Season’s greetings!

Before you grumble that it’s too early for all that, we should make it clear we’re not talking about the yuletide season. We’re talking about cold and flu season – which, now that those pandemic-era masks have been stowed by most people, is expected to be a humdinger this year. 

First, there’s the flu, which public health experts expect to return with a vengeance. In fact, it already has in the Southern Hemisphere. 

There’s also RSV, the virus that’s knocking so many kiddos sideways (and, in many cases, their parents, too). Thankfully, monkeypox has pretty much gone away, but COVID-19 is still out there lurking. 

All of that has us bracing for what could be a long, cold winter, at least metaphorically speaking. 

So if you detect a theme among the stories included in this month’s newsletter, there’s a good reason for it: We want to you be safe and healthy this holiday season. 

Read on for tips along those lines, as well as other headlines from St. Tammany Health System – and thanks for being part of the STHS family.

In an expansion of its digital health offerings, and just in time for cold and flu season, St. Tammany Health System has announced Virtual Care Now, a healthcare innovation in which patients can schedule same-day virtual visits with a care provider dedicated solely to conducting such electronic visits.

Designed with patient convenience in mind, Virtual Care Now provides patients 5 years and older with access to a healthcare provider from their smartphone, tablet or computer for most acute conditions, including cold/flu, cough, fever, sore throat, stomachache, allergies and sinus issues, rashes and more.

Toy Guide 2022

Halloween is over, which means it’s time for early birds to start looking for the perfect Christmas gifts for the all little ones in their lives. As you make your list, the elves at the St. Tammany Parenting Center are here to help. 

The virus season 

Even if you manage to avoid the viruses swirling throughout our community, the nonstop worry they generate is enough to make a person sick. But just how concerned should we be about each of these current health threats? Good question.

Another ‘first’ 

There they go again. St. Tammany Health System’s heart valve replacement team, which in 2019 became the first on the Northshore to offer the groundbreaking, minimally invasive TAVR procedure, has introduced another potentially game-changing innovation. 

Gestational diabetes 101

November is National Diabetes Month, and this year we’re shining a spotlight on gestational diabetes. Click the link below for the first in our weekly series of articles on the topic, and check back each Monday in November for additional guidance.