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Flu shot pop quiz

What’s Your Influenza IQ? Achoo! Flu season is upon us and now is the time to take the family for their flu vaccines, whether they want them or not. As you sit in the clinic lobby waiting for your turn for the vaccine, test your knowledge of precautions, symptoms and immunizations to for the influenza…
Coping with cancer

Tips for Helping Children with a Sick Parent Why is this happening to me? Who is going to take care of me? Children are likely to ask questions like these when a parent has cancer or another serious illness. “When cancer hits a younger patient, it’s usually someone who’s in his/her late 30s or 40s…
Putting out fires about diabetes

Debunking common myths that put people at more risk Nine-year-old Bryce Duncan was drinking lots of liquids, complaining of an upset stomach, and losing a lot of weight. The bathing suit his parents bought for him just four months earlier was falling off him. “He would say he needed to take a nap and his…

Hospice Help: How to cope during the holidays

IT IS NOT EASY to deal with grief and loss at any time of the year, but the holidays heighten these emotions. The following tips will help lessen the feeling of being alone and equip everyone with tactics to face the cheer of the season.
The Heart of the Matter: Benefits of olive oil for stopping strokes

IF YOU LOVE the Mediterranean-style diet and are concerned about the dangers of strokes, rejoice! This is good vascular health news for you. A 2011 study found that the consumption of olive oil — such as is common in a Mediterranean-style diet — might reduce the risk of stroke in older adults.
Medical Advice: Resources available for people living with HIV and AIDS

AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2014, 2,107 individuals were reported as “People Living With HIV and AIDS” (PLWHA) in Polk County. From January 1 to December 31, 2014, there were 112 new HIV cases reported to the Florida Department of Health in Polk County. We believe that even one newly reported case is one too many.…