Health News

Features

The Heart of the Matter

Area Physicians Weigh In on ECGs for Student Athletes by PAUL CATALA As the school year ramps up, parents are busy lining up appointments so their student athletes can get their sports physicals. Over the past decade, there’s been increased interest in the incorporation of electrocardiogram heart screenings in these physicals. An electrocardiogram, or ECG,…
When Heroes Need Help

New Initiative Seeks to Connect Veterans and First Responders With Mental Health Resources by RYAN MILEJCZAK A new initiative here in Central Florida seeks to help veterans and first responders struggle with mental health challenges. The Heroes Wellness Collective, launched by Lake Wales-based Operation Recovery, seeks to create a centralized, online platform that connects veterans…
A Different Kind of First Aid

Peace River Center Offers Mental Health First Aid by REBEKAH PIERCE An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This timeless adage is something we think about often when it comes to our physical health, but not necessarily what’s going on inside our heads. Yet the reality is that, in 2024, mental health…

Publisher’s Note: From the pyramid to the plate

As of June 2, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and First Lady Michelle Obama unveiled the federal government’s new food icon: My Plate. Gone is the food pyramid from 1995 and even its more modern descendant, “My Pyramid,” which displayed the concepts of variety, moderation and proportion in vertical color coding (rather…
Body, Mind & Spirit: How not to be your own worst enemy

We’ve all heard it — that not-so-quiet voice in our head that says, “You can’t,” “It’s impossible” or, “You’re not good enough.” Most of us have minor battles with our inner critic during different points in our lives, but some people struggle with self-criticism on a daily basis. Unlike external naysayers in our lives…
Caregivers: Our extended family

Thursday, June 17th was the national observation of Nurse Assistant Day, which kicked-off a week of honoring all nursing assistants around the country. Nursing assistants serve under many different titles in our local homes, hospitals, clinics, schools, and assisted-living facilities. These individuals are the devoted people who in many cases are the primary caretakers…