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Community outreach programs make check-ups more available

Free dental exams, preventative tooth care, and more Several outreach programs in Polk County recently offered free dental exams and other tooth services to spread awareness about the need for dental health care. At the Haines City Dental Clinic, the Florida Department of Health in Polk County (FDOH-Polk) offered free comprehensive dental exams to children…
Helping make the healthier choice, the easier choice

About the Building a Healthier Polk initiative Building a Healthier Polk is a group of community partners brought together by Polk Vision who are working towards the goal of reducing the obesity rate in Polk County. Polk Vision is a broad, community-led partnership of organizations, businesses, government, and individuals. In 2012, Polk Vision’s Quality of…
The trouble with trigger finger

Local surgeon develops alternate solution for a tricky procedure There’s no getting around this fact: you need your hands. When one or more of your fingers or thumbs doesn’t function properly, it interferes with work and play. Correcting a condition such as trigger finger once meant a trip to a hospital or surgery center for…

Understanding Tailbone and Pelvic Pain

We’ve all heard it: “This is a pain in the butt,” right? As with most expressions, fables and fairytales, that expression came from somewhere. Pain in your tailbone and pelvis can be very debilitating but different from other forms of back pain like sciatica or stenosis, which basically are inflammation or pinching of nerves and…
The Dangers of Diabetes

Diabetes affects millions of people in the U.S. It is one of the most common diseases affecting the developed world and is strongly linked to the obesity factor. It’s a chronic illness, and like HIV, people don’t die of diabetes but its complications. More than 7 million people with diabetes are undiagnosed, and 1 in…
Get Ahead of the Class: Making the Most of Your Child’s Back to School Physical

Summertime feels a little bit different this year, and going back to school might feel different, too. While we may not know exactly what’s in store for the next school session, there’s no better time than the present to make sure your kids are ready by having their required physicals. Get Your Child Ahead of…