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Healing Polk’s communities

New Research Points to Health Disparities Among Certain Residents How a county thrives is based on how well the citizens within the county are thriving, and Polk County has taken a big step in improving its communities’ health by determining the health needs of its citizens. Thanks to a committee of devoted health experts, the…
Pop Quiz: Is your kitchen a nutrition crime scene?

Find out how much you REALLY know about food safety. One in six people in the United States are still getting food poisoning, leading to 100,000 hospital stays and 3,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. So, how can we be safer with our food at home? Try our quiz and determine how food safe-savvy…
Knowing is half the battle: Gynecological cancers explained

Q&A with Dr. Richard Cardosi on What You Need to Know to Stay—or Get—Healthy Dr. Richard Cardosi, a board-certified gynecologic oncologist and Polk County Medical Association member, provides comprehensive care for women with gynecologic malignancies and complex benign gynecologic conditions at Watson Clinic’s main office. He serves as president of Watson Clinic Foundation, looking for…

Medical Advice: The battle against HPV

A CHILDREN’S CARTOON from the 1980s used to end each broadcast with the phrase, “Knowing is half the battle.” Of course, the other half of the battle is usually acting on the knowledge. In the world of healthcare, information abounds. It is important for patients to know their health status and attend regular checkups.
Healthy Smiles: What does an oral exam include?

MANY OF US don’t think twice about the oral exam. Some people just assume that the dentist is only looking for cavities. Well, there’s a lot more to the oral exam than that!
Publisher’s Note: Don’t let yourself or someone you know become a stroke victim

MAY IS NOT ONLY a time we honor our nurses, it’s also National Stroke Awareness Month. Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke. That means in the time it takes you to read this column, at least two people will suffer from this life-threatening “brain attack.”