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MedZed Supports Imperial Valley Families with Back-to-School Healthcare Needs for Medi-Cal Members

MedZed Supports Imperial Valley Families with Back-to-School Healthcare Needs for Medi-Cal Members

MedZed, a leading provider of Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports in California, is assisting eligible Medi-Cal families in Imperial Valley with their back-to-school healthcare needs. The start of a new school year often brings a rush of tasks for families, including ensuring children and parents have necessary healthcare support. MedZed's Community Health Navigators work one-on-one with families to address various healthcare challenges, such as scheduling checkups, finding doctors, arranging transportation, refilling medications, and completing essential paperwork. They also help families understand and meet school-required physical examinations, vaccinations, and health forms. For children with ongoing conditions like asthma or diabetes, navigators ensure prescriptions are current and schools have necessary information. Kenia Martinez, MedZed’s Regional Manager for Fresno and Imperial counties, emphasizes that their role is to simplify the process and connect families with the right support, ...

Aurora Health Care to Open 'The Beacon' Health and Wellness Hub in Milwaukee's Former Wisconsin Avenue School

Aurora Health Care to Open 'The Beacon' Health and Wellness Hub in Milwaukee's Former Wisconsin Avenue School

Aurora Health Care is set to open a new 'health and wellness hub' named 'The Beacon' inside the former Wisconsin Avenue School building in Milwaukee. This nearly $50 million project, located on the city’s Near West Side, will offer a range of services including Milwaukee’s first Community Smiles Dental clinic, housing stability services from Guest House of Milwaukee, and no-cost legal support and personalized care navigation through a partnership with Legal Action of Wisconsin. Additionally, the center will provide free, community-based programs aimed at preventing and managing chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes, as well as services supporting healthy aging, prenatal education, doula support, and postpartum resources. The facility will also feature a garden, library, and gathering spaces.

Aurora Health Care Unveils Partners and Programs for The Beacon Community Health Hub

Aurora Health Care Unveils Partners and Programs for The Beacon Community Health Hub

Aurora Health Care, a part of Advocate Health, has announced key partners and programs for its nearly $50 million development, The Beacon, a health and wellness hub set to open in spring 2027. Located in the former Wisconsin Avenue School in Milwaukee, The Beacon aims to transform the building into a community-driven destination offering expanded access to resources for physical, mental, and social wellness. Among the announced partners are Community Smiles Dental, which will provide preventive and restorative dental care for underserved children, special healthcare needs patients, and expectant mothers. Goodwill Greater Milwaukee & Chicago will serve as a workforce development partner, offering career exploration, training, employment coaching, and job placement services. Other offerings will include housing stability services through Guest House of Milwaukee, medical-legal advocacy via Legal Action of Wisconsin, maternal health and family support programs, healthy aging services, and community fitness op...

FDA Approves Moderna's mRNA Flu Vaccine for Adults 50 and Older

FDA Approves Moderna's mRNA Flu Vaccine for Adults 50 and Older

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Moderna’s mFLUSIVA, the first influenza vaccine utilizing mRNA technology, for individuals aged 50 and older. This approval introduces a new option for older Americans, a demographic that accounts for the vast majority of the tens of thousands of annual flu-related deaths. The mRNA vaccine platform delivers a genetic script that instructs the body's cells to produce a piece of the flu virus, thereby training the immune system. This method allows for quicker adaptation to evolving virus strains compared to traditional egg-based vaccines, which have been in use for 80 years and require months to produce. Clinical trials demonstrated that mFLUSIVA (mRNA-1010) was approximately 26.6% more effective at preventing laboratory-confirmed influenza illness than a traditional flu vaccine and elicited a stronger immune response in adults 65 and older, with similar rates of rare severe side effects. The vaccine's safety has been evaluated in roughly 70,000 people...

This intense exchange with Trump's surgeon general pick is going viral. Why?

This intense exchange with Trump's surgeon general pick is going viral. Why?

Dr. Nicole Saphier, President Donald Trump's latest U.S. surgeon general nominee, was grilled about vaccines during her confirmation hearing.

Evette M. Maduro Appointed CEO of Betances Health Center, Emphasizing Health Equity and Community Care

Evette M. Maduro Appointed CEO of Betances Health Center, Emphasizing Health Equity and Community Care

Evette M. Maduro has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Betances Health Center, effective January 6, 2025. Maduro brings over 30 years of experience in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and community-based organizations, having previously served as Chief Operating Officer at a large FQHC with more than 30 locations. In her prior role, she was instrumental in improving patient access, ensuring financial sustainability, and enhancing operational efficiency. She also played a key role in launching new healthcare facilities, expanding essential services, and forging partnerships to address healthcare disparities. A native New Yorker and bilingual Spanish speaker, Maduro is deeply committed to advancing health equity and ensuring high-quality, accessible healthcare for all individuals, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. Betances Health Center provides integrated services including primary care, behavioral health, dental, and specialty care across Manhattan and Brookly...

Research Reveals Innate Immune System Variations Influence Vaccine Side Effects

Research Reveals Innate Immune System Variations Influence Vaccine Side Effects

A team from the Center for Vaccinology at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and Geneva University Hospital (HUG) has identified that variations in an individual's innate immune system can determine the frequency and severity of vaccine side effects. Published in Science Translational Medicine, the research indicates that some people's innate immune systems are more reactive to interferons, key molecules in antiviral defense, even before vaccination. A stronger response to interferons correlates with more pronounced transient symptoms after vaccination, such as redness, pain at the injection site, fever, fatigue, or headaches. These reactions are typically mild and temporary, resulting from the immune system's activation to recognize antigens and prepare for future infections. The study monitored 51 healthy individuals who received two doses of an mRNA vaccine against COVID-19, observing their immune systems for seven days post-injection. The findings suggest that the level of interferon-related antiviral de...

Rhode Island Department of Health Issues Vaccination Recommendations for Respiratory Virus Season

Rhode Island Department of Health Issues Vaccination Recommendations for Respiratory Virus Season

The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) has released its vaccination recommendations for the upcoming respiratory virus season, urging residents to get vaccinated against flu, COVID-19, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Director of Health Jerry Larkin, MD, emphasized that vaccination is the best protection against serious illness. For the flu, everyone aged 6 months and older should receive an annual shot, with particular importance for older adults, young children, individuals with underlying medical conditions, and healthcare workers. COVID-19 vaccination is recommended annually for children aged 6 months to 2 years, individuals aged 19 and older, pregnant individuals, and those with weakened immune systems. Children aged 2 to 18 at higher risk for severe COVID-19 should also be vaccinated, and adults aged 65 and older are advised to get a second dose six months after their first to boost protection. RSV vaccination is recommended for many infants, young children, and older adults, as well as ...

The Augusta Chronicle

Regents OK first Augusta University undergrad degree in public health

Regents OK first Augusta University undergrad degree in public health

Augusta University is launching its first undergraduate public health degree to prepare students for health careers.

Blood centers have lost young donors. What can they do?

Blood centers have lost young donors. What can they do?

Post-pandemic blood donation levels have dropped significantly among young adults, creating a 'generational fracture.'

American Academy of Pediatrics Expands High-Risk Criteria for RSV Immunization

American Academy of Pediatrics Expands High-Risk Criteria for RSV Immunization

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has updated its recommendations for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunization, broadening the criteria for children considered at high risk. Immunization against RSV is still advised for all infants under 8 months old who are born during or entering their first RSV season, unless they have documented protection from maternal RSV vaccination. Additionally, the AAP now recommends immunization for children aged 8 to 19 months who are at high risk for severe RSV disease and are entering their second RSV season. The updated guidelines introduce four new criteria for defining high-risk children in this age group: preterm birth (less than 32 weeks’ gestation) regardless of medical support needs, hemodynamically significant congenital heart disease, anatomic pulmonary abnormalities or neuromuscular disorders that elevate the risk of severe RSV, and Down syndrome or other chromosomal differences increasing severe RSV risk. These new criteria supplement previously establ...

FDA Approves Moderna's mFLUSIVA, First mRNA Flu Vaccine for Adults 50 and Older

FDA Approves Moderna's mFLUSIVA, First mRNA Flu Vaccine for Adults 50 and Older

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved mFLUSIVA (mRNA-1010), Moderna's mRNA-based influenza vaccine, for adults aged 50 years and older. This marks the first mRNA flu vaccine to receive FDA approval. The approval for adults aged 50 through 64 years is traditional, while for those 65 and older, it was granted through an accelerated pathway, requiring further confirmatory evidence of clinical benefit. The pivotal FLUENT phase 3 trial, which involved over 40,000 adults aged 50 and above, demonstrated that mFLUSIVA had a 26.6% greater relative efficacy against confirmed influenza-like illness compared to a licensed standard-dose influenza vaccine. The mRNA technology instructs cells to train the immune system, and its manufacturing process does not require the propagation of vaccine viruses in eggs, potentially allowing for faster production closer to the flu season. Side effects reported for mFLUSIVA are similar to other vaccines, including mild reactions such as fatigue, muscle and joint ac...