HCE Blog

Flu season is in full swing, so it’s best you start taking precautions to keep your whole family flu-free!  It’s a hard thing to admit to ourselves, but our children’s toys are covered in germs. We don’t want to think about our precious little ones playing with things that are so dirty. Wooden toys are some of the worst, too. But what’s the best way to clean them?  The influenza virus can liv...

While it is often referred to as “stomach flu,” viral gastroenteritis isn’t related to the flu at all. Gastroenteritis is often caused by rotavirus or norovirus. These viruses cause inflammation of the stomach and/or intestines, which can cause the symptoms normally associated with the stomach virus: Diarrhea Vomiting Nausea Stomach and abdominal pain Fever Headaches and body aches Th...

We would like for you to meet this week’s Hometown Hero: Jerald “Burger” Birmingham!  Why is he called “Burger,” you may ask? When he first started EMT school, he was working at Burger King. His instructor used to refer to him as “Burger Boy,” and over 17 years later, the “Boy” has been dropped and he is now the Burger of the EMS world. Burger works at Southwest EMS as a paramedic, clinical...

Scared of needles? Get vaccinated against the flu without having to get a shot. We’re now offering FLUMIST QUADRIVALENT! It’s a vaccine that is sprayed into the nose to help protect you against the flu.  The flu is mainly spread through droplets when someone with the flu coughs, sneezes, or talks. The virus typically enters your body through your nose, so FLUMIST hits it right at the source....

Flu season is upon us! We’re well into it now, but it’s not too late to get vaccinated. The best way to avoid the flu, and its possible complications, is to get the annual flu vaccine! The strain of flu that is prevalent each year can vary, and the body’s immunities deteriorate over time, so it is important to get the shot yearly. Up to 26 million medical visits each season are because of the f...

You just cooked dinner and set the food out for everyone to dig in. You sit down to eat, and after the family wants to turn on a movie. But first, should you put the food away? The movie is only a couple of hours long. The food should be good for that long, right?   Nope.   According to the FDA, food should never be left out of refrigeration for over two hours! When storing your leftovers, ...

Our HealthCARE Express locations in the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas, now have rapid COVID-19 tests available! Rapid tests will be coming soon to Oklahoma.  If you or a loved one suspect you have COVID-19, you can head to your nearest HealthCARE Express location to get tested. During your visit, our providers will determine if you need to be tested and which type of COVID-19 test...

It’s that time of year again: the end of Daylight-Saving Time (DST). While we may rejoice at the idea of getting that blessed extra hour of sleep, the time change can have a big impact on our health! Changing our alarm clocks also forces our body’s internal clock, our circadian rhythm, to change too. Pushing our days an hour back can have an effect on both our bodies and minds.    You may not...

The end of the year is fast approaching, so you should get in your wellness visits if you haven’t done them yet.           Some Examples of Wellness Visits Cancer screenings Women need to have breast cancer screenings done every one or two years after they turn 40, and men should have prostate cancer screenings every year after 45. People with a personal or family history of cancer are mo...

We would like for you to meet this week’s Hometown Hero: Gerry Stanford! Gerry Stanford is the Executive Director of Athletics and Head Football Coach at Texarkana Independent School District. Gerry has been with TISD for three and a half years and is a member of the Texas High School Coaches Association and East Texas Football Coaches Association. His favorite thing about being a coach is h...