August '08 - National Immunization Month

At Mercy Health Partners, you’ll find the clinical experience and technology you’d expect from a leading-edge healthcare provider. But you’ll also experience something else: compassionate and individualized attention. We call it the Mercy Circle of Caring and you’ll experience it at every point of interaction from registration to rehabilitation.

More on the Mercy Circle of Caring

Mercy Health Partners is a leading-edge healthcare provider offering top-rated hospitals and a wide variety of programs and services, including Primary Care practices that feature our experienced, board-certified doctors.

Mercy Medical Associates primary care physicians offer preventative healthcare for your children, including immunizations, back-to-school exams and sports physicals. With locations throughout Greater Cincinnati, there is a Mercy Medical Associates office near your home or place of work.

Immunizations

Back-to-school, yearly exams are the perfect time to review your child’s immunization history. Many serious and even life-threatening diseases can now be prevented, and the benefits of preventing these usually far outweigh the possible risks. However, a discussion with your doctor can help you determine what’s right for your child. School-age and college-bound students may require some of the following immunizations:

• Chicken pox (original and/or booster)
• Booster DPT
• Measles/Rubella
• Hepatitis A
• Guardasil (girls 9-26)
• Meningococcal
• Influenza

Regular physicals should take place once a year to monitor growth and “normal” baselines which will allow the physician to detect anything unusual before it becomes more serious.

Sports physicals are customized to your child’s needs, depending on which sports he/she will play. A sports physical is not the same as a regular physical. Physicians will look at:

• Family history
• Child’s history and previous injuries
• Allergic conditions (especially those that could affect breathing)
• Child’s suitability for impact vs. non-impact sports

Daily habits are key to preventing illness. Habits to help keep you and your child healthy are:

• Wash hands after going to the bathroom, playing outside, coming home from the store, blowing your nose, and before eating
• Don’t share drinks or personal articles
• Wash food first before eating
• Sneeze into shoulder or elbow, not the hand
• Stay home if sick (you’ll heal quicker and won’t infect others)

Good nutrition also helps keep you and your child operating at your best.

• Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables
• Choose whole grains, not “white” foods or sugary foods
• Consume less fast food and fewer soft drinks
• Participate in more outdoor, physical activity

For more information, go to e-mercy.com or call a Mercy Medical Associates primary care office near you, or your family doctor.

Healthy Ideas: August '08 - National Immunization Month
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Healthy Ideas: October '08 - Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Healthy Ideas: November '08 - Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month
Healthy Ideas: December '08 - Wellness & Fitness For You