Recent News
Avoid Making School Time, Sick Time at Home
While the start of a school year is an exciting time for kids – they’re anticipating new friends and adventures – it’s also when they encounter a multitude of illness-causing organisms in their classroom environments. Notably, germs that cause colds and flu have the capacity to survive on common surfaces in classrooms for up to…
State of Franklin Healthcare Associates Selected to Participate in New National Initiative to Prevent Heart Attacks and Strokes
State of Franklin Healthcare Associates has been selected by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as one of 516 awardees in 47 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia to help reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes among millions of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries. Health care practitioners, such as State of…
Brave Up and Get Your Shots: It Could Save Your Life
Few of us think much about vaccinations. But their value was made starkly clear in a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report released last year (August 28, 2015) by the CDC. The report stated that childhood vaccinations given from 1994 through 2013 (a 20-year period) in the United States will be preventing 732,000 early deaths, in…
Five Tips to Make Your Summer Safer
Summer is prime time for vacations and fun, but it can also be a hotbed for trouble and misery if the right planning isn’t done or if precautions aren’t taken. Below are five tips to make summer road trips healthier and happier for everyone involved. Visit your local mechanic for a tune-up before you leave….
To Take a Daily Low-dose Aspirin or Not: That’s the Question!
If you’re an older adult, is taking a low-dose of aspirin every day good for you or asking for trouble? Historically, research has suggested that taking a low-dose aspirin (81 mg) daily helps prevent blood clots in the arteries, possibly preventing heart attacks and strokes. Currently, nearly 40 percent of American adults ages 50 and…
Your Skin, Your Life: An Update
With more sun and fun ahead this season, remember that protecting your skin from sun damage is of utmost importance. Always apply about an ounce of sunscreen to exposed areas 20 minutes before going outside. Make sure your product has at least a 15 SPF (Sun Protection Factor) and protects from both ultraviolet A (UVA)…
We’re in a “Pollen Superblast.”
SoFHA physicians want patients to be aware that spring 2016 is bringing more than just blooming daffodils and nesting robins. A “pollen superblast” is underway due to the unusually warm temperatures and irregular weather patterns that occurred in the recent winter season. According to reports from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, our 2015-16 winter…
Want to Age Slower? Then get up and move!
With May being National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, it’s a great time to remind SoFHA patients about the importance of exercise to good health. Some of the most intriguing research yet underscoring this fact appeared recently online in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. In a study published March 23,…
State of Franklin Healthcare Associates Joins BlueCross Medicare Advantage Network
Seniors in the Tri-Cities region now have more choices in medical care JOHNSON CITY, TENN. — State of Franklin Healthcare Associates (SoFHA), a large primary care practice based in Johnson City, is now part of the BlueCross Medicare Advantage PPO and HMO Networks. “BlueCross already has an extensive statewide provider network with more than 25,000…
Important Information for Crestpoint Medicare Members
As you may be aware, Crestpoint Medicare will no longer be an option for your Medicare coverage after May 31, 2016. You should have received a letter from Crestpoint outlining your options. You may either: Select another Medicare Advantage product with enhanced benefits Be automatically enrolled in Traditional Medicare for your health coverage State of…
