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MERITUS STORIES
You have the flu. When is it time to see a doctor?
Meritus chief medical officer highlights symptoms, treatments, importance of taking care during viral illness season. As the community continues to struggle with a spike in cases of influenza, RSV and other viral illnesses, Meritus Health is offering more information about what you can do to start feeling better. Why it’s important to stay home when possible Rest is one of the best ways to deal with viral illness, and there’s no place like home for that. But there’s a second benefit: Avoiding contact with others while you’re showing symptoms can help stop the spread of illness, said Anand Budi, M.D., Meritus chief medical officer. Visiting the doctor when symptomatic can compound the situation. Not only are other patients potentially exposed, so are healthcare workers. While Meritus is committed to treating all patients, if healthcare workers are sick, it becomes harder to treat patients who are most in need. There are options to diagnose your illness, should you need it. Over-the-counter rapid testing kits can determine if you have COVID or flu. And you can consult with healthcare providers virtually using MeritusNow and your smartphone or computer. Just visit now.meritushealth.com to start. What are the symptoms and treatments? The symptoms tend to include a fever of 101 or 102 degrees, but can go as high as 105 in children, Dr. Budi said. Fever should be treated with over-the-counter fever reducers such as Tylenol as well as plenty of fluids. “When you are on the dry side, it can cause your temperature to go up by as much as a degree,” Dr. Budi said. “That makes you more dehydrated and can worsen other symptoms. So, drink plenty of fluids.” Other symptoms can include headache, chills, cough, congestion, sore throat, body aches, vomiting and diarrhea. Over-the-counter medications are available to treat these. When it’s time to see a doctor There might come a time when you should see your primary care provider, visit urgent care or even go to the emergency room. Generally, if your symptoms persist for more than four or five days, if they get worse, or if they aren’t responding to over-the-counter medications, you should see a healthcare provider, Dr. Budi said. “If it persists for longer than five days, it may lead to pneumonia, or sinus infections or ear infections,” he said. Parents should seek care promptly for infants and young children who show signs of breathing difficulty, dehydration or lethargy. For your safety, the Emergency Department should be used only for life-threatening or extremely serious symptoms, such as difficulty breathing. Urgent care or your primary care provider are best for flu or viral illnesses without relief. To check the wait times at the Emergency Department and urgent cares on Crayton Boulevard and at the Valley Mall, as well as after hours pediatrics at both locations, visit www.meritushealth.com/emergency. Meritus Health is strongly encouraging all visitors to wear a mask while inside Meritus facilities, especially if they are feeling unwell or experiencing symptoms.
NEWS & UPDATES
New hearing specialist joins Meritus Advanced ENT
Kristin Jones, AuD, has started at the Robinwood office. Meritus Health is pleased to welcome Kristin Jones, AuD, to Meritus Advanced Ear, Nose, and Throat. Jones, an audiologist, is a doctor who helps people with hearing and balance problems. She focuses on testing patients’ hearing to find the best treatments, such as hearing aids. She joins Nasir Bhatti, MD, and Brian McKinnon, MD, at the recently opened practice in Suite 250 (Blue Entrance) of the Robinwood Professional Center. Jones received her doctorate degree from Bloomsburg University in Bloomsburg, Pa. She is certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and has 10 years of clinical experience. “I am happy to be serving the community at Meritus Advanced ENT,” Jones said. “Our goal is to provide expert audiology care here in Hagerstown so patients don’t have to travel out of the area.” To learn more about Meritus Advanced ENT or to make an appointment, visit www.meritushealth.com/ent or call 301-665-4960.
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Go For Bold: Health, Community and the Power of Small Steps
If you’ve resolved to live healthier in the new year, Washington County’s Go For Bold initiative gives you more than a goal. It gives you a friendly community walking right beside you. Launched in 2020 through a collaboration between Meritus Health and Healthy Washington County, Go For Bold is a decade-long, county-wide movement aimed at strengthening public health and wellness with an ambitious mission: to collectively lose 1 million pounds by 2030. Far from being a fad diet or a short-lived challenge, Go For Bold centers on three core pillars: Do, Eat, and Believe, said Beth Fields Dowdell, CRNP, director of community health and outpatient care management at Meritus. The “Do” part encourages residents to increase physical activity through accessible events and daily movement, which is especially crucial for older adults. Active lifestyles help reduce the risk of chronic disease and preserve mobility, which is vital for aging well. Go For Bold emphasizes activities that can be as simple as walking, gardening or taking part in community events. The “Eat” component focuses on nutrition, but not with rigid rules or restrictive plans. Instead, participants are offered practical tips and recipes rich in fruits, vegetables and lean proteins, helping people of all ages make sustainable, healthy food choices. For older adults managing conditions like diabetes or heart disease, these nutrition insights can play a meaningful role in daily life. “Believe,” the third pillar, is just as important. It encourages mindfulness and stress-reduction techniques, acknowledging that health isn’t only physical, it’s emotional and mental too. Practices such as deep breathing, meditation, and mindful reflection help reduce stress and improve sleep, which are essential for overall well-being at any age. Go For Bold doesn’t just motivate individuals. It brings the community together. Residents can sign up on the Weight Tracker to log pounds lost, either as individuals, teams or local organizations. This tool tracks overall community progress (not individual weights) toward that million-pound goal. For older residents, participation can start simply: Put on comfortable shoes and walk around the neighborhood, join a group walk at a local park, or attend Go For Bold events that are scheduled throughout the year. Social activities linked to the initiative often include free or low-cost opportunities to be active, learn about nutrition or connect with neighbors. “Go For Bold isn’t about perfection; it’s about progress,” Dowdell said. “For older adults especially, it’s the small, consistent steps that build strength, spark confidence and remind us that good health isn’t a distant goal. It begins here, together.” Older adults can also ease into Go For Bold by taking advantage of local resources tied to the initiative: wellness classes at the YMCA, walking groups hosted by community centers or nutrition workshops through the health department. At its core, Go For Bold is more than a weight-loss campaign; it’s a framework that invites everyone, especially older residents, to make meaningful, lasting changes. By doing just a bit more each day, eating with intention, and believing in their capacity for growth, participants contribute not only to a community goal, but to a healthier, happier life. To learn more about Go For Bold, please visit www.meritushealth.com/goforbold.
New year, new you? Meritus physician offers advice for healthy 2026
It’s a new year, and you might be thinking of ways to improve your health in 2026. Andrew Ditto, M.D., is offering some advice for folks looking to make a change. Dr. Ditto, who recently moved from Meritus Family Medicine in the Robinwood Professional Center to the newly opened Meritus Primary Care at the Valley Mall, said it’s the sort of things he’d tell his patients at their yearly physical. “The single highest-value change that someone can make is to stop drinking dessert, to stop drinking high-sugar beverages,” he said. “Whether it’s Mexican Coke or soda with high-fructose corn syrup, it doesn’t matter. Stop drinking sweetened things.” The reason why? “It is high calories with zero nutritional value,” he said. “It can be the cause of diabetes and pre-diabetes.” Related to that, Dr. Ditto’s second piece of advice also has to do with food. “Try to eat foods that are as close to coming out of the ground, off the plant, from the animal, etc., as possible,” he said. “When you’re grocery shopping, try to stick to the outside edges of the grocery store. You should try to avoid all the processed and boxed foods in the middle of the grocery store.” In other words: Fresh is best. Just like soda, processed foods often have little nutritional value and are loaded with additives that the body has trouble processing. Another new year suggestion is to get moving, Dr. Ditto said. The average person should be getting about two and a half hours of exercise per week. That can be broken up however it best fits your schedule, he said. “If you want to do 30 minutes a day five days a week, or an hour Saturday and an hour Sunday, then another 30 minutes another day, that’s fine,” he said. Ideally, the exercise should be broken down into half strength training and half cardio — the kind of workout that gets your heart pumping. “That said, something is better than nothing,” Dr. Ditto said. “Don’t let time be a factor. Five minutes of walking around is better than five minutes of sitting.” He said to find ways to build exercise into your daily routine. Park farther away from the store entrance and walk. Take the stairs. One last thing Dr. Ditto recommends is to not go it alone. “Try to interact with friends and family,” he said. “Relationships are good for someone’s wellbeing, helping to prevent dementia down the line.” For those who feel lonely and don’t have friends or family to talk to, he recommended the Meritus Care Caller program. Meritus started the program based on studies that found loneliness and social isolation can impact life expectancy as much as smoking, obesity and physical inactivity. For 15 or 20 minutes once every few weeks, a volunteer or paid caller will call a person who has said they feel lonely. Those interested can learn more by calling 301-790-8491 or emailing carecaller@meritushealth.com. In the end, Dr. Ditto’s advice for the new year is common sense, though admittedly it can be tough to put into practice. “It’s never too late to start again,” he said. To learn more about Meritus Primary Care at the Valley Mall, visit www.meritushealth.com/ValleyMallPC or call 301-790-9236.
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