Health News
Features
-
Health insurance update: Who falls in the coverage gap and how can they get insured?
“I think most of the providers that volunteer feel a moral and ethical obligation to help take care of those people.” — Dr. David Loewy, volunteer with We Care of Polk County LOCAL RESIDENTS who have issues getting health insurance coverage are fortunate in that there are many agencies here that offer a wide range…
-
Medicare and end-of-life care: What’s changing?
New proposed policy encourages the process of advanced-care planning END-OF-LIFE DECISIONS are complicated and fraught with emotion, but a recent announcement by Medicare will hopefully offer some clarity to those facing such tough decisions. In early July, Medicare announced plans to pay doctors, nurse practitioners, and physician’s assistants for conversations with patients concerning end-of-life care.…
-
The Golden Care Unit at LWMC
Getting gears in motion for mental health in the elderly MEDICAL ISSUES can be scary at any time or in any form, but mental health issues — especially in an elderly loved one — can be especially so. The doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers at The Golden Care Unit at Lake Wales Medical Center…
Columns
-
Brain Attack (Stroke or Mini-stroke): Are You at Risk?
Approximately 700,000 strokes occur in the United States annually. Stroke or brain attack is a disease that involves the blood vessels that supply blood to the brain. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that brings oxygen to the brain gets blocked by a blood clot most commonly. With the oxygen supply to the brain…
-
Punctal Plugs
Many patients suffer from dry eye, and eye care professionals have many tools at their disposal to help with symptoms. For many patients, over-the-counter lubricating drops such as Blink or Systane can be helpful. It is important to avoid redness relieving drops, as these tend to cause more problems over time. When over-the-counter drops are…
-
Understanding Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction
Last year, I wrote about heart failure. At that time, I had said that about half the patients admitted with congestive heart failure have normal systolic function. This is true. The most common way to express heart function is by measuring ejection fraction (EF). This is the proportion of the amount of blood in the…
