Health News

Features

Local Medical Academies Preparing Students for Health Careers

by CHERYL ROGERS Eighteen public schools in Polk County train students for future careers in healthcare through medical or health science programs. Here’s a look at how some of them have fared. Katya Viegas and Janet Hernandez are heading to medical school. Jesus Jimenez, or J.J., is glad he found an incentive to finish high…
Pop Quiz: Facts and Stats about Immunizations

by ERIKA ALDRICH August is National Immunization Awareness Month, and it’s a good time to explore the topic of immunizations around the globe. The efforts to immunize people against debilitating and life-threatening diseases is a global initiative that we are all a part of. Test your knowledge of facts and statistics about immunizations by taking…
Tips to Prepare for the New School Year

by Mary Toothman It’s that time of year again: School supply aisles will be flooded with parents and children, clutching lists of what is required. First-day-of-school outfits will be carefully selected by many students. Late-morning sleep-ins will be replaced by early wake-up calls. Back to school means many things to parents and students — some…

Health Hero: Kia Troutman

Heading Polk County’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Campaign a Personal Crusade for Kia Troutman Kia Troutman knows cancer. She knows how it killed her grandparents and a co-worker. She knows what her 61-year-old cousin in Mississippi, recently diagnosed with breast cancer, is going through. She knows how it touches the lives of African-Americans and…
5 Ways to Help with Smarter Nutrition

Polk County nutritionist at Central Florida Health Care shares how he helps patients make smarter food choices. Okay, it’s time to be honest. When you put food on your plate, does half of your meal consist of fruits and vegetables? If you answered “no” to this question, you’re not alone. In fact, more than 90…
Oral Hygiene and Your Mental Health

The connection between mental health and overall health is under-researched in the medical community, and this is true of the connection between mental health and oral health as well. Healthcare researchers agree there is a connection between oral health and mental health, but the exact connection isn’t a simple one. How Poor Oral Hygiene Affects…