Influenza vaccinations will be available at special clinics Oct. 21 and 22 at Jefferson Community Health & Life.

The CDC recommends influenza vaccinations for everyone 6 months and older. Influenza vaccinations are especially important during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. October is the optimal time to receive your vaccination.

Special influenza vaccination clinics will be offered at JCH&L Health Center on Thursday, Oct. 21, and Friday, Oct. 22, from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Appointments are required and can be made by calling 402-587-5188. When you arrive for your appointment, please use the JCH&L Burkley Fitness Center entrance, located on the north side of the fitness center, accessible from H Street parking.

Influenza vaccines will also be available at JCH&L Fairbury Clinic at regular clinic appointments or at a vaccine appointment beginning Oct. 25. Call 402-72-3361, option 1, for an appointment.

When you come to your appointment at either location, please wear clothing which allows easy access to your arm. Bring your health insurance card and a photo ID. If you haven’t been a patient in the past year, please bring a completed health history form. Health history forms can be printed from JCHealthandLife.org. Most major insurances and Medicare cover the influenza vaccine. There will be a fee the day of your vaccination if you are a private pay patient.

Children 18 and under covered by Medicaid can’t get their influenza vaccines at these clinics. Please contact Blue Valley Community Action’s vaccination program at 402-826-2141, extension 3, for information on flu shots at BVCA shot clinics.

If you have questions or need more information, please call JCH&L Fairbury Clinic at 402-729-3361, option 2 for patient services.

Jefferson Community Health & Life staff were notified this week of three community members receiving scam phone calls regarding Medicare from caller IDs that identified JCH&L and other area hospitals.

“Medicare will never call you and ask you to give your Medicare ID number or other personal health information, and area hospitals won’t either. JCH&L or another hospital may call you about appointments or other information related to a visit. But if you are suspicious, please hang up and call us directly at 402-729-3351,” said Kim Shadduck, JCH&L business office manager. “Please do not give your Medicare number, social security number or other such personal information over the phone.”

JCH&L wants to alert the community that there are a number of scam calls happening again, and they may use JCH&L or other area hospitals’ caller IDs.

Medicare states the following on Medicare.gov:

Guard your card and protect your personal information

• To help protect against identity theft, Medicare has mailed new Medicare cards to people with Medicare. Your new card has a new Medicare Number that’s unique to you, instead of your Social Security Number.
• Don’t share your Medicare Number or other personal information with anyone who contacts you by phone, email, or by approaching you in person, unless you’ve given them permission in advance.
• Medicare, or someone representing Medicare, will only call and ask for personal information in these situations:
  1. A Medicare health or drug plan can call you if you’re already a member of the plan. The agent who helped you join can also call you.
  2. A customer service representative from 1-800-MEDICARE can call you if you’ve called and left a message or a representative said that someone would call you back.
• Only give personal information like your Medicare Number to doctors, insurers acting on your behalf, or trusted people in the community who work with Medicare like your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP).
• Be familiar with how Medicare uses your personal information. If you join a Medicare plan, the plan will let you know how it will use your personal information.

If someone calls you and asks for your Medicare Number or other personal information, hang up and call us at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY: 1-877-486-2048.

If you suspect identity theft, or feel like you gave your personal information to someone you shouldn’t have, contact the Federal Trade Commission.

Wellness Experience Offers Women a Convenient Way to Take Control of Their Health

In just about three hours women from Jefferson County and beyond can complete their annual health checks and receive a well-deserved indulgence at the same time. Women’s Health Day is a complete wellness experience designed to make women’s health easy. Jefferson Community Health & Life is now scheduling for the experience on Tuesday, Oct. 5.

The program is available at the Jefferson Community Health & Life Health Center and Fairbury Clinic on select days every month, and includes:

* Personalized guidance from an on-site Women’s Health Day navigator

* Important health screenings, including fasting lab tests, a screening mammogram and a routine annual exam to assess overall and gynecological health (lab test and mammogram results will be available before participants leave for the day, while Pap test results will be provided later by mail)

* Complimentary breakfast and a relaxing indulgence—such as an express manicure or hand massage, for example. Offerings may vary.

* Reserved parking

“It’s so important for women to make time for their own health, but we know life sometimes gets in the way,” said Erin Starr, Chief Nursing Officer. “That’s why we created Women’s Health Day—to provide a convenient way for women to get their essential health screenings all at once, while also taking time to unwind.”

All major insurance plans are accepted for screening and exams (coverage is subject to individual policy terms). JCH&L Fairbury Clinic accepts new patients.

Appointments for the Women’s Health Day experience start as early as 6:30 a.m. To schedule, call 402.729.6841.