without insurance are still eligible to receive the vaccine. Anyone who has questions is urged to contact the HCDHD office at 402-446-2406. Walk-in clinics will be available at the following sites: Aug. 20: NCDHD office, 422 E. Douglas St.,...
North Central District Health Department personnel have announced walk-in clinic dates and times at sites throughout the district. NCDHD will now require insurance card information prior to administering a COVID-19 vaccine. A photocopy of the front and back of the insurance card is necessary. INdividuals without insurance are still eligible to receive the vaccine. Anyone who has questions is urged to contact the HCDHD office at 402-446-2406. Walking-in clinics will be available at the following...
North Central District Health Department has announced dates for upcoming COVID-19 vaccination clinics. Locations in the Summerland area are listed below. Dates, location, times and type of vaccine available include: • Tuesday, July 6, Avera Creighton Hospital, call directly for an appointment, 1 to 3 p.m., Moderna • Wednesday, July 7, Niobrara High school parking lot, appointment not needed and walk-ins welcome, 10 to 11 a.m., Pfizer • Wednesday, July 7, Santee High School parking lot, appointment not needed and walk-ins welcome, 12 to 1 p.m...
Test Nebraska clinics will be held in O’Neill, on Mondays, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at North Central District Health Department. Access to the clinic will be through the alley on the north side of the NCDHD building. NCDHD will be ending Test NE services as of June 28th. After this date, testing can most readily be accessed through traditional healthcare access points. NCDHD has the following clinic times available for walk-ins.Thosw who have a scheduled appointment time for a clinic on this list, arrive at that scheduled time. These clinics w...
The Department of Health and Human Services has communicated to local health departments, health care providers and pharmacies across the state to pause administering the Johnson and Johnson (Janssen) vaccine, following Centers for Disease Control and Food and Drug Administration recommendations. On Thursday, April 8, DHHS, the Douglas County Health Department and Nebraska Medicine consulted with CDC and FDA about a rare and severe type of blood clot diagnosed in a Nebraska resident. As of April 12, more than 6.8 million doses of the Johnson &...
North Central District Health Department will host Johnson & Johnson vaccine clinics in the area this week. Residents may sign up for the vaccine at the following clinics by visiting www.ncdhd.ne.gov and clicking the yellow button on the home page. This will take visitors to the NCDHD COVID-19 vaccine sign-up page or use the tinyurl link associated with each clinic. Scheduled clinics include: • Monday, April 12, 4 to 6 p.m., Plainview High School Tartan (south) gym, 301 W. Pilcher Avenue, Plainview. Enter on the south side of the building. h...
North Central District Health Department has received confirmation that the B117 COVID-19 variant is present in Holt County. Confirmation was received late Friday, April 2. The variant is present in a cluster of cases related to a recent large gathering. Residents who have participated in recent gatherings are encouraged to monitor themselves for signs and symptoms of COVID-19. If symptoms develop, get tested and talk with adoctor or call NCDHD if there are any questions. This variant was...
North Central District Health Department is now offering COVID-19 vaccine to anyone 18 and older. To schedule an appointment, individuals should go to vaccinate.ne.gov to register. Registrants will receive an email to schedule a time at a clinic of his or her choice. More information is available on this process at the NCDHD website. Walk-in clinic dates and times for this week, include: Moderna walk in times (no appointment required): • Tuesday, April 6: Pierce Fairgrounds Pavilion, 1 to 6 p...
After listening to multiple parents address Summerland School's mask mandate during the public participation segment of the March 16 school board meeting, members voted to make masks optional for students and staff, effective March 17. Patron Dustin Wright asked board members if they had changed their minds about the mandated mask policy since the last meeting. "I feel like we've been through this three times already," he said. Several patrons listed area schools that have recently relaxed mask...
