Blackbird Clinical Services
The Kind, Dependable Clinic
How to Avoid Gaining Weight Over the Holidays
How much weight do you think you gain over the holidays? Is it 5, 7 or 10 pounds? Actually, the good news is that it is closer to 1 pound, although for those who are heavier to begin with, the norm is closer to 5 pounds. On the not so good side according to research […]
Why Is This Flu Season So Much Worse Than Others?
A fierce flu season that began in November is taking its toll wherever you look. Even those who got a flu shot this fall are not escaping this illness. Why is that? Each year the flu vaccine is formulated to protect against three or four strains of flu that are anticipated to be the most […]
DOT Makes Changes to Driver Medical Exams
To meet new Health and Human Services drug testing guidelines the Department of Transportation (DOT) has made changes to its drug testing program regulations. These changes will impact drivers, as well as labs like Blackbird Clinical Services. Updates to Drug Testing Rules Effective January 1, 2018, the semi-synthetic opioids: hydrocodone, oxycodone, hydromorphone and oxymorphone, have […]
Do Drug Abusers Target Your Business?
With all the news surrounding the opiate crisis in the U.S., it won’t come as any surprise that opiates topped the list as the drug that employees used the most while at work. While sometimes legal, these drugs are considered highly addictive and potentially lethal – with or without a valid prescription – and can […]
The Sun … Friend or Foe
As we start spending more time outside, it is important to understand how the sun’s rays can affect you in both a positive and negative manner. Taking a few steps to protect your skin, the sun will be seen as a friend, not a foe. ON THE POSITIVE SIDE Improves Mood Sunlight triggers the release […]
It’s Not Just About Watching the Scale
Having a healthy body weight is a challenge for many, many people. Trying to maintain your ideal weight takes a combination of eating right, exercising regularly and being active. But determining if you are at a healthy weight is not always about just the number on the scale. There are other means available to help […]
Detecting Diabetes Early with A1C Testing
The Center for Disease Control reported 1.5 million Americans were diagnosed with diabetes for the first time in 2015 (the most recent numbers). As the number of Americans with diabetes or prediabetes grows, it becomes more important that individuals with this disease become aware of their condition and take the appropriate steps to stay healthy […]
Can You Read the Warning Signs of Opiate Abuse?
The addiction to prescription opiate drugs used for pain management has become an epidemic, with estimates of anywhere from 26 million to 36 million people believed to be abusing opioids in the United States. Primarily used in the treatment of chronic pain these drugs are highly addictive. Even when taken as prescribed they can lead […]
Using Your Health Insurance Could Be Costing You More
In 2017, 84 percent of large employers offered high deductible health insurance plans to their employees and 35 percent of those companies only offered high deductible plans, based on a 2016 Kaiser/HRET survey. The trade-off for the lower premiums associated with these plans is substantially higher out-of-pocket costs that are incurred before a portion of […]