In recent years the range and availability of ambulatory care service providers has continued to grow. These include urgent care centers, mini clinics, and so-called “Doc in a box” providers. While the emergence of these services benefits consumers on many levels, it also creates a potentially serious “donut hole” in regional syndromic surveillance. A proliferation […]

This winter’s “polar vortex” has led to discussions about everything from the devastating effects sub-zero temperatures can have on homeless populations, to the difficulties it’s caused marathon runners in training, and the dangers extreme cold can pose to pets. Here at HMS, we saw several state public health departments use EpiCenter to implement a cold weather […]