The flu vaccine offers your best defense against the flu. It’s that simple. Yes, we know you have a friend who swears that it makes him or her sick. This is false. The flu vaccine significantly lowers your chance of getting sidelined by the flu this season. It will also dramatically reduce your symptoms if you do in fact contract the flu.

COVID-19 is still active in the community. Flu symptoms can be similar to COVID-19 symptoms. If you catch the flu, it will not only sideline you physically, but it will also warrant that you get a COVID-19 test and keep you in quarantine while you wait for the results. Getting a flu vaccine is simple, affordable and will help you stay healthy so you can resume your normal activities. 

Staying well will reduce your COVID-19 risk. The best way to reduce your risk of contracting COVID-19 is to wear a mask in public, get the flu vaccine and continue to social distance.

Flu Vaccines available at Innovative Express Care 

Flu vaccines are available by appointment at our urgent care clinic located at 2400 N. Ashland Avenue (corner of Ashland and Fullerton). You must be well, with no symptoms of illness, to get the vaccine. Schedule your flu shot here. 

Patients who have an appointment for COVID-19 testing may request a flu shot during their visit to 1111 W. Diversey Parkway. The flu shot is only offered as an add-on to your COVID-19 swab. If you only need a flu vaccine, visit our urgent care. Patients must be well, with no signs of illness or fever to get their flu shot. 

When should I get my flu vaccine? 

Flu activity generally begins in October and runs into the spring months. The earlier you get vaccinated the better because it takes two weeks to build up your immunity. The flu vaccine is recommended for everyone six-months of age and older, unless you are allergic. It is especially important for high-risk individuals, which include infants, children, pregnant women and the elderly, as well as those with underlying health conditions. 

For more information about this year’s flu season, or the vaccine, visit us online.

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There has been a lot of debate about COVID-19 booster vaccines, including whether they are necessary, at what point in time, and for whom they are most appropriate. On Friday, the FDA Advisory Committee voted on the use of Pfizer vaccine boosters. Since there is a lot of misinformation out there, I will summarize their decision for you here. 

Pfizer Booster Vaccine Decision

The committee reviewed extensive data, including the current situation in the United States (COVID cases, hospitalization, vaccinations and vaccine effectiveness), and scientific studies before voting. There was a lot of discussion and debate. Two votes were held to decide who should receive a Pfizer booster vaccine. The first vote was to determine if boosters should be given to all individuals. This did not pass and was voted down.  The second vote was to determine who specifically should receive a Pfizer booster vaccine. The criteria that passed the vote (unanimously) was to give a Pfizer booster vaccine to the following individuals:

People who previously received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine, with their second dose being at least 6 months ago, AND who…

• Are age 65+
• Are at high risk of developing severe COVID-19 (clarification yet to come on who this may include)
• Are at high risk for occupational exposure to COVID-19 (this includes healthcare workers and others to be determined)

Can I Go Get My Booster Vaccine? 

Even if you qualify for a booster vaccine based on the criteria passed during the vote, this does not mean that you can or should go out and get a booster immediately. There are still regulatory steps that must take place, including an official authorization being made (FDA EUA authorization). The CDC advisory committee must also meet to discuss the guidance and make their own recommendations on the matter. This is where we may see additional fine-tuning, such as what is considered to put someone at risk for severe COVID-19, and what occupations beyond healthcare workers should be included. If you are interested in really digging into this topic, you can find the presentation materials here. 

Vaccinations Available in Downers Grove

Innovative Care is currently offering vaccine doses 1 and 2 of both the Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines at our Downers Grove clinic. We are also offering booster vaccines for certain immunocompromised individuals per the August FDA EUA Authorization. We are not yet offering Pfizer boosters to the extended population (voted on September 18, 2021 for over age 65, healthcare workers), but we will expand our criteria to see those patients as soon as the respective FDA Emergency Use Authorization is in place. Vaccine appointments can be made online. 

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Consumers have come to enjoy conveniences that started during the COVID pandemic. With curbside retail pick-ups, grocery delivery and virtual appointments with your doctor, you hardly have to leave home anymore! The COVID pandemic forced many businesses into a consumer-centric mindset designed to make convenience (and the ability to stay home) king. In healthcare, this was rare pre-pandemic. But not at Innovative Care! We have offered telemedicine since we opened our doors in 2015, as it is part of our promise to make quality care more convenient. When the pandemic hit, we simply utilized the system we already had in place to see even more patients virtually. 

Is telemedicine here to stay?

It is at Innovative Care! In fact, we are continuing to ramp up our telemedicine services. We offer virtual visits as well as in-person visits at our urgent care, primary care and behavioral health practices. We also utilize virtual visits in other programs, such as our ADHD management and Innovative Weight Management programs. Patients want convenience, and with the technology readily available to us, there is no reason not to offer it. 

The question remains as to whether or not other clinics will do the same. This recent article in the Washington Post suggests that while patients want telemedicine to continue, many clinics will reduce or eliminate virtual appointments in the coming months due to insurer policies. 

Does insurance cover telemedicine at Innovative?

Yes! Insurance may be used for visits with our urgent care and primary care teams, as well as for ADHD evaluations, and visits that are part of our weight management program. 

Committed to Convenient Care

Innovative Care was founded with the promise to provide quality care that is also convenient and efficient. We understand that our patients are busy. They do not have time for unnecessary visits, or long hold times trying to make an appointment. We utilize technology to offer virtual appointments and easy, online scheduling.

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Prevent serious illness if you do get COVID

Being vaccinated does not mean you are bulletproof to COVID. It does however significantly lower your risk of serious illness and complications from the virus. This means you are unlikely to require hospitalization for your symptoms. 

If you do get sick, getting a monoclonal antibody infusion is an additional step you can take to ensure you do not become seriously ill. This FDA EUA approved treatment is the only known treatment for COVID. It works by infusing antibodies into your body to fight the virus. Monoclonal antibodies are administered via an IV during a short infusion performed at our clinic (about 20-30 minutes). You’ll then be monitored for an hour before heading home to recover and rest. Innovative Care began offering monoclonal antibody treatment this week. Insurance covers the cost. Uninsured patients will be covered by the CARES Act. There is no cost to patients. 

It is critical that we prevent hospitalizations from COVID so our hospital system is not overburdened and unable to care for all patients. Treating COVID symptoms with monoclonal antibodies within the first 10 days may help. 

Continue to be COVID cautious

Indoor mask mandates are back in Illinois as of 8/26/2021 when the Governor announced further mitigation strategies. Please take this seriously. Healthcare workers have been wearing masks for decades. This is not a new strategy to prevent illness. Do your part, distance, wear masks and don’t give up. 

Get vaccinated

The number one way you can help your community is by getting vaccinated. Per the Governor’s press conference today, 96 percent of hospitalizations due to COVID are in unvaccinated individuals.Our Downers Grove clinic offers COVID vaccines seven days a week. Appointments can easily be scheduled online. 

Thank a healthcare worker

It’s been 18 months since this pandemic started. Healthcare workers who were hopeful in the spring as virus spread and hospitalizations decreased, are once again exhausted and fatigued. Take a moment to recognize someone you know on the front lines. A simple thank you can go a long way as they continue their mission to beat COVID. 

Support local businesses

Every time virus activity spikes, local businesses lose customers. Whether it be from capacity restrictions, people staying home, or staff illness, it has a huge impact on their ability to succeed. Continue to shop local whenever possible and treat yourself to a carryout meal from your favorite neighborhood spot to help them continue to thrive during this unprecedented time. 

We can do this together. Stay well, Chicago.

The post Five Ways to Help Your Community Through COVID appeared first on Innovative Care.

Regen-COV infusion may lessen severity of virus and reduce the risk of complications for high-risk patients

COVID-19 can be serious, even life-threatening. If you test positive for COVID-19, and have symptoms, seeking monoclonal antibody treatment within the first 10 days may help you fight the virus and avoid serious complications and even death. Monoclonal antibody treatment is intended for people who are at a high risk of serious illness. Innovative Care will begin offering monoclonal antibody treatment to patients. 

Monoclonal antibodies are produced in a laboratory. They serve as substitute antibodies that help our immune systems mimic the defense of natural COVID-19 antibodies. Innovative Care uses the monoclonal antibody Regen-COV (casirivimab and imdevimab, administered together, made by Regeneron) to treat COVID positive patients. This treatment received FDA EUA approval in November, yet it is not widely available. Innovative Care is committed to fighting COVID and proud to offer a treatment for those who are fighting the virus. More information on Regen-COV can be found here. Insurance is accepted for this treatment. 

“We have been here to test and treat patients since the start of the pandemic. This is a natural progression for us to continue serving our community with COVID testing and care,” said Rahul Khare, MD, CEO and founder of Innovative Care. “Monoclonal antibodies attach to the spike protein and may aid your immune system as it works to fight the virus.”

Innovative Care will treat patients who qualify at their dedicated COVID clinic. Each visit begins with a provider consultation. If the patient opts to receive treatment, Regen-COV will be administered during the same appointment. The total infusion time is 20 minutes. Patients may also choose to forgo treatment. More information about what to expect can be found online here.  

Insurance Accepted

Innovative COVID accepts most major insurance plans, and 99 percent of people who get this treatment will not get a bill or pay for monoclonal antibody treatment. If the bill is not covered by insurance, there are funds to get this covered. By this mechanism, patients will not pay anything out of pocket for this treatment. If you do not have any medical insurance, your treatment will be covered under the federal CARES Act. 

More Information

Innovative Care has operated a COVID testing site for nearly 18 months. They are a leader in COVID testing and were among the first in Chicago to offer COVID antibody testing. Innovative Care also offers COVID vaccines at their Downers Grove clinic. For more information, visit Innovative Care online. 

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Booster Vaccine Eligibility

Booster vaccine eligibility is on your honor, as per the authorization, medical records or a prescription from your physician are not needed. Patients with moderate to severe immune compromise due to a medical condition, or receipt of immunosuppressive medications or treatments, are eligible for booster vaccinations at this time. This includes the following: 

• Active treatment for solid tumor and hematologic malignancies
• Receipt of solid-organ transplant and taking immunosuppressive therapy
• Receipt of CAR-T-cell or hematopoietic stem cell transplant (within 2 years of transplantation or taking immunosuppression therapy)
• Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (e.g., DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
• Advanced or untreated HIV infection
• Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids (i.e., ≥20mg prednisone or equivalent per day), alkylating agents, antimetabolites, transplant-related immunosuppressive drugs, cancer chemotherapeutic agents classified as severely immunosuppressive, tumor-necrosis (TNF) blockers, and other biologic agents that are immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory.

The CDC announced that beginning this fall, everyone will be eligible for a COVID booster vaccine eight months after they received their second dose of the vaccine. 

Free Vaccines

The COVID-19 vaccine is free of charge, as it is supplied by the United States Government. Your insurance will be billed for the injection only. If you have no medical insurance, you will be covered under the federal CARES Act. No patient – whether insured or not insured – will be billed for any charges. The vaccine is free for patients.

Online Scheduling 

If you are eligible for a COVID-19 booster vaccine, you can schedule an appointment online here. Note, COVID-19 vaccines are only available at our Downers Grove clinic location.

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Assume you have been exposed

Events the size of Lollapalooza almost guarantee you have been exposed to COVID. If you are vaccinated, you have a chance of avoiding illness, but please know that breakthrough infections are happening at a high rate. The tricky part is this…people who are vaccinated against COVID-19 typically have only minor symptoms. Oftentimes, these are symptoms that wouldn’t even raise a red flag. The biggest finding from the recent CDC report is that vaccinated people can get COVID-19 AND they are still highly contagious! That’s why we recommend that people be tested if they have any symptom out of the ordinary, even if they are vaccinated. 

Living with COVID

The Delta variant is the dominant strain of COVID going around right now. It is highly contagious, so identifying it as the cause of symptoms early is key to stopping it from spreading. Innovative Care offers COVID testing seven days a week at our Lincoln Park clinic. We also have a COVID testing site in Downers Grove. 

The best protection against COVID-19 is to increase the number of people who are vaccinated. This virus is not going away, and it will continue to mutate along the way. We must learn to live with COVID, which means 1) get vaccinated 2) test if you have symptoms and 3) do your part to protect others, i.e. mask up when warranted. 

Vaccines Available in Downers Grove

If you have not yet been vaccinated, know that it offers your best protection against COVID. Schedule a vaccine appointment online at our Downers Grove clinic. This clinic also offers COVID testing.

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We think managing your ADHD should be fast, easy, convenient, and dignified. If you are tired of trekking to the doctor monthly just to get a prescription refill, we can help. Innovative Care recently launched Innovative ADHD, a service designed to make managing ADHD more convenient for patients. Our providers will see you virtually for medication refills, which means you only need to physically come to the clinic twice a year. Keep reading if you are ready to save time and simplify your ADHD management. 

Already diagnosed with ADHD?

If you have already been diagnosed with ADHD and want to benefit from virtual appointments and a far more convenient management program, visit us online. You can have better ADHD care in three simple steps. 

Step 1: Complete online form

Step 2: Schedule an in-person visit

Step 3: Monthly telemedicine management

Not yet diagnosed but believe you have ADHD? 

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects between 3-5 percent of the adult population. Symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity (but not always), and impulsive behavior can make everyday life a challenge. If you are struggling to stay focused and are feeling overwhelmed by your responsibilities, our therapy team can help. 

Step 1: Complete the online form

Step 2: Virtual evaluation

Step 3: Primary care visit

Step 4: Telemedicine management 

We Accept Insurance

Innovative Care is a medical group in Chicago. We have brick and mortar clinics, and we also offer telemedicine. Our goal is to make quality healthcare more convenient and efficient for our patients. We accept most insurance plans for ADHD evaluations and management. A list of accepted insurance plans can be found here. 

ADHD Evolved

Our tagline is Healthcare Evolved. Well, Innovative ADHD makes ADHD management evolved, too. Patients benefit from a real clinic, with real providers (unlike those online only pharmacies) managing their care. With only two in-person visits a year, it’s a no-brainer. We’ll even deliver your medications to your house or work! Get started today.

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A sudden spike in COVID-19 test positivity rates suggests the virus is making its way back into our community. Innovative COVID, our testing site located at 1111 W. Diversey Parkway, is seeing an average positivity rate of around 5% this week to date. Just two weeks ago, the positivity rate at our clinic was holding steady at around 0.5 to 1%. 

This is a dramatic increase in positivity rate. Right on the heels of Lollapalooza and the city opening up. If you haven’t already, you’re going to be hearing about someone you know getting COVID even after getting the vaccine. Let’s figure out what this means.

Who is at Risk?

Unvaccinated individuals are at the highest risk of contracting COVID-19, period. If you are eligible to get vaccinated, please do so. This is our best defense against COVID. Vaccinated individuals are not 100 percent protected from the virus, but they have a far lower risk of serious illness. Vaccination offers a significant level of protection to the individual. It also helps protect others around you. 

What is the Delta Variant? 

The CDC is watching new strains closely, as variants of the virus have the potential to spark new waves of illness. One variant in particular that is on the CDC watch list is the Delta strain (B.1.617.2). This mutation of COVID-19 was first detected in India in February 2021. This strain of COVID-19 is active in the United States and should be taken seriously. Early data has shown that if you have been vaccinated, the strain most likely will not affect you. Unvaccinated individuals are at the greatest risk. That said, breakthrough infections (COVID-19 in people who are vaccinated) do happen. The good news is this…if you’ve been vaccinated, you will have a lighter, more mild case of the virus. The flu vaccine works very much the same way. Getting the flu vaccine does not mean you can’t catch the flu. It does however mean that if you do catch it, your case will be more mild due to the fact that you have some level of protection. I strongly recommend that anyone who is eligible be vaccinated against COVID-19. 

Who should be tested for COVID-19?

• Anyone who is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should be tested, whether they are vaccinated or not
• Unvaccinated individuals who have had a known exposure to the COVID-19 virus should be tested 5-7 days after that exposure, even if they do not have symptoms. 

If I’m vaccinated and get exposed, do I really need to get tested?

This is a tricky one. Here’s the issue, the Delta strain is extremely contagious. As we are seeing at Innovative Care, the vaccine does not fully protect you from getting COVID-19 again. You’ve probably seen news stories about this, but what the media does not mention enough is this: If you have received a vaccine, the risk of you being hospitalized due to COVID-19 illness is very low. 

Which means: vaccinated people can get COVID-19 despite being vaccinated, however, their illness is extremely mild. But here’s the other tricky part, these people with mild symptoms who are positive for COVID-19 are still contagious. There are children and unvaccinated individuals who are still susceptible to getting very sick, or may even die, from a COVID-19 illness. This means that if you are exposed to COVID-19, and will be with people who are vulnerable (unvaccinated or have significant comorbidities), you should get tested.

Catching COVID-19 cases early allows us to isolate and stop the virus from spreading to others. Innovative Care offers COVID-19 testing seven days a week at our Diversey clinic. Appointments are recommended, but not required. Walk-ins are welcome. 

Will we see another shutdown?

While we certainly hope not, it is possible that we will see restrictions be put back in place. Numerous countries are struggling with a resurgence of COVID-19. Mask requirements, and if needed, restrictions play an important role in protecting those most vulnerable. Our priority remains to get as many people vaccinated as possible so we can continue to keep businesses open and events happening. 

Avoid COVID Fatigue

After 16 plus months of COVID-19 talk, it’s normal to be “over it” and want to move on. Let’s face it…everyone wishes this was all just a bad dream. Sadly, it’s not, and it will take effort from all of us to get rid of COVID-19 in our community. Our team has been here since day one, and we will continue to serve our community through virus testing and care. I ask that you do your part as well. Get vaccinated. Get tested if you are symptomatic and take isolation guidelines seriously if you are unvaccinated and exposed to the virus. If we all continue to do our part, we will continue to enjoy dinners out, baseball games, concerts and more. Hang in there, Chicago!

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If you are planning to party at Lollapalooza, you will need proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test result (within 72 hours) to enter the music festival. Innovative Care offers hundreds of testing appointments daily, at two city locations, to get you ready to rock. Here’s what you should know: 

Test before the Fest

Lollapalooza will require proof of a negative COVID test from anyone who is unvaccinated. Your rapid COVID test must be performed within 72 hours of your entry to the music festival.

Easy Access to Fast Results

Innovative Care has two clinics to serve Lolla festival goers. Innovative COVID accepts insurance (or you can self-pay). COVID of Chicago is self-pay only. Both clinics offer a discounted Lolla testing rate for rapid COVID tests.

Innovative COVID – 1111 W. Diversey Parkway

• Insurance is accepted. If you have a plan we do not accept, you will pay a discounted $100 Lolla rate for your rapid test (show us your wristband for this rate). This occurs rarely since we accept most major insurance plans (less than 1 in 100 people self-pay). 
• If you have NO medical insurance, we will test you for FREE using the CARES Act 
• Easy drive-thru testing
• Results in 15-30 minutes via email, or wait on-site and take your printed documentation with you.  

COVID of Chicago – 1240 N Halsted

• Self-pay only. We do not accept insurance at this location. 
• $100 Lolla rate (show us your wristband for the discounted rate)
• Results in 15-30 minutes via email, or wait on-site and take your printed documentation with you.  

Keep Rockin’

Proof of vaccination is likely to become commonplace for entry into events. Virus strains, such as the Delta variant, are continuing to fuel COVID-19. If you have not been vaccinated, please do so to help curb this pandemic. The vaccines being offered in the United States are effective against the Delta variant strain and offer our best protection. Until more people are vaccinated, the virus will continue to alter our lives. Keep rocking and avoid the need to test prior to events by getting vaccinated. 

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