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) Military veteran Joseph Gray was approved to receive disability pension, but that — and his Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits — were put on pause once the federal government shut down. Now, he’s struggling to eat a meal every day. “Usually, I eat OK and have never needed any help before, but
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The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has issued a warning about a psychoactive product many people have probably never heard of. The department says Missourians should stay away from products containing 7-OH — a natural compound derived from the plant kratom that is marketed as a way to deal with stress, pain and
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) It’s not uncommon to walk into an emergency department waiting room full of people, so many that some have to sit on the floor. Patients waiting hours in emergency departments is becoming a more familiar story across the nation. Two hours. Three hours. Five hours. Six hours. Twelve hours. This is how
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri Department of Conservation is reminding hunters to inspect their tree stands and clip on their harnesses after a man died Tuesday after falling out of a tree stand in East Columbia. “If you’re in the tree stand itself, really anybody’s at risk for getting injured, suffering from fractured bones or other injuries,” MU
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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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As Mid-Missouri begins cooling to fall temperatures, the Boone County Fire Protection District is reminding residents to follow home heating safety precautions before using space heaters or fireplaces.
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Several law enforcement agencies across Mid-Missouri are accepting unused and expired prescription drugs Saturday for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s national Drug Take Back Day.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) – Boone Health plans to build a new health clinic in Howard County. The provider announced on Thursday that it is building a new clinic in Glasgow, about 20 minutes northwest of Fayette and 50 minutes away from Columbia. The new clinic will allow them to add more staff and install an
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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) A new mental health center in Columbia will triple the length of time patients can get treatment, with the hope of better caring for their illnesses. Burrell Behavioral Health broke ground Tuesday on its new Behavioral Health Crisis Center on Texas Avenue in Columbia. Burrell provides services specializing in mental health and
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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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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
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Boone Health is chipping away at Missouri’s primary care shortage, hiring 25 providers in the past 12 months, eight of whom are primary care providers. Four additional primary care providers are expected to join Boone Health by the end of the year, according to a Wednesday press release from Boone Health. The
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EDITOR’S NOTE: AI contributed to background research for this article. COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Boone County launched a new Youth Substance Use Prevention Coalition on Wednesday afternoon at the Columbia/Boone County Health Department. This meeting marks the start of a collaborative effort to tackle youth substance use and promote community-driven change, organizers say. The coalition aims
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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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