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Center for Behavioral Health Expands to Offer More Options for Care

by TERESA SCHIFFER When President John F. Kennedy passed the Community Mental Health Act of 1963, a new world was opened up to scores of individuals who would never have received the care they needed to thrive in society. Locally, Winter Haven Hospital’s Center for Behavioral Health opened its doors in 1967 as one of…
Evolution of Mental Health Care

WHH Center for Behavioral Health’s Retiring Clinical Director Reflects on 36 Years of Change After 36 years with Winter Haven Hospital’s Center for Behavioral Health, Clinical Director Jeff Ware, LMHC, is trading the office for retirement. Central Florida Health News spoke with Ware to learn how the community and healthcare needs have changed during his…
Pegasus Partners

UCF Teams With AdventHealth, Orlando Health to Tackle Nursing Shortage by PAUL CATALA As more than 1,000 people each day make the Sunshine State their new homes, the need for healthcare professionals to take care of them intensifies. In April, the Florida Hospital Association said Florida will need more than 60,000 nurses in hospitals, clinics, and…

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…