It’s that time of year again! Summer’s end means back to school, back to the playing field and back to Solantic Baptist Urgent Care for school and sports physicals. Whether your littlest is packing his SpongeBob backpack for his first day in kindergarten or your high schooler is psyched about wearing her varsity jacket and taking the volleyball team all the way to nationals this year, Solantic Baptist Urgent Care is ready for you with convenient and affordable school and sports physicals.

Make sure your student athlete is ready to take on the competition with school and sports physicals at your nearest Solantic Baptist Urgent Care center.

Each of our urgent care clinics throughout Florida offers school physicals and sports physicals each for $35 or a combined school/sports physical for $50. These exams are designed to review a patient’s existing conditions and identify any new health issues that could require modified participation in certain school or sports activities. Our board certified physicians and highly experienced medical staff will review your young student/athlete’s full medical history and lifestyle, noting height, weight, blood pressure pulse and temperature. We’ll examine the skin, head, neck, eyes, ears, nose, throat, thyroid, chest, heart, lungs, abdomen, liver, spleen, lymphatic system, extremities, pulses, reflexes, spine, neurological system, veins, muscles and joints. And we’ll perform tests for vision, urinalysis and audiogram (hearing). We also offer back-to-school immunizations, so you can get all your school and sports-related medical needs handled in one convenient and affordable visit.

Solantic’s walk-in urgent care clinics have taken the hassle out of school physicals and sports physicals by offering a no-appointment-necessary policy. For those who want to skip any wait time, we also offer online registration for school physical and sports physical appointments. Just choose the location that’s most convenient for you and complete and submit the online registration form. We’ll give you a call or send you a text message when the doctor is ready to see you. Don’t forget to complete, sign, print and bring with you customary forms (such as the HIPPA notice, patient financial policy and authorization to treat forms) to save even more time. Call Solantic Baptist Urgent Care at 866-SOLANTIC (765-2684) for more information.

August is National Immunization Awareness Awareness Month and Solantic Baptist Urgent Care is ready with all your family’s immunization needs. With children starting school, college students heading back for the fall term and flu season just around the corner, August is prime time for immunizations nationwide. Each of Solantic Baptist Urgent Care’s Florida locations offers a full battery of immunizations required and recommended for every age group for school, work and travel.

Solantic Baptist Urgent Care offers all CDC-required and recommended immunizations.

Solantic Baptist Urgent Care offers all immunizations listed in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s immunization schedules for children, adolescents and adults. We also offer walk-in service when an unexpected vaccination need arises, such as the need for tetanus boosters and rabies vaccinations. Our highly trained medical staff keeps up to date on all needed or recommended vaccinations for people who work in specified high-risk industries. For instance, veterinarians, animal handlers, pet rescue transporters, park rangers and certain laboratory workers often are required to get regular rabies vaccinations even if they have not been bitten or otherwise exposed to rabies.

If you’re planning a trip abroad, Solantic Baptist Urgent Care also can assure you get all the immunizations required and recommended for travel to various countries and regions of the world. Whether you’re a frequent international business traveler, a spouse-to-be planning to honeymoon in some faraway tropical locale, or a student preparing to depart for a study abroad program any Solantic urgent care clinic can assure that you’re ready for travel.

We also offer seasonal immunizations such as flu shots and seasonal allergy vaccines, and screenings including TB skin tests. Solantic Baptist Urgent Care clinics are open 365 days a year and you never need an appointment. We make it easy for busy parents and professionals to get the treatment and preventative they and their families need. To make sure you and yours remain up to date on required and recommended immunizations, visit the Solantic urgent care location nearest you.

Did you know that Solantic Baptist Urgent Care can help keep your company healthy? Employers and health insurance leaders across the country are booking their spots for the National Corporate Wellness Conference in Los Angeles Sept. 20-22. While there, they’ll learn what smart business leaders and Solantic already know – that healthy, happy employees contribute to your company’s bottom line by boosting productivity and employee morale.

Solantic Baptist Urgent Care's occupational medicine and executive physical services can help keep you, your employees and your company healthy.

A 2004 study by Cornell University shows that “presenteeism” (employees showing up for work despite being ill) costs the American economy $180 billion in lost productivity annually. A 2009 survey by CCH Inc., which provides employment law information for human resources professionals, concluded that unscheduled employee absenteeism (primarily for illnesses) cost companies an average of $755 per year. And substance abuse and addiction costs American companies billions in absenteeism, insurance costs (including insurance for treatment of health conditions exacerbated by substance abuse) and related costs each year.

Solantic Baptist Urgent Care can help keep your employees healthy and your business running smoothly with our occupational medicine services. Each of our urgent care centers located throughout Florida offers confidential employment and pre-employment drug screens, immunizations, X-ray and EKG services, vision testing, hearing testing and pulmonary functioning testing, plus physicals for DOT workers, OSHA physicals and customized examinations tailored for your company’s specific needs. We also offer an “Executive Physical” designed to help evaluate an executive employee or candidate’s ability to handle the rigors and strains of a high-pressure positions. HIV and STD serologic testing also is available.

Whether you’re an HR professional for a large company with thousands of employees or a small business owner with a staff of just a few, Solantic Baptist Urgent Care offers occupational medicine at a budget that works for your company or department. To keep your business in top shape, contact the center nearest you for more information Solantic’s occupational medicine and corporate wellness services today.

Since news of the tragic explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon and the resulting BP oil spill hit, concerns about health risks associated with oil exposure have taken center stage in the media. Florida urgent care facilities are getting lots of calls from both coastal residents and would-be vacationers worried about whether the Sunshine State’s beaches are safe to swim in, the air is safe to breath and the seafood is safe to eat.

Health advisories have been issued at beaches in three Florida gulf counties as a result of the BP oil spill.

When it comes to needing urgent care, Florida beaches in three counties could pose a risk. The state’s Division of Health has issued impact notices for fifteen beaches in Escambia, Okaloosa and Walton Counties. Tar balls, tar mats and a light, oily sheen have been spotted along these beaches in the water and in the sands. While there have not yet been any reports of major illnesses or injuries caused by contact with tar, oil or dispersant deposits found in Florida, prolonged contact can cause health problems that could carry long-term impacts.

The most common urgent care risk Florida beach-goers face is respiratory problems induced by odors and fumes given off by oil and toxic oil dispersants. Nasal irritation and nausea may occur, particularly in people with seasonal allergies, sensitivity to pollen or pre-existing respiratory conditions such as asthma. If you experience this, leave the area immediately, avoid strenuous activity and get to an air-conditioned space. If symptoms worsen, go to the nearest Florida urgent care clinic immediately. Seafood purchased at restaurants and markets have been sampled and deemed safe. But NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) just recently expanded the no-fishing zone and various agencies have differing standards of safety. Petroleum contamination (whether by touching, ingesting or inhaling) is known to cause cancer and neurological conditions down the road.

To minimize your potential health risk while visiting beaches in Florida, Solantic Urgent Care and the Florida DOH offer these tips:

- Avoid wading or swimming, skiing or using personal water craft in oil-affected areas;
- If your skin comes in contact with an oil product, quickly wash it with grease-cutting liquid dishwashing detergent and water;
- Avoid contact with oil and oily materials spotted in the water or on the beach. Note that items such as tar balls may be buried beneath the sand, so be careful digging your feet into the sand and closely watch children digging holes and building sand castles (in fact, young children age five and younger should be kept from affected areas altogether);
- Do not collect tar balls or other items for souvenirs;
- Do not pick up oil product to throw in the trash. Instead, notify local officials. Only trained community workers are authorized to remove and dispose of oil product from Florida’s beaches;
- Avoid contact with dead or dying fish or other aquatic life that may be impacted by the oil. If you see an animal in distress, call (866) 557-1401;
- Do not boat through oil slicks or sheens and exercise caution when hoisting boat anchors from waters that may be affected;
- Young children (five and younger), pregnant women, people with compromised immune systems and pets should not visit oil-affected areas.

If you believe you are suffering a medical condition from contact with oil products or fumes, head to your nearest Florida Solantic Walk-In Urgent Care clinic.

If you’re looking for a way to get in shape without straining your wallet, Solantic Baptist Urgent Care suggests small group fitness training. June’s end marks the year’s half-way point and most have long ago skipped out on their New Year’s resolutions. This year, many are blaming the tight economy for their fitness woes. But imagine sharing the costs of getting fit while enjoying the added benefits of a support system. That’s the beauty of small group fitness training programs popping up all across the nation. Multiple participants keep costs down. And having someone share your fitness journey can make it easier, more fun and more effective. Statistics show that fitness partners can help encourage all participants to stick to the program, even as it gets tougher.

Small group fitness training programs are an affordable way to get in great shape. Visit your nearest Solantic urgent care clinic to make sure you're ready for a new fitness routine.

The recession is affecting the physical health of thousands of people forced to forego fitness training because of financial difficulties. And it’s affecting the financial health of personal fitness trainers and gyms. Small group fitness training programs are proving to be the answer for both parties. Many of these programs are known as “fitness boot camps.” They can take place inside gyms or community centers, or outside, utilizing parks, beaches, even parking lots as fitness obstacle courses.

One attractive feature of small group fitness training is the range of workout types. Popular workouts today include:

- Zumba, which involves Latin beats and salsa-inspired moves;
- Cardio Hula Hoop, using weighted hoops to help whittle your waist, flatten your abs and boost your muscle tone;
- Cardio Pole Dancing for those who want to put a little spice into their workouts while building upper body and core strength and toning legs;
- Punk Rope, which centers on jumping rope to punk rock tunes;
- Forza, a Samurai-inspired core workout that involves thrusting, chopping and slicing your way through core, shoulder, arm and leg training using wooden swords.

Solantic Baptist Urgent Care recommends you undergo a physical examination before taking on a new workout program. We offer age-appropriate basic physicals that help you determine your current health and fitness level so that you can make an informed decision about your new exercise plan. Also, if you or your child plans to participate in school or collegiate sports come the new school year / fall semester, Solantic Baptist Urgent Care centers offer school / sports physicals required by many athletic governing bodies and in some cases, by state law.

To prepare for your new workout program, visit your nearest Solantic urgent care clinic today. No appointment is necessary and your insurance company may reimburse you all or part of your physical cost.

Solantic Baptist Urgent Care physicians and staff urge you to participate in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) World No Tobacco Day May 31, 2010. This year’s theme focuses on warning women about tobacco risks and delivers a stern message to tobacco marketers: Stop targeting women with manipulative, downright deceptive advertisements.

Smoking poses unique and potentially deadly health risks for women.

WHO researchers and smoking cessation advocates criticize tobacco marketers for what they consider insidious messages. Beautifully crafted print, television and online ads suggest smoking lends women a sexy, empowered image and that smoking light or low-tar cigarettes is safer than smoking regular cigarettes. Research shows that tobacco marketers increasingly are targeting women who live in low-income and middle-income countries, where women are gaining spending power and independence. Many of these women are, for the first time in their lives, enjoying the financial and social freedom to smoke tobacco, but lack the knowledge of the health risks that smoking poses.

WHO, and Solantic Baptist Urgent Care want to make sure our female patients of all ages are fully aware smoking causes an increased risk of:

- Infertility and trouble conceiving children;
- Cervical cancer, vulvar cancer and premenopausal breast cancer;
- Premature delivery, stillbirth, newborn death or reduction in breast milk for pregnant smokers;
- Cardiovascular conditions such as blood clots, heart attacks and strokes for smokers using hormonal birth control;
- Pelvic inflammatory disease, which can cause ectopic pregnancies, pelvic adhesions and other fertility problems;
- Menstrual problems such as abnormal bleeding or amenorrhea (the absence of periods);
- Osteoporosis;
- Early menopause among women who start smoking as teenagers.

Women also are at risk for many of the same smoking-related medical conditions as men, such as mouth cancer, emphysema and lung cancer. Nearly 23 million U.S. women (roughly a quarter of the nation’s female population) smoke cigarettes, and more than 1.5 million teenage girls smoke. Despite the fact that smoking is the nation’s most preventable cause of death, smoking related conditions kill more than 140,000 U.S. women annually.

If you are a female smoker looking to kick the habit, don’t wait until May 31. In fact, don’t wait another minute. Contact Solantic Baptist Urgent Care at 904-223-2320 or via our online email form. Our wellness services including full physicals and screenings, and your Solantic Baptist Urgent Care physician can offer smoking cessation tips based on your unique lifestyle and healthcare needs.

A trip to an urgent care center can be a bit nerve wracking for anyone – especially a kid. Being in an unfamiliar environment and placed into the hands of strangers can cause anxiety, especially when a child must undergo a medical procedure or get an injection – things that can be downright scary for little ones. We’ve all seen the resulting bouts of crying and temper tantrums. But it doesn’t have to be that way for you and your child. Solantic Baptist Urgent Care offers these tips to help make your child’s next visit to the doctor a bit less stressful, and perhaps even fun.

Allowing your child to get to know his doctor can help ease his anxiety, making each trip to the doctor less stressful and more fun.

Give some warning: When possible, tell your child in advance that he or she will be visiting the doctor soon. For older children, let them know a few days ahead of time. For younger children, a day is sufficient without giving them too much time to fret. This allows them time to express any fears or anxieties and ask questions about the visit.

Choose and stick with a doctor you and your child like: The more familiar a doctor becomes to a child, the less anxiety he will experience with each visit. Urgent care centers increasingly are replacing the family physician for many routine visits such as annual checkups, school and sports screenings and urgent care treatment for illnesses and injuries. This works to your advantage because it allows your child to get to know his Solantic Baptist Urgent Care physician, nurses and staff during routine visits, making things less stressful when a more urgent need such as an unexpected injury or illness occurs. Barring a more serious situation that requires emergency room treatment, the same urgent care physician who handles your child’s routine visits will be there for his urgent care situation.

Don’t make it a big deal: Let your child know that all boys and girls go to the doctor and that a visit to the doctor’s office or urgent care center is simply to make sure that his little body is working in all the ways it should. If a visit is for a particular health concern and your child is aware that something is different, tell him only the most essential information and assure him that the doctor will know exactly what to do to help set everything right again. Also be aware of your own facial expressions and body language when talking to your child about an upcoming visit. They pick up on nonverbal signals as well as adults, so keep a sincere smile on your face and maintain a cheerful and comforting tone of voice.

Read a book about visiting the doctor: Multiple children’s books address going to the doctor in ways that are informative, humorous and reassuring. A few of our favorites are The Berenstain Bears Go to the Doctor, Elmo Goes to the Doctor, Curious George goes to the Doctor and Madeline, in which the famous young heroine must visit the hospital in the middle of the night to have her appendix removed. Though it was written in 1940, it remains among the most used resources to help soothe a child’s anxieties about emergency doctor visits.

Keep your child occupied in the waiting room: Bring along a few favorite toys or stuffed animals, funny books, coloring books with crayons or simple games. A soft, familiar blanket and yummy snack will help as well. Toys can be a big help in the days before you go to the urgent care center or doctor’s office too. Role play allowing your child to play the doctor and an assortment of huggable dolls and stuffed animals to be his pretend patients. Educational doctor play sets work great for older children.

Be prepared yourself: Be on time and make sure you have all of your child’s insurance information, prescription card and any other necessary documentation with you, such as shot records from prior physicians. Write down any questions you have beforehand. This all helps assure that your visit will go quickly and smoothly.

Give your child something to look forward to: Reward a successful visit to the doctor with a trip to the park or ice cream shop. And be sure to pile on the hugs, kisses and words of praise. This will help lay the foundation for your child’s next trip to the doctor.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule your child’s next checkup, visit our website and find the nearest Solantic Baptist Urgent Care center.

At Solantic Baptist Urgent Care, we know springtime means more than love is in the air – competition is in the air too. It’s also on the fields, courts and water, especially here in sunny Florida. In fact, April is National Youth Sports Safety Month – and with good reason.

Before your kids huddle up, make sure you know all the youth sports safety tips.

According to Safe Kids USA, a nonprofit organization solely dedicated to eliminating preventable childhood injuries, more than 3.5 million children ages 14 and under nationwide receive medical treatment for sports injuries each year. Nearly half of all sports injuries to middle and high school students are overuse injuries, caused by repeated motion such as pitching a baseball or throwing a football. It’s important to note than 62 percent of organized sports related injuries among youth occur during practices – not games. That’s because many young athletes (and their parents and coaches) fail to take the same safety precautions during practices as they would for a game.

Solantic Baptist Urgent Care clinics treat hundreds of youth with sports injuries every year, and the vast majority of these injuries are preventable. To help ensure your child stays safely in the game, consider these tips:

• Be sure your child stretches the muscles he or she will be using most during a game. For instance, in youth baseball pitchers should concentrate on stretching the arm and back muscles while catchers should focus on the legs and back;
• Warm-ups, such as life calisthenics or a short jog, are just as important as stretching. Warm-ups help raise the core body temperature, preparing all of the body’s muscles for the demands of physical activity;
• Keep regular ice packs (not chemical packs) on hand during both games and practices to help control pain and swelling caused by springs, strains and contusions;
• Never let anyone, including coaches and teammates, encourage your child to “play through the pain.” Pain, especially when accompanied by swelling and limitation of movement, can be a warning sign of a serious injury;
• Be aware that injuries that look like sprains in adults can be fractures in children. Because children’s bones are still growing, they’re more susceptible to fractures and breaks, especially during growth spurts;
• Provide your child with appropriate, well-fitting helmets. Sports and recreation related activities account for 21 percent of all traumatic brain injuries among American children;
• Be sure your young athlete gets plenty of rest, particularly in the weeks following an injury;
• And make sure your child drinks plenty of water to keep hydrated during times of vigorous activity.

All of these tips will help ensure that your child’s body stays healthy. But don’t forget the most important potential injury – emotional injury by overzealous or abusive coaches and taunting teammates. Even well-meaning parents can go overboard, criticizing game-day mistakes and pushing children to their physical and emotional limits. Studies show that 73% of kids drop out of youth sports by age 13 because it’s just not fun anymore, particularly as more emphasis gets put on winning games and the potential of sports careers. This robs young athletes of all the benefits of sports, including confidence building, goal setting and friendships. To make sure your child is ready for the sports season, stop in at the nearest Solantic Baptist Urgent Care Center for a sports physical today.

Any given month or week of the year is dedicated to some particular health issue, and this month, Solantic Baptist Urgent Care urges you to recognize April’s status as Alcohol Awareness Month.

Alcohol abuse is prevalent among various demographic groups including teenagers who fall prey to peer pressure, college students who binge drink at parties and local bars, professionals aiming to relax after a long day of work and senior citizens who find solace in alcohol during what can be a lonely and reflective time of life. If you’ve ever forgotten what you did while drinking, if your family or friends have talked with you about concerns over your alcohol intake, or if you find that that you drink to deal with loneliness, sadness or anger, you may well have an alcohol abuse or addiction problem.

Solantic Baptist Urgent Care recommends several tips to help you curb or cut out your drinking. First, write down your reasons for taking control of your drinking, such as getting better sleep, improving your health, being more productive at work or improving your relationships. Post these in a spot you’ll see each day for a visual reminder of the better life that awaits you. If you drink socially, alternate alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. For instance, enjoy a glass of wine, then a glass of sparkling water. Drink both slowly and keep a journal listing each drink you have as another visual reminder to help you avoid overindulgence. Steer clear of temptation by keeping a small amount or no alcohol at home and carefully plan your socializing calendar. Rather than meeting a friend at the local bar Friday night, plan a workout in the park or a shopping trip on Saturday instead.

When you visit Solantic Baptist Urgent Care for your annual physical, be sure to talk with our physicians or nurse practitioners about your concerns. Our expert medical staff is trained to pinpoint many lifestyle factors that are potentially harmful and can help tailor a plan to help you address these issues and live a healthier lifestyle. If you are an employer and suspect that an employee may have a substance abuse problem, any Solantic Baptist Urgent Care location can conduct reliable alcohol and drug screenings. In fact, you or your company representative can set up an account for all your occupational health and screening needs by emailing us at occhealth@solantic.com.

If you have questions or concerns about your alcohol intake, Solantic Baptist Urgent Care has nearly 40 locations throughout Florida ready to help. Visit our website to find a location near you and set an appointment today.

Solantic’s newest urgent care center is open for business at 4498 Hendricks Avenue at the San Jose Boulevard split in the Miramar neighborhood. It’s our first urgent care clinic to open since Solantic joined Baptist Health, Northeast Florida’s largest hospital system, in January.

The new Hendricks Avenue Solantic urgent care center offers immediate healthcare services for sudden illnesses or unexpected injuries including workers’ comp injuries and sports injuries. The clinic, housed in remodeled former convenience store, also offers a range of non-urgent healthcare and medical services such as wellness screenings, blood work, X-rays, pre-op physicals, drug screenings, immunizations, DOE physicals, insurance physicals, school and sports physicals, blood pressure tests, cholesterol screening, occupational medicine and OSHA respiratory physicals.

Our Hendricks urgent care clinic is high tech not just terms of our state-of-the-art medical equipment, but in comfort features including three large flat-screen televisions in our waiting and examination rooms for patients to watch while they wait to see one of our board-certified physicians; a children’s area to keep little ones playfully occupied; and a computer monitor that allows patients to check their wait times. Patients also can register online and receive a text message on their cell phones when it’s time for their exam. This allows patients to choose whether to wait in our waiting room, outside or at a nearby location.

Soon, all North Florida Solantic urgent care clinics will be known as Solantic Baptist Urgent Care. The new partnership with Baptist Health means patients now have access to the hospital system that includes five hospitals and more than 40 primary care centers located throughout Northeast Florida if follow-up care is needed. Founded in 2001, Solantic Walk-In Urgent Care has grown to 31 urgent care centers throughout Florida, employing upwards of 530 employees. Twelve Solantic urgent care centers are located in the Northeast Florida region and a 13th is slated to open at the corner of Beach and Hodges boulevards in May.