Recent Blog Posts

Break out the lunch boxes and the three-ring binders, back-to-school season is upon us again! Amid the mad dash for backpacks, pencil cases and the rapidly approaching school bus, it’s easy to forget about the health concerns of going back to school. Back-to-school time is also prime time for germs and bugs; an enormous number of children spend most of the day in close contact and touch a lot of shared surfaces (e.g ...

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People are often telling us they don’t know when they need stitches. This Medical Minute is here to answer all your questions. Whether or not you need stitches depends on a variety of factors. Factors you must consider… how big the wound is how deep it is where on the body it is located It is important to come on in to our west Hartford urgent care center, go to your doctor or visit ...

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We are conducting a quick survey to gain insights and perspective on Emergency and Urgent Care. Please take a minute to complete this short survey and share your thoughts with us. Thank you! // Post by West Hartford. Po

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Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a scary report, outlining the severity of the flu this year. Due to an uptick in deaths attributed to the flu, the CDC declared the flu had reached epidemic status. While that sounds serious, there are still ways for you to ward off the flu and stay healthy this season. The flu is particularly troublesome for children under 5 — and especially under 2 — and for adults ...

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It’s not your imagination. We’re in the midst of a HOT summer. Heat related illnesses like dehydration, heat exhaustion or heat stroke should not be taken lightly, and affect many. Most vulnerable are babies, the elderly,the sick and the immobile, and of course those without air conditioning. What are the differences between heat exhaustion and heat stroke? The distinctions can be the difference between life and death. Heat exhaustion is a result ...

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While some people are still shoveling snow, many Americans are facing yet another blow from the weather just in time for spring – a sudden explosion of pollen for what’s expected to be a particularly nasty allergy season. March has yet to go out like a lamb, and we at AFC/ can already tell that this month’s wacky weather is wreaking havoc on allergy sufferers, as our centers are already seeing patients flock in ...

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Alcohol consumption is old as civilization itself. Alcoholic drinks contain ethanol, a form of alcohol produced by fermentation of grains, fruits, or other sources of sugar. It is one of the most consumed recreational drugs globally, with a large percentage of adults consuming it. Alcohol impacts your body from the first sip. The effect may, however, vary depending on the quantity and quality of alcohol consumed. We can summarize that occasional consumption of wine with ...

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From turkeys to Christmas cookies, holiday cooking is the best part of some family’s winter season. While it is all meant to be a fun family pastime, small mistakes can easily become overlooked, and accidents will happen. AFC Urgent Care West Hartford is here to provide you with proactive information to keep your loved ones safe this season. From cooking fires to kitchen knife accidents, we are here to keep you safe in case ...

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MENS MENTAL HEALTH

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American Family Care Opening New Urgent Care in Torrington Health Care Provider Continuing to Grow, Create Jobs Across Connecticut TORRINGTON, Conn. – American Family Care (AFC) is pleased to announce it will soon open a new urgent care facility that will provide high-quality health care to the residents of Torrington and Litchfield County as well as create more than a dozen new local jobs. AFC is the nation’s leading provider of walk in urgent care ...

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With millions of Americans visiting the Emergency Room each year it is causing the price of healthcare to increase. Minor conditions such as the common cold or an ear ache also increase the wait time at the Emergency Room, leaving the staff and the patients uneasy and impatient. provides a comprehensive diagnosis and treatment for a number of minor conditions at a fraction of the cost of the Emergency Room. We accept most major insurances ...

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Danbury News Times features Tom Kelly, Dr. Thomas Brown and the team and their role in the emergence of the urgent care medical centers in Connecticut. currently has an urgent care center in Danbury. This spring, a Urgent Care will be opening in West Hartford, CT. http://m.newstimes.com/news/article/Making-a-healthy-investment-in-urgent-care-5238629.php

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As the snow pours from the sky today, AFC Urgent Care wants you to be aware of the warning signs of a heart attack. You may not see the connection here, but in fact the link between shoveling all this snow and a heart attack is becoming more evident. Over the course of the winter, heart attack and back injury are among the physical injuries that are at the forefront. Why is that, you might ...

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Jay Fedak, AFC Urgent Care Physician Assistant addresses this years tough flu season. The H3N2 influenza, which is primarily what we are seeing this year, is proving to be a strong one to battle. In this video, Jay gives actionable, preventative steps to combat the flu, including getting the flu vaccine, and more tips that we need to pay attention to, not the least of which is wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your ...

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Many people spend time outdoors in the winter working, traveling, or enjoying winter sports. Outdoor activities can expose you to several safety hazards, but you can take these steps to prepare for them… Visit the CDC to learn more on preventing carbon monoxide poisoning, staying safe in power outages and extreme weather and staying healthy during the winter months: http://www.cdc.gov/Features/WinterWeather/index.html

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With the recent frigid temperatures and high winds there is a particular health risk that we must address: Hypothermia. Hypothermia can occur when you least expect it if you are not properly prepared for the below freezing temperatures, whether while shoveling snow for an extended period of time, in a stuck car during a storm, or a host of other ways. It’s not something to be taken lightly. Pay attention to hypothermia symptoms. Hypothermia ...

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February can be a bleak month, filled with gray, dreary days and chilly, blustery nights. While the chill in the air can’t be blamed for bugs going around the office or school, the cold itself can irritate the body, causing minor ailments.   Each winter season, doctors here at AFC/ find more and more patients complaining of some common winter issues, in addition to colds and flu. Topping the list of patient complaints are sore ...

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For most kids, Halloween is a time for costumes, parties, trick or treating, and candy eating. Halloween candy is exciting for every child, but facing restrictions of a gluten-free diet while Trick-or-Treating can be challenging and disappointing for children. And for those with food allergies, it can be just plain old scary, so here is allergy-safe Halloween Trick or Treating explained. I suggest discussing the experience ahead of time to set expectations to keep the ...

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Dr. Brown discusses what to be on the look out for this summer. Safety tips are discussed when it comes to fireworks, swimming, sun exposure, and more. Dr. Brown is the medical director of Urgent Care West Hartford and offers advice from experience on these cases we have seen from patients that walk in with medical injuries or illness that occur frequently during the summer.

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The medical portion of the immigration process often takes multiple visits to a variety of different sites. At AFC Urgent Care West Hartford, we offer streamlined immigration physicals, designed to get you through the medical exam portion of the process without sending you all over. Our step by step immigration/green card physical allows those applying for a green card to utilize our centers for the entire healthcare process, thereby alleviating as much stress as ...

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