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Angels Among Us

Healthcare Facilities Honor Nurses Who Have Gone Above, Beyond Nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system, caring for physical and mental health alike. Learn more about some of the outstanding nurses in Polk County, including insight into why they chose the profession and what it means to be a “good nurse.” AdventHealth Heart of…
Something to Smile About

Annual No-Cost Dental Clinic Coming to Lakeland in May by JULIE BUTTERFIELD Although all three of her stepdaughters have beautiful smiles, Skylar Fuller noticed they were smiling with their mouths closed in family photos. That’s not how someone with a great smile like theirs should pose for photos, she remembers thinking. They were using Mom…
Unlock Your Golden Years

The Secret to Healthy Aging Is Hidden in the Basics Everybody wants the scoop on how to live a long and healthy life. In light-hearted tales, we often hear seniors swear that it was their love of chocolate or daily glass of wine that was the key. We wanted advice that was a bit more…

Health Impacts of Opioid Addiction on Patients

As a spine surgeon, I routinely see various life-threatening consequences of opioid addiction. These could include severe spinal instability and paralysis that develops from infection, that occurs due to intravenous injections of opioids — by patients who are addicted to opioids. These patients typically started by taking that single initial opioid tablet, and quickly developed…
COVID-19 and the Heart

COVID-19 (coronavirus SARS 2) is obviously an infection that primarily affects the lungs. As we know, this is a pandemic that has affected all our lives. Does it have any cardiac issues directly or indirectly? Direct Problems COVID-19 has been known to cause weakening of the heart in some cases. Thankfully this is rare, but…
Myopia Control in the COVID-19 Era

My weekends are admittedly different now. Before my weekends were filled with time spent with friends, in person, but now they are Zoom calls, Brady Bunch style. We hosted our game night online, and we chat while we bake or make dinner. Even at our practice, we are utilizing the ability to work remotely, and…