Medical

Consumer Stories

Mental health treatment center opens in Evans

Many CSRA residents struggle with mental health problems, and it can take weeks or even months to see a psychiatrist. But waiting is no longer necessary, thanks to a new treatment center now open in Columbia County. High Focus Centers just opened a new location at 607 Ponder Place, near Tuscany Spa in Evans that currently offers adult mental health services, such as partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs, according to its Executive Director, Marlea Bodie. High Focus treats patients with a variety of diagnoses, including depression, bipolar disorder, and

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Consumer Stories

North Augusta specialty pharmacy provides IV, self-administered medications

Kimberly Thomas’s patients are often surprised they can receive IV antibiotics at home. Thomas, a registered nurse, is co-owner and operator of Vital Care Infusion Services, a specialty pharmacy, located at 1201 West Ave. in North Augusta. The business opened in January and treated its first patient in late March. Vital Care provides patients with IV medications to treat a variety of medical conditions, including Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis, as well as tube feeding services. These specialty medications are provided for patients throughout Georgia and South Carolina,

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Consumer Stories

Aiken Regional earns Level IV Trauma Center designation

Trauma injuries, usually from car accidents, gun and knife violence, or falls, are the leading cause of death for people under 45. Victims treated at trauma centers have a 25 percent higher survival rate compared to those seen in hospitals without those services, according to a New England Journal of Medicine study. As a newly designated Level IV Trauma Center, Aiken Regional will be prepared to provide support in those life-threatening events including evaluation, stabilization, and diagnostic capabilities. The hospital is prepared to care for patients with acute injuries, as

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Consumer Stories

Report rates Augusta among the fattest, unhealthiest cities

This report may spur more corporate membership business for CSRA fitness centers. Ranking in the top 10 in the nation is not always a good thing. A recent report from WalletHub.com evaluated the fattest and unhealthiest cities in the nation, and Augusta came in at No. 9. Probably not surprising given its tradition of rich foods, 12 of the top 13 cities were located in the Southeast; the lone exception was McAllen, Texas, the top-rated unhealthy city. Columbia, S.C., ranked 26th. The health experts who did the ranking evaluated the

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Consumer Stories

New mobile phlebotomy business is just what the doctor ordered

LaShanna Person understands her clients can’t always get to a lab or don’t have time to wait to have their blood drawn, so she does all the legwork for them. Person, a certified medical assistant, and phlebotomist launched LKA Medical Services & Mobile Phlebotomy about a month ago. She meets clients at their homes, offices and other locations, collects blood samples, and delivers those samples to various labs throughout the CSRA. “Drawing blood is something I really love to do,” said Person, who completed her training at Virginia College. “I

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Consumer Stories

The business of surviving breast cancer

When you’re in business, you often roll with the punches. If employees call in sick, you cover their shifts. When inventory doesn’t arrive, you hustle to find another source. Time overruns on a job? You tighten up and meet the deadline. Life is like that too, only the stakes are higher when you are dealing with a life-threatening disease. Whitney O’Connor didn’t plan to get breast cancer six weeks after she got married and one week after celebrating her 30th birthday. She also didn’t plan a diagnosis of Li-Fraumeni Syndrome,

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Consumer Stories

Bank provides a grant to provide community counseling

A local free health clinic is now able to offer its patients behavioral health services, thanks to a $25,000 grant from Bank of America. Harrisburg Family Health Care, a non-profit clinic located in the HUB for Community Innovation at 631 Chafee Ave., Suite 101, has recognized a growing need for these services among its patients, according to its Executive Director, Isiah Lineberry. “Up to 50 percent of the patients we see need mental health services,” Lineberry said. The clinic provides primary care services for uninsured and underinsured patients in the

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Consumer Stories

Local senior living community celebrates its third anniversary

The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll helped a local assisted living and memory care community celebrate its third anniversary Friday. Thrive at Augusta, a more than 62,000-square-foot facility located at 313 Furys Ferry Road in Martinez, opened its doors in Sept. 2019, which was just six months before the pandemic began. Like most businesses, covid forced Thrive to make major changes. With its older, more vulnerable population, the community needed to be especially careful to protect its residents. “The National Guard helped us with sanitation, cleanliness, and testing,” said community

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Consumer Stories

New urgent care clinic coming to Columbia County

Business owners are often so busy managing their business that they don’t prioritize their own health. But a new urgent care clinic coming to Columbia County may be able to help. Perfect Health is opening another CSRA location at 229 South Belair Road, according to its owner, Dr. Troy Coon. The clinic, which was designed by the Augusta-based firm, Virgo Gambill Architects, is being built by Allen+Batchelor Construction. Perfect Health treats a variety of conditions and offers many services, including labs, X-rays, and medical weight loss. The company currently has

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Consumer Stories

New doctor group has a prescription for better health, lower costs

Chiropractor Jason Rueggeberg remembers the day one of his employees had a severe anxiety attack at work. She had been diagnosed with a heart condition and considered going to the ER. Instead, she went to her Physician Assistant’s office. The Physician Assistant performed an EKG and told her to go home and rest, instead of going to the ER. That office visit saved her thousands of dollars. Rueggeberg, a chiropractor at Evans Sport and Spine Chiropractic Center, currently has a membership with Welcome Health, a new direct primary care practice

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