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Health Savings Accounts Have More to Offer Than You Think

by MARY TOOTHMAN As the number of people with high-deductible health insurance plans continues to rise, the option of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) — created to help handle out-of-pocket expenses — is likely to attract more interest. An HSA can be funded with pre-tax money, allowing for $3,400 for individual and $6,750 for families annually…
Filling a Need

Polk State College Program Fights Nursing Shortage by JULIE GMITTER photos PROVIDED BY POLK STATE COLLEGE Advances in technology have revolutionized our world and few industries are unchanged by these advances. The healthcare industry is no exception. As a result of these advances in technology, some industries have become completely obsolete, whether the jobs have…
Primed for the Future

Project SEARCH Puts Students With Disabilities on Track for Career Success by TERESA SCHIFFER photos PROVIDED BY Project SEARCH Finding a job fresh out of high school is a challenge for anyone. For young adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities, those challenges multiply. Fortunately, there is a program to help these young people get the…

Brain Attack (Stroke or Mini-stroke): Are You at Risk?

Approximately 700,000 strokes occur in the United States annually. Stroke or brain attack is a disease that involves the blood vessels that supply blood to the brain. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that brings oxygen to the brain gets blocked by a blood clot most commonly. With the oxygen supply to the brain…
Punctal Plugs

Many patients suffer from dry eye, and eye care professionals have many tools at their disposal to help with symptoms. For many patients, over-the-counter lubricating drops such as Blink or Systane can be helpful. It is important to avoid redness relieving drops, as these tend to cause more problems over time. When over-the-counter drops are…
Understanding Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction

Last year, I wrote about heart failure. At that time, I had said that about half the patients admitted with congestive heart failure have normal systolic function. This is true. The most common way to express heart function is by measuring ejection fraction (EF). This is the proportion of the amount of blood in the…