Medical Credentialing Services

Passport Health is a Superior Provider of Medical Credentialing Services

Background:

Passport Health has worked with large pharmaceutical companies and individuals providing medical credentialing services. Before working in a hospital or other healthcare facility staff must be properly immunized and screened for communicable diseases. We understand the urgency to clear individuals for vital roles in the healthcare industry.

The Process:

Whether you need a Hepatitis B, MMR, or Varicella immunization or Titers performed to verify protection we are happy to see you in one of our locations. We obtain all proper medical releases to provide feedback to your organization that you are cleared for employment. These services are available on a one on one basis, however Passport Health is also able to provide on-site services to groups such as medical schools, nursing schools and pharmaceutical companies.

Convenient and Thorough Solutions:

Requirements vary form company to company and facility to facility before clearing an individual for work, Passport Health is able to provide a convenient and quick solution for you and or your company including the proper documentation. Please call us to obtain more detailed information and to schedule an appointment at one of our convenient locations or on-site at your company or organization.

Call or click today! 215-491-1111
www.passporthealthphilly.com

 

Flu Shot Clinics for Corporations

A flu immunization program can increase company productivity, reduce absenteeism and medical costs and show employees that your company cares about them and their health. Corporations lose millions each year because their employees become ill. Absence due to sickness causes lost time and slowed productivity. Most importantly, ill employees can spread the disease; suffer pain, discomfort, and even lost wages – sometimes needlessly. Call or click us today to schedule your First Class on site Flu Shot Clinic 1-800-741-0504 http://www.passporthealthusa.com/locations/pa/philadelphia/481/

Passport Health of Greater Philadelphia is a Proud ISTM Member

When planning an international trip please remember the following.

Over 700 million travellers cross international borders annually. However, studies suggest that only a very small percent seek pre-travel health advice, and typically from practitioners who are ill equipped to provide current and accurate information. Travel medicine has become increasingly complex due to dynamic changes in global infectious disease epidemiology, changing patterns of drug resistance, and a rise in the number of travellers with chronic health conditions.

Passport Health of Greater Philadelphia is a Proud ISTM Member.
call or click us 800-741-0504
http://www.passporthealthusa.com/locations/pa/philadelphia/481/

Get Vaccinated for Whooping Cough!

Some news from across the river....

Eight children in Hunterdon County NJ, have recently been diagnosed with whooping cough — including those whose families declined to have them vaccinated or failed to get all of their necessary shots, state and county health officials said today.
An Ocean County health department spokeswoman also confirmed two infants who developed symptoms in December have been diagnosed with the highly contagious bacterial respiratory infection.
The infected children in Hunterdon County range in age from 4 to 15, and are all getting treated at home, said Carl Rachel, spokesman for the Hunterdon County Division of Public Health.
Whooping cough mimics the symptoms of a cold but then develops into "uncontrolled coughing spells," according to the county website. Nationally, the illness annually kills 10 to 20 people who are typically less than a year old, the website said.
New Jersey requires children enrolled in preschool or day care public to be vaccinated against whooping cough, also known as pertussis. But state law allows parents to cite religion and medical conditions as a reason to seek an exemption.
Most people can avoid contracting the infection — spread by coughing and sneezing — with a series of four shots beginning when a child is two months old. Public health professionals recommend people ages 10 to 64 get booster shots.
Of the eight children sickened in Hunterdon County, "several were immunized; of those immunized cases, some did not have the complete series of pertussis vaccines appropriate for their age," said state health department spokeswoman Donna Leusner.
"Vaccines in general are not 100 percent effective in preventing infections, but vaccinations still can lessen the degree of illness, even if a child is not fully immunized," she said.
Rose Puelle of the Hunterdon County Division of Public Health Preparedness, confirmed some of the sick children "were vaccinated in the past, and some not for personal or medical reasons."
"Most people who complete a vaccine series including the recommended boosters have the maximum protection available to prevent illness," Puelle said. "It affords everyone in the community, including those most susceptible such as infants and immuno-compromised, the best chance of avoiding the serious consequences of disease."
In Ocean County, neither of the infected infants was vaccinated against whooping cough, county health department spokeswoman Leslie Terjesen. Both babies required hospital care, although one has since been discharged, she said.
A vocal minority of parents oppose mandatory vaccines. Sue Collins, co-founder of the New Jersey Alliance for Informed Choice in Vaccination, said vaccines are not guarantees against disease. "I know that Hunterdon had several cases a few years ago and those were in vaccinated children," she wrote in an e-mail. "From what I understand now, the strain of pertussis seems to be circulating in some communities and other states does not match the strain in the vaccines."
Since January 2011, 51 confirmed cases of whooping cough in New Jersey have been reported to the state health department. In 2009, health officials confirmed 39 cases of whooping cough in Hunterdon County.
The outbreak in Hunterdon began in the fall, according to the state.

Varicella Lollipop Scam Alert

Authorities and doctors are warning parents who want to avoid chicken pox vaccines for their children that a new mail-order scheme to share lollipops licked by children infected with the disease as a way to create immunity in their kids is not only unsafe but illegal.
“Can you imagine getting a package in the mail from this complete stranger that you know from Facebook because you joined a group, and say here, drink this purported spit from some other kid?” U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Jerry Martin told The Associated Press.
News reports from Phoenix’s KPHO-TV and Nashville’s WSMV-TV this week looked into groups forming on social media sites like Facebook that offer ways to get “natural immunity” from chicken pox by deliberately exposing children to the disease.
Concerns about the vaccine range from worries about whether some of the ingredients are harmful to children, to fears that the vaccine itself is ineffective and would only be creating only short-term immunity to the disease.
Facebook groups such as “Find a Pox Party in Your Area” have popped up — offering ways for people to connect and share the virus through infected items, according to the TV news reports.
Doctors warn that the practice is not only impractical, but it’s dangerous.
Isaac Thomsen, a specialist in pediatric infectious diseases at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, told the AP that shipping the infected items is “theoretically possible” but “probably not an effective way to transmit it. It typically has to be inhaled.”
But Thomsen also warned that the lollipops could carry other more dangerous viruses, like hepatitis.
It is also federal crime to send diseases, viruses or a contagion through the post office or any mail transport service and carries a sentence between less than a year to 20 years if convicted, according to Martin.
In 1995, the chickenpox vaccine, varicella, was approved for use in the United States. Every state requires every child be vaccinated before they can enter day care or school.
There are some exceptions that vary state to state, including proof that the child has contracted the virus on his or her own and as parents who refrain from getting their children vaccinated due to religious reasons.
ABC News’ Emily Friedman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Call 215-491-1111 for an appointment for your varicella vaccination

http://www.passporthealthphilly.com/

Corporate flu clinics

Every year millions of dollars are lost by American Business due to loss of productivity with employees being out sick with the flu.

Don't let your company be a part of that statistic

Call or click now for more information

www.passporthealthphilly.com

215-491-1111

Travel Alert E. coli

June 8 (Bloomberg) -- Germany's top health official said the deadly E. coli outbreak appeared to be waning as local authorities defended their handling of the crisis.

At least 2,743 people have been stricken by E. coli since May 2, up from 2,429 yesterday, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said today. The bacteria have caused 25 deaths, an increase of 2 from yesterday, the Stockholm-based agency said.

The outbreak's cause may never be found, Health Minister Daniel Bahr said at a news conference. The Robert Koch Institute, Germany's disease-control agency, reiterated that people shouldn't eat lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and salad ingredients such as vegetable sprouts.

"It's not the time yet to sound the all-clear, but after the analysis of figures and data at the Robert Koch Institute there's reason for justified optimism that the worst is behind us," Bahr said in Berlin today.

German officials have been struggling to pin down the source of the infections for several weeks, and have come under fire for delays as well as twice pointing to a cause for the outbreak too hastily.

The country's decentralized federal system may have compounded a lack of leadership and prevented a speedy response to the crisis, according to Baerbel Hoehn of the Green Party.

'More Confusion'

"To get to the root of all this, the German agriculture minister must say 'I'll take charge, I'll coordinate everything," Hoehn said today on N24 television. "Instead, too many people with new ideas are constantly coming to the fore, which only serves to create more confusion."

Germany may review its response after the outbreak to determine what could be improved, though there's no need to change the structure of the system, Stefan Gruettner, social minister of the state of Hesse and chairman of a meeting of health ministers from the country's 16 states, said in an interview today.

"We don't need centralism," Gruettner said. "Everything went well."

Germany initially blamed Spanish cucumbers, and on June 5 officials said sprouts from an organic farm played a role in the outbreak. Tests from the farm in Lower Saxony state have showed no evidence of the bacteria.

Disease Clusters

There are eight E. coli clusters linked to the sprout farm, Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner said at the Berlin news conference. Lower Saxony still sees a connection between the outbreak and the farm in the town of Bienenbuettel even though tests have come up negative, Agriculture Minister Gert Lindemann told N24 in an interview today.

"We have, as yet, no bacterial results, and I don't know if we'll ever have these," the Lower Saxony minister is cited as saying. "But the epidemiological chain between the sites of the outbreak and the Bienenbuettel site yesterday became stronger rather than weaker."

Tests on 471 samples from Lower Saxony have come back negative, with another 382 still being tested, the state said in an e-mailed statement today. Nine samples taken from the farm have tested negative for the bacteria, and eight tests are still being conducted, the state said.

Infections among some employees of the Bienenbuettel facility support a link, Lindemann told the German news channel today.

The strain of E. coli involved in the outbreak produces a toxin that attacks the kidneys and blood vessels. Most cases have occurred in adult women, and among people from northern Germany or who have recently traveled there, the ECDC said.

EU nations reported 722 people have developed a potentially fatal kidney complication known as hemolytic uremic syndrome after being infected with E. coli, the agency said today. That's an increase from 674 cases yesterday.

--With assistance from Rainer Buergin in Berlin, Niklas Magnusson in Hamburg, Rudy Ruitenberg in Paris and Emma Ross- Thomas in Madrid. Editors: Phil Serafino, David Risser, Marthe Fourcade.


When planning your next international trip call us for a pre departure travel health consultation and vaccinations 215-491-1111 www.passporthealthphilly.com

Travel Season is Here, Get Vaccinated

This is a nice news story from Passport Health in Colorado

http://www.9news.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=965230213001

Call us for your appointment before your trip! 215-491-1111

www.passporthealthphilly.com

Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce "Discovering China"

Passport Health is proud to announce our participation in the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce "Discovering China" Program.

"What travel shots do I need to go to China?" This is the most common question we hear when travelers are going to that region.No matter where you are traveling, you should know that you will be exposed to things that could make you ill. As a new or even experienced international traveler you should be educated about the environment you'll be visiting. Ideally, you should schedule your appointment with a Passport Health Travel Medicine Specialist 4-6 weeks prior to your departure date. However, we will always accommodate last minute travelers.
At Passport Health, we don't just vaccinate, we educate.
From the dangers of sunburn at high altitude and parasitic infections; to vaccine preventable diseases and foods to avoid; our Travel Medicine Specialists will give you all the tools you need to be informed and protected on your international trip.

Our consultations typically last about 45 minutes and include a comprehensive itinerary and specific topics about your travels. Our Travel Medicine Specialists will discuss recommendations (from the CDC, WHO and other sources) and requirements based on your destinations, activities, time of year, altitude and medical history. Our consultation rooms are private and comfortable similar to a relaxed corporate environment.

Chamber members who make an appointment at our Center City office at 1500 Walnut St and complete a travel consultation will receive a free Passport Health Travel Kit, normally a $30.00 value.Call for your appointment 215-491-1111 www.passporthealthphilly.com

For details on the Chamber of Commerce Discovering China Trip visit www.greaterphilachamber.com

Protect your newborn, get yourself vaccinated

Parents and family members are the primary source of pertussis transmission to vulnerable infants
It is estimated that up to 3.3 million cases of pertussis occur each year in adults and adolescents in the United States
Studies show that when the source can be identified, family members are the source of transmission in up to 83% of infant cases
With a household attack rate reaching 90% to 100%, pertussis is highly contagious
Despite CDCb recommendations, only 6% of adults reported receiving Tdap vaccine from 2005 through 2008
Immunization with Tdap vaccine may help protect adults and adolescents against pertussis, and help reduce the risk of transmission to vulnerable infants