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Take it from a patient who knows: Learning healthy habits in the classroom of life

MIKE NOLAND has been through the school of hard knocks. He has survived heart disease, cancer, and alcoholism. At 77, he’s a survivor who’s learned — sometimes the hard way — how to lead a healthier lifestyle.
Pediatric unit opens at Winter Haven Women’s Hospital

WINTER HAVEN WOMEN’S HOSPITAL announces the opening of its new pediatric unit. The new pediatric unit is now extending care and accepting patients as an added benefit to the community — providing the same quality of care to children that residents have always relied on at Winter Haven Hospital.
Q&A on stopping dental problems before they start

Doug Harvey, dental program manager at FDOH-Polk, talks preventive care to help you remain the picture of oral health FIRST IMPRESSIONS are the currency of our culture, and you want yours to be worth a million bucks, right? But we all need a little help sometimes keeping our pearly whites in tip-top condition. Central Florida…

Editor’s Dose: A thank-you letter to nurses

FROM MID-FEBRUARY to about mid-April, my family was at the doctor’s office a lot. The late-spreading flu season (although none of us in our household ever actually caught the flu — thank goodness) must have carried with it many other viruses, because we’ve certainly experienced our fair share. In fact, a few nurses on staff…
Healthy Skin: May is Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month

“C’MON, DOC. What’s a little sunburn?” is a question I frequently hear from the public. The answer is, if you’re lucky, that’s all it is. But a little sunburn is one of the easiest skin cancer risk factors to avoid. If left untreated, skin cancer, or melanoma, can progress to the point that it’s disfiguring…
Cautions for two of your favorite summer activities

SPRING IS THE TIME OF YEAR in Florida when temperatures begin to warm and the weather is perfect outside. With the sun shining and a gentle breeze blowing, this beautiful weather also marks the beginning of swimming season for Polk’s residents. Swimming and boating are two of the most popular summer activities for people living…