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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…
Heart disease warnings for women

| Don’t believe you’re not at risk; do believe you can improve your odds | WOMEN HAVE A MEASURE of built-in protection against heart disease — as long as their ovaries are producing estrogen. Although estrogen may delay the onset of heart disease until the sixties or seventies, women’s risk eventually is the same as…
Pop Quiz: Are you feeding your feelings?

| Stop the snacking and learn to recognize when it’s emotional or physical hunger | EMOTIONAL HUNGER is an issue that many of us deal with, much to the chagrin of our waistlines! It’s especially prevalent during the holidays, as both stress and food are available in large helpings. However, we all have to eat,…

“Doc, I Was Told I Have Granulated Eyelids”

Once in a while, a patient will tell me that a previous doctor told them they had “granulated eyelids.” What does that mean? What they are describing is a medical condition called blepharitis. Most of the time, blepharitis is caused by the staphylococcus bacteria that normally live on our skin. The bacteria are there continually,…
Understanding Valvular Heart Disease

The heart has four valves that keep blood flowing in the correct direction. These valves are the mitral valve, tricuspid valve, pulmonary valve and aortic valve. Each valve has flaps (cusps or leaflets) that open and close once during each heartbeat. Sometimes, the valves do not open or close properly. If a valve doesn’t fully…
AdventHealth Heart of Florida Receives National Breast Cancer Accreditation

AdventHealth Heart of Florida is honored to have been recognized by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Cancers (NAPBC) for the level of care and services we’re providing to our patients. As an NAPBC-accredited center, AdventHealth Heart of Florida is committed to maintaining levels of excellence in the delivery of comprehensive, patient-centered, multidisciplinary care,…