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It Takes a Village

Breast Cancer Survivor Nikita Lyons Smith Shares Her Story of Hope and Support by RYAN MILEJCZAK photo by JESSICA McDONALD Nikita Lyons Smith has a story that would inspire anyone. She boasts many accomplishments over her 20-year pharmacy career, including opening Winter Haven’s Mercy Pharmacy and becoming Winter Haven’s first African-American female independent pharmacy owner.…
Pop Quiz! Make Sense of the Mammogram Myths

Mammograms are a fact of life for the majority of women as The American College of Radiology recommends annual screening mammograms for all women older than 40 as a necessary breast cancer screening. Despite the necessity of mammograms, there is a lot of incorrect information circulating about them. Get the facts by taking our quiz…
New Face at Polk State

Inaugural AdventHealth Dean of Nursing Talks About Making Difference by K. MICHELE TRICE A $1.7 million endowment to the Polk State College Foundation sparked the creation of an AdventHealth Dean of Nursing position at Polk State College. Dr. Deleise Wilson, who has three decades of clinical, academic, and leadership experience, is the first to serve…

Understanding Cataract Surgery

Cataracts are the most treatable form of blindness worldwide. Millions of cataract surgeries are performed each year, restoring patients to functional visual status. Cataract surgery was once the most common surgical procedure performed in the United States until about 6-11 years ago when intraocular anti-VEGF injections were developed to treat macular degeneration. This has…
Treatments That Help Lower Cholesterol

Last month I discussed the role of lipids in atherosclerosis. This month, I’ll talk about treatment. For patients at high risk or those who have had a cardiovascular event (prior heart attack, stroke, stent, bypass, etc.), pharmacological treatment may be needed. Cholesterol production and accumulation in the body involves three processes. First, intake from food…
The Role of Lipids in Atherosclerosis

Last time we spoke of the various factors that play a part in plaque buildup and rupture causing a heart attack/stroke. We discussed the role of inflammation. This time, we will discuss the role of lipids. We know these are important and these numbers can be impacted by various treatments. So the question to be…