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Pop Quiz: Germs 101—A Crash Course for Parents

Back-to-school season is upon us, and that means your child’s chances of coming down with an illness is greatly increased. While schools are centers of learning, they are also breeding grounds for all manner of germs. However, there are ways to lessen your child’s chances of coming down with something, having to miss school due…
Tackling Mental Health Together

Establishing the West Central Florida Mental Wellness Coalition Recognizing the record number of suicide rates, substance use and opioid deaths, nearly 30 local organizations have joined forces to develop a regional mental health initiative. On June 20, BayCare CEO and President Tommy Inzina and participating leaders from other hospitals, behavioral health providers, law enforcement, government…
Working Like a Dog

Reading with Bonnie the Therapy Dog by RACHEL CHRISTIAN Cassandra Banning and Bonnie, her 10-year-old shih tzu therapy dog, have been bringing joy and happiness to people in the Plant City area for almost six years. The pair can be spotted across town visiting nursing homes, hospitals, and even Bruton Memorial Library. Unlike service animals…

July is UV Safety Month

When we think of summer, images of beaches, theme parks, and outdoor sports and activities come to mind. While getting out of the house and doing things outside is generally considered healthy, there are risks involved, one of which is exposure to the dreaded UV light. Ultraviolet (UV) light refers to the region of…
Understanding Tailbone and Pelvic Pain

We’ve all heard it: “This is a pain in the butt,” right? As with most expressions, fables and fairytales, that expression came from somewhere. Pain in your tailbone and pelvis can be very debilitating but different from other forms of back pain like sciatica or stenosis, which basically are inflammation or pinching of nerves and…
The Dangers of Diabetes

Diabetes affects millions of people in the U.S. It is one of the most common diseases affecting the developed world and is strongly linked to the obesity factor. It’s a chronic illness, and like HIV, people don’t die of diabetes but its complications. More than 7 million people with diabetes are undiagnosed, and 1 in…