Health Archives

Safety and security top priority for Boone County Fair

July 20, 2022 6:11 PM Leila Mitchell

Hundreds will head to Boone County Wednesday as the county fair heads into its second night, and organizers say safety and security is on everyone’s minds.

New 9-8-8 Suicide Lifeline benefits and risks explained

July 19, 2022 7:20 PM Leila Mitchell

It now only takes three numbers 9-8-8 to reach a trained mental health professional across the state but some people on the internet are saying there are some risks.

Labor shortage is affecting emergency services response times

July 18, 2022 6:53 PM Marina Diaz

An ongoing labor shortage is to blame for longer response times for emergency services in both 911 dispatchers and Columbia Police Department.

CDC suggest getting boosted following the rise of Omicron subvariants

July 17, 2022 5:45 AM Joushua Blount

COLUMBIA, Mo (KMIZ) According to most recent CDC Data, two Omicron Subvariants are to blame for the increase in COVID-19 cases across the country. The CDC says the subvariants BA.5 and BA.4 can spread more easily then previous sub-variants. The subvariants represent an estimated 16.3% and 65.0% of the SARS-CoV-2 variants as of the week ending July 9, 2022 according to

SSM Health names new regional president for Mid-Missouri

July 13, 2022 4:01 PM Karl Wehmhoener

Kenneth (K.C.) DeBoer named Mid-Missouri Regional President for SSM Health.

Columbia has partnered with MoDOT to conduct a road safety audit for Route B/Paris Road

July 12, 2022 9:53 PM Marina Diaz

COLUMBIA, Mo (KMIZ) The City of Columbia Public Works has commissioned a safety audit for Route B/Paris Road, and is looking for public comment following multiple crashes that resulted in serious injury or death. The road audit is a part of its Vision Zero Plan. Vision Zero is a transportation policy goal and data-driven strategy

Mask mandates not on the table in Boone County public buildings despite rising COVID numbers

July 8, 2022 8:54 PM Kennedy Miller

Despite rising COVID-19 case numbers in Missouri, Columbia and Boone County Public Health and Human Services said Friday that officials haven’t had any conversations about bringing a mask mandate back to government buildings.

Missouri set to release latest COVID-19 report as the state continues to see numbers increase

July 8, 2022 6:02 AM Ben Fein

The Show-Me State is set to release its latest COVID-19 Activity Report, as Missouri continues to see increases in COVID-19 numbers across the state.

California boil order lifted after two negative E. coli test results

July 7, 2022 1:29 PM Kennedy Miller

The California boil order was lifted Thursday after the Department of Natural Resources confirmed two negative test results for E. coli.

Mid-Missouri continues to see low transmission levels as Pfizer could introduce updated booster

June 26, 2022 5:14 AM Joushua Blount

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Pfizer announced Saturday that they could be rolling out an updated booster after updating two vaccines targeting the Omicron variant. CNN reported the company said the modified boosters showing a higher immune response to the variant. According to reports, the company tested a vaccine that targets Omicron BA.1 subvariant and bivalent booster which targets

University of Missouri Health Affairs Committee discusses the future of operations

June 16, 2022 9:57 PM Marina Diaz

The University of Missouri Health Affairs Committee met to discuss the future of it’s operations on Thursday.

MU Health Care to open new family medicine and urgent care clinic in Mexico

June 16, 2022 5:28 PM Karl Wehmhoener

Providers will see patients in Columbia until clinic is ready to open

Heat creates challenges for first responders working outside

June 14, 2022 12:19 PM Hannah Falcon

Under about 45 pounds of protective gear, firefighters may find themselves in a hot situation when temperatures outside are over 100 degrees.

Health experts say COVID cases are slowing down just in time for the summer

June 14, 2022 5:46 PM Kennedy Miller

After more than two years since the start of the pandemic, some hospitals in Missouri are starting to see cases slow down just in time for the summer.

Signs of heat-related illnesses

June 13, 2022 9:19 PM ABC 17 News Team

It’s important to be mindful of how long people are spending when outside in the hot weather.

ER visits up due to tick bites; health professionals advise prevention measures to avoid tick-borne diseases

June 10, 2022 10:07 PM Sarah Higgins

Ticks are nothing new to Missouri but this summer emergency, health care workers say they are seeing more people come in from bites.

Millions of COVID vaccines wasted as statewide transmission increases

June 7, 2022 3:54 PM Hannah Falcon

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows more than 82 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine has been discarded nationwide since the start of the pandemic.

Boone Health cuts ribbon on remodeled Centralia location

May 31, 2022 9:24 AM Joushua Blount

Hospital officials will hold the ribbon-cutting ceremony at Boone Health Medical Group – Centralia, located off of Highway 22.

Missouri State Highway Patrol says you should plan ahead for your holiday weekend

May 28, 2022 10:37 PM Marina Diaz

LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. (KMIZ) The Lake of the Ozark’s is busy this holiday weekend and the Missouri State Highway Patrol says that they have been responding to quite a few calls. Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper, Brian Geier, said that they have quite a few calls for careless boating, stranded boats, and theft.

Central Missouri hospitals struggle to fill nursing positions

May 27, 2022 12:34 PM Hannah Falcon

Some of the largest employers in Central Missouri are hospitals. But even with that large presence, retaining healthcare workers is increasingly difficult for hospitals, according to a new report.