Health News

Features

Taking Care of B(us)iness

Highlighting local nurses who go above and beyond every day QUESTION: What actions (big or small) do you take on a daily basis to make a difference for your patients and coworkers? Tabitha Mulford, LPN – Watson Clinic March 2018 PEER (Program for Employee Excellence and Recognition) Award Winner “I make sure that all…
Spreading Smiles

Dental Care Becoming More Accessible For All by CHERYL ROGERS Highlands, and Hardee counties, where they saw 42,426 patients in 134,558 visits last year. “The demand is incredible. We can’t keep up with it,” says Ann Claussen, its chief Dentists like Dr. William Nerestant of Lakeland donate their time to provide dental care to the…
Keeping Retirement Real

Local Physicians Weigh-In On How to Stay Healthy During Your Golden Years by MARY TOOTHMAN Once upon a time, the generally accepted picture of retirement featured hammocks, tennis rackets, sandy beaches, and happy, able-bodied couples smiling adoringly at each other. And yet, in reality, many seniors find that once they leave the workplace — and…

Signs & symptoms: When your skin needs medical attention

As a surgeon who often treats and cares for patients whose ailments of the skin have gone too long without medical attention, I’d like to talk about the importance of seeing a doctor right away if you find abnormalities on the skin. I hope people can be aware that it is not only important…
Body, mind & spirit: Integrating primary and behavioral care

When you go to the doctor complaining of stomach pain, you probably don’t expect your problem to be depression. But it just may be. When you complain of headache, clumsiness, dizziness, shakiness, blurred vision, tingling around the mouth and seizures, you might expect an anxiety or bipolar (manic-depressive) disorder. You may be surprised if…
Mediterranean diet for cardiovascular health

Dr. Sean P. O’Rourke is a board-certified cardiologist at Watson Clinic. With a subspecialty in cardiovascular disease, Dr. O’Rourke often sees patients suffering from heart disease. He took the time to answer some questions about heart disease, which has a higher death rate in Polk County than in the rest of Florida. Health…