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Make Sure You’re Covered With these Sunscreen Facts

by ERIKA ALDRICH Summer is upon us, and amidst the yardwork, barbecues, days in the pool, and trips to the beach, it’s important to remember one key component that should be present in each: sunscreen. Sunscreen protects your skin from the sun’s harmful rays and lessens your chances of developing skin cancer. Take our quiz…
Tackling Prostate Cancer

Understanding the Risks and Preventative Options by TERESA SCHIFFER No one wants to hear “cancer” when they go to the doctor, but when it comes to prostate cancer, there can be a silver lining. Even though it makes up about ten percent of new cancer diagnoses each year, it only accounts for about five percent…
Raising Awareness About Skin Cancer

The month of May is recognized as Skin Cancer Awareness month, and although it just passed, the topic of skin cancer and preventative care is relevant year-round, especially in an environment like Florida’s. As we head into the hot summer months, it is important to know the different types of skin cancer as well as…

Medical Advice: Back-to-school tips and the 5-2-1-0 program

AS STUDENTS and families prepare to return to school, the Florida Department of Health in Polk County (FDOH-Polk) would like to take this opportunity to remind them to take the proper steps to stay healthy this school year. Good health is important for students in order to maintain regular school attendance and be ready to…
Hospice Help: Hospice myth busting

WHEN MOST PEOPLE hear the word “hospice,” they immediately associate the provided care as being intimately tied to hours, or if lucky, days before death. Then there is also the supposition that hospice is only for cancer patients. These are just two myths that need to be busted when it comes to understanding hospice.
First impressions of our daughter’s new specialist

WE HEARD IT growing up from our mothers all the time, but we didn’t quite understand the true significance of it. As adults, we begin to see the value in making a good first impression. Whether it’s for a job interview, that first parent-teacher meeting, or sitting down with a new doctor, first impressions play…