COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) As colder temperatures move into Mid-Missouri, health experts typically expect an increase in seasonal illnesses. But so far, influenza activity across the region remains low. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reported “low” influenza activity across the state from the week of Nov 16-22. The weekly total number of cases
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The City of Sedalia announced in a Tuesday social media post that the Pettis County Health Center has set up three naloxone vending machines for public use. Naloxone – also known by its brand-named version Narcan – is used to reverse the effects of opioid overdoses. One machine is outside the Pettis
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) As artificial intelligence technology continues to expand into health care, growing concerns are emerging over the use of AI-powered chatbots as substitutes for licensed therapists, particularly among young users. Research from the National Library of Medicine shows nearly 50% of people who could benefit from therapy are unable to access it due to
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A patient at the University of Missouri Psychiatric Center has been charged with a felony after he was accused of attacking a mental health technician on Saturday. Michael Brown Jr. was charged with first-degree assault. He is not listed on the Boone County Jail’s online roster and a court date has not
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Health care will likely cost you more in 2026, as open enrollment for health insurance is just around the corner. Open enrollment refers to the time of year when people are able to sign up for health care insurance, change their current plans, or cancel their plan all together. However, people may
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The average time a Missouri resident spends in an emergency department from arriving to leaving is 2 hours and 35 minutes, ranking the state 29th in the longest average wait time. Emergency department wait times have increased across the country and here in Missouri. According to the CDC, emergency departments in the
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia/Boone County Department of Health and Human Services has placed a naloxone distribution box outside of its building on West Worley Street. A Tuesday social media post from the Health Department says boxes of naloxone – which is meant to reverse the effects of overdoses – is open 24 hours a
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The first of several community mental health sessions in Columbia will take place 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday at Hanover Village Community Center. Columbia Office of Violence Prevention Administrator D’Markus Thomas-Brown confirmed the first date on Tuesday. The city approved a $21,000 contract with TMT Consulting last month to provide six trauma-informed and community
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Drug overdoses across the state declined by 25.6% last year, dropping from 1,948 deaths in 2023 to 1,450 in 2024. This marks the second consecutive year of declining fatalities, according to the University of Missouri–St. Louis Addiction Science Team. Each region across the state experienced a decrease in overdose deaths in 2024
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Patients are asked to put on a loose-fitting short-sleeved shirt and grab their insurance card before heading to MU Health Care’s drive-thru vaccine clinic at the South Providence Medical Park in Columbia on Saturday. The afternoon clinic is MU Health Care’s first drive-thru vaccination event of the season.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Rock Bridge Memorial State Park and the Gans Creek Wild Area will close for two days next month for a managed deer hunt, according to a Friday press release from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. The closure will occur Nov. 3-4. Hunters for the event have already been selected and will
Continue Reading COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) MU Health Care experts are reminding the community that October is the time to re-up flu and COVID-19 immunizations to be ready for the winter season. “While most people can recover easily from infections like flu and COVID, those vulnerable patients are more likely to end up with a severe disease, to
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Schnucks announced in a Wednesday press release that it is recalling smoked mozzarella penne salad because of a possible listeria contamination. The recall was announced for stores in Missouri, Indiana and Illinois. Schnucks has three locations in Columbia and one store in Jefferson City. Affected products have the UPC code 21287100000 and
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Three people have died from West Nile virus in Missouri this year, according to data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The DHSS also says there’s been an increase in human cases of the virus this year with 16, compared to 15 reported last year. There was one fatality
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) One MU Health Care neurologist says research on Alzheimer’s disease treatments and prevention has rapidly accelerated in the last few years. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 7 million Americans are battling this disease, which includes more than 122,300 Missourians. “We had a good 15 to 20 years of nothing,” Dr.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is not satisfied with the revised stormwater management plan the City of Columbia submitted in August to reduce waste from homeless encampments entering public waters. In a letter Thursday to Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe and Boone County Commissioner Kip Kendrick, the department set a Nov. 15
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The University of Missouri’s School of Medicine’s Emergency Department held a “simulated mass casualty event” at Faurot Field on Wednesday. Emergency medicine resident physicians trained for six different scenarios, including cardiac arrest, a field stampede incident, a player spinal injury and more. The students used several actors and mannequins–plus a mobile lab to
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Did you know 90% of Americans put off check-ups or recommended screenings that could help identify and treat serious illness early? Aflac’s 2025 Wellness Matters Survey reveals what’s making Americans hesitate to get wellness exams — and who avoids them most.
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Texas native Paula Bartuska loves riding her motorcycle. She enjoys unwinding in nature and spending time with family at their cabin. But her life hasn’t been easy, and she doesn’t take these moments of joy for granted. When she was 31, Bartuska felt a lump in her breast. Despite her young age, a biopsy revealed she had early-stage ductal carcinoma, a type of breast cancer.
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A diagnosis of advanced ovarian cancer can feel overwhelming, emotionally, physically and mentally. There are many decisions to make, and one empowering way to take control is to understand as much as possible about your specific tumor.
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