Although the overall death rate from colorectal cancer has been on the decline in recent years, it remains the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. There has also been an increase in colorectal cancer-related death for people younger than 55, and an increase in diagnosis in patients between the ages of 40-49 over the past decade, according to the National Cancer Institute.

TRICARE Open Season is the time to make changes to your TRICARE health care coverage for the upcoming year. But is your information still current in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS)? If you’re unsure, now is a good time to check.

A decades-old blood donor ban was recently lifted by the Food and Drug Administrationmad cow, potentially increasing the nation's blood supply by hundreds of thousands of donors each year.

The Defense Health Agency is expanding walk-in contraceptive care services to improve reproductive health services. These services include same-day access with no appointment or referral needed.

It’s time to get your flu vaccination. Lyster Army Health Clinic kicked off the 2022 Flu Campaign in October to protect individuals from influenza, its complications, and to prevent the potential spreading of the disease. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, reducing the spread of respiratory illnesses like flu, this fall and winter, is more important than ever. It takes the body about two weeks to build antibodies against the influenza virus after vaccination, which is why getting the flu shot early is ideal.

Retired Soldiers are valued members of the Army family. Fort Rucker showed its appreciation for their service by giving back to those who paved the way for today’s Soldiers during Retiree Appreciation Day events including the Retiree Health Fair. After a two-year hiatus, due to the COVID pandemic, Lyster Army Health Clinic hosted the annual health fair October 28 at Yano Hall.

Pharmacy will be closed to beneficiaries to allow staff to clear all backlogs and reset for improved workflows and processes starting Oct 17. OCTOBER 11-12: Reduced services, new prescriptions drop offs will not be available. OCTOBER 17: ** NEW** Drop Off Forms no longer required. Same day service implemented! OCTOBER 17-21: Increased wait times initially but will return to normal.

Due to the MHS GENESIS transition, pharmacy wait times have increased. The Pharmacy Park & Pick Up ticket kiosk will now close at 3 p.m. daily to ensure the team can maintain safety and quality control. This will provide time to complete the tickets of those already in the clinic. Current wait times have exceeded two hours. We will post an update when we return to normal operating hours. We do apologize for this inconvenience. We ask for your patience and understanding as we integrate MHS GENESIS to provide you with top-notch care.

Federal Benefits Open Season 2022 is from Nov. 14 – Dec. 12, 2022. Note that this open season is one day shorter than TRICARE Open Season. Learn more at www.tricare.mil/openseason.

Make sure you understand your TRICARE plan ahead of TRICARE Open Season starting Nov. 14 until Dec. 13, 2022. For more information on open season, check out https://www.tricare.mil/openseason.

TRICARE Open Season 2022 is from Nov. 14 - Dec. 13, 2022. Learn more at www.tricare.mil/openseason

Did you know that TRICARE waived copayments and cost-shares for medical contraceptive care? Learn more at www.tricare.mil/birthcontrol.