Recent Blog Posts

As with any new business sector, innovators find a way to turn a good concept into a great one. Two Connecticut businessmen are using their collective expertise to open a series of urgent care centers, offering a combination of exceptional medical care and impeccable customer service. Top News – West Hartford Patch (Click to go to article)

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Everyone has grown up being warned to stay away from “leaves of three,” “berries white,” and “hairy vines.” These are the few ways we can spot poison ivy and poison oak while spending time outdoors. Thankfully there are a few distinct differences between the two. There are many kinds of poisonous plants in nature, but the big three that often cause the most damage are poison oak, poison ivy, and poison sumac. These plants contain ...

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Have a child entering school in a few weeks? How about a college Freshman about to leave for fall semester? It’s time to check off important medical prerequisites before sending them off to school. AFC Urgent Care West Hartford is aware that the coronavirus pandemic is concerning parents about their children returning to school safely. Questions like, “What immunizations or testing does my child need in order to return to school?” are important to ...

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Remember the cyanide scare decades ago when seven Chicago residents died after ingesting Tylenol laced with poison? Though the incident happened weeks before Halloween, it was proof that even sealed substances can be tampered with. Chicago residents, and the rest of the country, were in a panic – some neighborhoods prohibited edible treats from being passed out, while another neighborhood banned trick-or-treating altogether. The fervor has only escalated. Parents have become ever more vigilant as the ...

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Could this spring’s allergy season be a bad one in West Hartford and the northeast? And if so, why? If you are already sniffling and tearing up you are not alone. Experts predict the 2015 allergy season will be more severe than years past because of this years’ harsh winter and record breaking amounts of snow. As the last of the snow melted, well into April in the northeast, an excessive amount of moisture ...

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AFC Urgent Care is very closely monitoring the evolving changes of the COVID-19 crisis, and we assure you that as more information is being released about the outbreak we will keep you informed. This page continues to be updated as more information becomes available. We recognize you may be feeling concerned and frightened by the overwhelming amount of information on the coronavirus outbreak — we’re here to help. Staying informed about how the virus spreads ...

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Flu season is in full swing. This weekend the CT Department of Public Health released the latest numbers and the results point to similar trends in years past. Last year the flu peaked in the week ending in January 12. It’s not to late to protect yourself and your family with a flu shot as we are in the peak. According to last year’s statistics, another peak will hit in the week around ...

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  Have a child entering school in a few weeks? How about a college Freshman about to leave for fall semester? It’s time to check immunizations off of your to do list this year. You may be asking “why do we always have to renew our immunizations every year?” Here’s the number 1 reason why: vaccinations can help protect you or your loved ones from life threatening diseases that can have unfortunate long term ...

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Could this spring’s allergy season be a bad one in West Hartford and the northeast? And if so, why? If you are already sniffling and tearing up you are not alone. Experts predict the 2015 allergy season will be more severe than years past because of this years’ harsh winter and record breaking amounts of snow. As the last of the snow melted, well into April in the northeast, an excessive amount of moisture ...

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What’s a kid to do when all he or she wants is to come home with a bag full of sugary treats and scarf them all down? While most kids can’t wait to trick or treat, many parents are worrying about what can go wrong on their child’s night of fun. Especially this year. As Halloween approaches, it is our job as parents to prepare and make sure our little ones are ...

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We love the fourth of July as much as the next guy, and let’s be honest: much of it is because of the fireworks. We get it! This year especially, because the holiday falls mid-week, we have an extended 4th of July celebration; more opportunities for fun, but also more opportunities for fireworks mishaps as well. Here’s a sobering statistic: in 2014 alone, there were 11 deaths and about 10,500 hospital trips ...

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After successfully wiping it off the map in CT, recently measles has re-surfaced in California, in Disneyland, and has since spread in a few surrounding states. Medical Director Thomas Brown reviews why measles has made a come back, what the symptoms of measles are, and what to do if you or someone you know is having measles symptoms. Although It is believed that although this latest outbreak of measles originated overseas, since hitting the U ...

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Did everyone have a safe and COVID-19 free Thanksgiving this year? Recent spikes of COVID-19 cases, hospitalization rates and deaths show otherwise. We are now paying the price with the huge spike in COVID numbers since Thanksgiving. So does this mean no Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanza?  What about New Years? COVID-19 may have put a stop to our end of the year celebrations, but not to our holiday spirit. Some of us are still trying to ...

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November is here, which means that Diabetes Awareness month is here as well. At AFC Urgent Care West Hartford, we strongly encourage you to educate yourselves on the signs and symptoms of diabetes. Diabetes is a growing epidemic, especially here in the U.S. It threatens the lives of more and more people each year. In the U.S alone, over 25 million people are living with diabetes according to the CDC, and it is ...

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How do you know if you have flu symptoms or cold symptoms, and how to tell the difference? Flu symptoms and cold symptoms often mimic one another: both can have nasal congestion, cough, body aches, headaches and malaise. A common cold, however, rarely has symptoms of fever above 100 degrees. With flu symptoms, you will probably have a fever initially with the flu virus and you will feel miserable. Body and muscle aches are also ...

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How to Stay Healthy during Spring/Summer Travel Healthy Tips from Dr. Tom Brown (Medical Director of Urgent Care in West Hartford & Danbury) on Fox CT morning news… What should people be aware of before taking a trip? Medical preparation for travel is increasingly important. Not only are there more serious health risks present around the world, but there is more available for prevention and treatment. offers immunizations for many types of diseases. To expedite ...

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Why do you need to get a flu shot this year? We hear it all the time. That being said, this year it is important to get vaccinated for the flu not only to protect you from the flu but also because COVID-19 is still with us and doesn’t seem to be leaving anytime soon. Both viruses have outward symptoms that are very similar and heading into the flu season, you don’t want ...

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Staying safe around the holidays can be tough as some can become injured by firework accidents, suffer from prolonged heat exposure, foodborne illnesses, and even dehydration. It also doesn’t help that we’re still in a pandemic where large social gatherings can spike up cases of COVID-19. When we head into this extended celebration, let’s remember these important COVID-19 health and safety tips for this Fourth of July. Fourth of July Injuries: Injuries ...

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This time of the year, ticks are a very real threat in the Connecticut and New England area. If you are hiking, or spending time outdoors in a grassy or wooded area, there is a large chance you could be bit by a deer tick (link opens in a new tab). Deer ticks are actually the most common tick carrying Lyme Disease, and so it is extremely important to learn how to avoid the, and ...

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We are staying ahead of the game to you by bringing you the latest guidelines on sports related concussions and head trauma, and how you can help keep your children safe when playing high impact sports. What You Need to Know about Concussions and Head Trauma Connecticut has recently passed laws requiring coaches, trainers, phys-ed teachers and anyone working with student athletes or professional athletes to under-go training on how to diagnose, treat and educate ...

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