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Drawing the Doctors of Tomorrow

BayCare Plans to Further Expand Residency Program by RYAN MILEJCZAK Throughout Florida and the nation, there’s a significant physician shortage that creates barriers to health care for many. To help meet the demand for new physicians, BayCare plans to increase its residency positions to more than 650 by 2029. To learn more about this new…
Local Pet Highlights

Central Florida Health News asked staff and readers to help us celebrate pets, and we were not disappointed. Check out these adorable faces! Thank you to everyone who shared a pet with us.
Pop Quiz! What Do You Do When Allergies Get Ruff?

Pets bring a lot of joy to our lives, but some people can be allergic to fur-babies. Unfortunately, those allergies keep many from being pet owners and even have some believing they need to get rid of a pet. Luckily, there are numerous ways to live in harmony with a pet if you have non-life-threatening…

Editor’s Dose: Tips for minimizing back-to-school stress

IF YOU ARE LIKE ME, then come early July you were already thinking about preparations for the new school year. Parents and children in the community this year are getting ready extra early because Polk County public schools moved up their calendar by one week — day one of school is August 15.
Making the choice to breastfeed

THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH in Polk County (DOH-Polk) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) recognize August as Breastfeeding Awareness Month. This is a wonderful time of year to promote breastfeeding as a vital health activity and discuss the health benefits breastfeeding provides. Although every woman has their own…
Editor’s Dose: Keeping kids’ bodies and minds active this summer

WHEN I FIRST had the twins, my mom would say, “Have a schedule for them, or they’ll have a schedule for you.” Basically, she was cautioning that I’d better keep those little minds and bodies active, or chaos would inevitably ensue. Being a mother of eight children, I think she was speaking from personal experience.…