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Men’s health through the generations

From grandfather to grandson, turning healthy choices into habits IT’S A HEALTH-CONSCIOUS AGE we live in, as study after study shows the short and long-term benefits of eating healthy, exercising, and seeing your doctor regularly. While health and wellness statistics — such as rates of diseases and lifespan — are improving and reflecting the country’s…
Something to spit at: All Children’s researchers to study saliva samples

RESEARCHERS at All Children’s Hospital Johns Hopkins Medicine will begin to study the saliva of young cancer patients to learn if spit might prove more beneficial than blood to use as test samples during treatment.
Answering the call of nursing

Local RNs talk about what it takes to provide excellent patient care SOME JOBS ARE MORE than an occupation; they are a calling. Nursing is one of those professions; it requires special individuals with distinct skills who are able to handle a demanding, and oftentimes stressful, environment. The many hospitals in Central Florida all rely…

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…