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How a life-saving transplant transformed my life

| Annemarie Ward shares her journey of keeping hope alive amidst heart disease | NEARLY 15 YEARS AGO, Annemarie Ward was walking the family’s three dogs with her mother Polly and sister Emily when she collapsed. At age seven, Annemarie had suffered a heart attack. She was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or enlargement of the…
Pop Quiz: Maintaining optimal optical health

| Understanding the causes of low vision and taking precautions as you age | EYESIGHT is a precious thing, and unfortunately there are many threats to optimal optical health. One common eye problem is low vision, and it affects seniors the most. Low vision, in its simplest terms, is any vision loss that interferes with…
Celebrating Black History Month with a look at local African-Americans in medicine

ALEX ALEXANDER Registered Nurse Bartow Regional Medical Center As a black registered nurse from North Carolina, 56-year-old Alex Alexander has had his run-ins with prejudice. But he’s learned to remember who he is, treat others like his brothers and sisters, forgive, and … not believe everything he hears. “You earn things by your merit and…

Drowning Prevention

by DR. JOY JACKSON As the temperature begins to rise outside and the water begins to heat up, Florida residents enjoy the summer days and nights by the water. Whether it be the backyard pool, a local lake, or the ocean, swimming and boating are two of the most popular summer activities for people living…
Wisdom Teeth Facts to Brush By

by GERALD V. CERDAN, DMD One little known fact about wisdom teeth: While many patients do need to have their wisdom teeth removed, your wisdom teeth can stick around as long as they don’t cause any trouble with your oral health. If your wisdom teeth come in straight, have enough room in the mouth…
Proper Preventative Eye Care

Dr. Tincy Thomas Healthy vision involves several different elements including preventive eye care and appropriate management of existing eye conditions. Prevention begins with your first comprehensive, dilated eye examination. The American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends that infants should have their first eye exam at six months of age and continued yearly from age three unless…