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Bigger & Better

New Lakeland VA Clinic Increases Access to Care for Nearly 49,000 by PAUL CATALA For five years, Jeffrey Mann of Bartow has had to drive about 45 miles each way to Tampa for his medical needs. But now, Mann only has to drive about 11 miles to see his doctors and nurses and get medical…
Expanding Care

Central Florida Health Care Building New Lakeland Clinic by RYAN MILEJCZAK As healthcare organizations across the county aim to better serve our growing population, Central Florida Health Care is expanding access to health care by building a new center in Lakeland. Ann Claussen has been the CEO of Central Florida Health Care since 2014 and…
Recruiting the Future

Area Nursing Programs Tackling Nursing Shortage Head On by REBEKAH PIERCE With the rapid expansion of the healthcare sector in Central Florida, you’d think the number of nurses is booming right along with it. But it’s not, and that’s putting the pressure on nursing programs at area schools to recruit more students into the profession.…

The “Ripe” Time for Cataract Surgery

Whenever I tell a patient that he or she has cataracts they immediately ask if they need to have surgery. We start thinking about cataract surgery whenever the patient’s quality of life is affected. Common complaints include, “I can’t read road signs,” or “I can’t read the writing on TV,” or “I can’t read small…
A Cautionary Tale for Frequent Biting, Grinding, or Clenching

Biting and chewing your food. It’s something we do every day and without thinking. That’s why when most people have biting issues— where they bite the inside tissue of their mouth— they usually don’t think beyond the few minutes of pain and discomfort it causes. However, frequent biting (as well as grinding and clenching) can…
Oral Cancer Awareness Month

The month of April is considered National Oral Cancer Awareness Month. The American Cancer Society’s most recent estimates for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers in the United States for 2019 show that about 53,000 people will be diagnosed with oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancer and an estimated 10,860 will die of these cancers. Lip and…