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7 ways to save on medical bills

Cut costs without cutting corners With the rising cost of healthcare coverage – or worse – when we’re unemployed and uninsured, bills mount and we’re likely to postpone all the health expenses we can. But when it comes to our wellbeing, there are better options. Of course, staying healthy is always the best one. “Eat…
Run, act, jump – repeat

How actress Tanna Frederick fits exercise into a busy schedule Keeping fit requires commitment. Just ask actress Tanna Frederick. She’ll finish one interview, hop on the elliptical for a brief workout and head to yet another interview and another workout. She makes sure she gets the workouts in, no matter how busy she is, and…
Taking the fitness fight to the moon

A Community initiative targeting obesity Polk County health officials are targeting obesity – and along with it diabetes, heart diseases and other obesity-related health problems – as part of a Tampa Bay community-wide health initiative. Called ONE BAY: Healthy Communities, the initiative includes an eight-county region stretching from Pinellas to Polk and Sarasota to Citrus.…

Signs & symptoms: When your skin needs medical attention

As a surgeon who often treats and cares for patients whose ailments of the skin have gone too long without medical attention, I’d like to talk about the importance of seeing a doctor right away if you find abnormalities on the skin. I hope people can be aware that it is not only important…
Body, mind & spirit: Integrating primary and behavioral care

When you go to the doctor complaining of stomach pain, you probably don’t expect your problem to be depression. But it just may be. When you complain of headache, clumsiness, dizziness, shakiness, blurred vision, tingling around the mouth and seizures, you might expect an anxiety or bipolar (manic-depressive) disorder. You may be surprised if…
Mediterranean diet for cardiovascular health

Dr. Sean P. O’Rourke is a board-certified cardiologist at Watson Clinic. With a subspecialty in cardiovascular disease, Dr. O’Rourke often sees patients suffering from heart disease. He took the time to answer some questions about heart disease, which has a higher death rate in Polk County than in the rest of Florida. Health…