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Have the Talk: Communication About Youth Suicide Can Save Lives

by TERESA SCHIFFERSponsored by Central Florida Health Care Of all the difficult or uncomfortable conversations parents need to have with their children before they’re grown, one of the most challenging subjects to broach could suicide. But silence can kill, making it absolutely vital that parents summon the nerve to open communication on this topic. Suicide…
Pop Quiz!

National Epidemic: Get the Facts on Childhood Obesity September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. While Florida ranks 35th in the nation for childhood obesity, the problem is widespread across the country. Knowing the ins and outs of the disease is the first step to ending it. Take our quiz on childhood obesity to learn…
Reaping What They Sowed

5 of BayCare Residency Program’s Inaugural Class Staying in Area to Provide Care by TERESA SCHIFFER Three years ago, six enthusiastic medical school graduates entered a new residency program at BayCare Medical Group’s Family Health Center in Winter Haven, under the leadership of Dr. Nathan Falk. On June 17 of this year, after serving Central…

Editor’s Dose: A thank-you letter to nurses

FROM MID-FEBRUARY to about mid-April, my family was at the doctor’s office a lot. The late-spreading flu season (although none of us in our household ever actually caught the flu — thank goodness) must have carried with it many other viruses, because we’ve certainly experienced our fair share. In fact, a few nurses on staff…
Healthy Skin: May is Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month

“C’MON, DOC. What’s a little sunburn?” is a question I frequently hear from the public. The answer is, if you’re lucky, that’s all it is. But a little sunburn is one of the easiest skin cancer risk factors to avoid. If left untreated, skin cancer, or melanoma, can progress to the point that it’s disfiguring…
Cautions for two of your favorite summer activities

SPRING IS THE TIME OF YEAR in Florida when temperatures begin to warm and the weather is perfect outside. With the sun shining and a gentle breeze blowing, this beautiful weather also marks the beginning of swimming season for Polk’s residents. Swimming and boating are two of the most popular summer activities for people living…