Say Hello to Fall Not the Flu!
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Flu season is on the way, but there are steps you can take to reduce your risk of getting sick and spreading germs.
The best way to protect yourself and your family is to get a yearly flu shot.
The CDC recommends flu vaccination for everyone 6 months and older, with rare exceptions, and especially for those at higher risk of serious complications from influenza, including young children, pregnant people, people with certain chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes or heart and lung disease, and people 65 years and older.
Also, take these everyday preventive actions to reduce the spread of flu:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- If you are sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.
- Cover coughs and sneezes.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand rub.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Germs spread this way.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with viruses that cause flu.
- Take flu antiviral drugs if your provider prescribes them.
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Now is the time to schedule your flu shot! Manet Patients can make an appointment by telephone or online using the Manet Patient Portal, or stop in to one of our upcoming Manet Flu Vaccine Clinics (see sidebar). Children under 5 should be seen by their provider.
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Manet Patient Flu Clinics
Patients 5+. Walk-in or by appointment.
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Snug Harbor, 9 Bicknell St.
Monday, Sept. 27: 4-6 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 25: 4-6 p.m.
Houghs Neck, 193 Sea St.
Tuesday, Sept. 28: 4-6 p.m.
Tuesday Oct. 27, 4-6p.m.
North Quincy,
110 W. Squantum St.
Wednesday, Sept. 29: 4-6 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 16: 9 a.m.-noon
Wednesday, Oct. 27: 4-6 p.m.
Taunton, 1 Washington St.
Monday Oct. 4: 4-6 p.m.
Saturday Oct. 23: 9 a.m.-noon
Monday Nov.1: 4-6 p.m.
Hull, 180 G. Washington Blvd.
Wednesday, Oct. 6: 4-6 p.m.
Wednesday Nov. 3: 4-6 p.m.
Attleboro, 8 North Main St.
Wednesday Oct. 6: 2-4 p.m.
Wednesday Nov. 3: 2-4 p.m.
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Taunton Council on Aging
30 Olney Street, Taunton, MA
Wednesday, October 6, 2021
9 - 12 a.m.
For appt., call (508) 821-1425.
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Quincy Council on Aging
Kennedy Center
440 East Squantum St., Quincy
Friday, November 5
10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Wednesday, November 17
4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Walk-in. No appt. needed.
Please bring your insurance card to all flu clinics.
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Meet our Newest Leader and Providers
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Marsha Meade, Director of Physical Sites and Design
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Marsha Meade is Manet’s new Director of Physical Sites and Design, but she is not new to Manet at all! From 2012 to 2015, Marsha served as Manet’s Project Manager and Director of Facilities, overseeing a three-year $5 million expansion and renovation project that completely transformed the health center’s North Quincy site, as well as the design and construction of Manet’s site in Taunton.
With her significant expertise in space design, construction, project and budgetary management, clinic operations, contract negotiation, capital development and planning, Marsha most recently served as Director of Construction for Care-One, where she led all aspects of regional, co-occurring construction projects ranging from $50,000 to $10 Million. She also has been an ongoing consultant for Manet on special facilities projects, including subsequent expansions in Taunton and the design and construction of our new site in Attleboro.
In her current role, Marsha will take the lead on the health center’s overarching facilities needs, including planning and implementation, service innovations, vendor relations and evaluation, lease/tenant management, further renovation and expansion across all sites to ensure pleasing and safe facilities for our patients, and development of a five-year capital plan. We are thrilled to have Marsha back full-time on Team Manet!
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Kelly Burke is an adult geriatric primary care nurse practitioner at Manet’s Taunton practice site. Her clinical interests include chronic disease management and substance use disorder.
Prior to pursuing her nurse practitioner certification, Kelly had extensive inpatient hospital nursing experience and served as a clinical instructor at the University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth.
She earned both a bachelor’s degree and doctorate in nursing at the University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth.
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Scott Gestrich, MD, is a Family Medicine physician at Manet’s North Quincy Practice site, providing care for patients of all ages.
He earned his medical degree at St. George’s University School of Medicine, Grenada, and a Bachelor of Science in Biology: Pre-Med at Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA.
He completed residencies at the Cleveland Clinic Akron General Medical Center, Department of Family Medicine in Akron, OH and the MSU/MidMichigan Medical Center-Gratiot, Department of Family Medicine in Alma, MI. He also served as a Research Associate at the Louis Stokes VA Medical Center, Department of Infectious Disease, in Cleveland, OH. Dr. Gestrich is member of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).
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Manet will soon welcome Christian Rose, MD, to our complement of on-site specialists. Dr. Rose is a fellowship-trained sports medicine physician, who will see patients of all ages at our North Quincy location for orthopedic issues, including Ultrasound guided MSK injections and tenotomies, stress fracture management, return-to-play after injury, and sport related concussions.
Following his residency in Family Medicine at Boston Medical Center, Dr. Rose completed his fellowship in primary care sports medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where he also had earned his medical degree. He earned Bachelor of Science degrees in Biology and Psychology at University of Massachusetts Amherst. Dr. Rose has abundant team physician experience on the professional, collegiate and high school levels, most recently with the Boston Red Sox organization, University of Massachusetts, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Clark University, Anna Maria College, and Fitchburg State University.
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COVID-19 Vaccine Update:
Booster or Third Dose - What's the Difference?
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If you are confused about all of the recent COVID-19 updates coming out recently, you are not alone. Keeping it all straight can be a challenge, but here's a brief summary that may help.
Third doses for certain groups of people with weakened immune systems
Earlier this month, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended a third dose of COVID-19 for certain groups of people with weakened immune systems who received either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. This additional dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is given at least 28 days after a second dose and is intended to improve immunocompromised people’s response to their initial vaccine series.
Manet is providing third doses of COVID-19 vaccine to people who meet the criteria.
Booster Shots
On Wednesday, September 22, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amended the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to allow for use of a single booster dose, to be administered at least six months after completion of the primary series in individuals 65 years of age and older and certain others at high risk of severe COVID-19 or high risk of exposure and serious complications of COVID-19. This authorization applies only to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.
Today, the CDC endorsed its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendation for a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in certain populations and also recommended a booster dose for those in high risk occupational and institutional settings. Read more about the CDC recommendations here.
A booster shot is meant to extend immunity after full immune protection has waned over time. The FDA and CDC are reviewing the data for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson boosters.
Pending further guidance from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Manet will offer boosters to eligible individuals who meet the appropriate criteria. If you have questions about whether you meet the criteria, speak to your primary care provider.
Where can you get a COVID-19 Vaccine?
Manet offers COVID-19 vaccines at each of our sites and at a variety of community venues. (See below) We welcome everyone age 12 and older. Stay tuned for more news on vaccines for children age 5-11 to come out soon.
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Look Who Stopped into Manet Attleboro!
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Manet, Attleboro staff were happy to give State Representative Jim Hawkins a shot in the arm this week -- a COVID-19 shot!
Walk-in COVID-19 vaccines are available for anyone in the community every Thursday, from 1 to 3 p.m. at our Attleboro site at 8 North Main Street.
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Manet to Offer COVID Vaccines in Hull on Saturday
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The Manet Team will be providing COVID-19 vaccines at the Endless Summer Waterfront Festival Saturday, September 25 from noon to 5 p.m.
Stop by and roll up your sleeve!
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Testing is Still a Valuable Tool to Counter COVID
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Manet offers COVID-19 testing options for the community.
Testing at our North Quincy location is done by appointment Monday through Friday for anyone experiencing symptoms or with known exposure to COVID-19.
For those in need of testing for travel or any other reason, walk-in testing is offered every Tuesday from 1-4 p.m. at 180 Old Colony Ave. in Quincy.
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Thank you to the amazing crew at Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA for spending their Service Day 2021 with us and for the fantastic fall planting and clean-up at out North Quincy site.
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Save the Date for June Bloom 2022!
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Thursday June 9
Lombardo's, Randolph
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Need a PCP?
Our expert and caring primary care providers welcome new patients.
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We're open Saturdays & evenings until 8 p.m. for in person & telehealth visits.
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Connect online. Use the Manet Patient Portal to schedule your next appointment, check test results, fill a prescription or pay a bill.
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About Manet Community Health Center
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Manet Community Health Center is a not-for-profit health and social services provider, founded in 1979 to provide access to quality health care for all. Manet’s exceptional primary care and behavioral health providers deliver convenient, patient-centered, comprehensive, quality care at three locations in Quincy, one in Hull, one in Taunton and at our newest site in Attleboro.
Manet serves patients of all ages, including infants, children, adolescents, adults and seniors, from across the South Shore and Southeastern MA. http://www.manetchc.org/
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