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The Hope of Hospice

Care When a Cure Is Not an Option by BRENDA EGGERT BRADER photos courtesy of VITAS Healthcare While many people are familiar with the term hospice, most don’t fully understand the broad range of care it includes. End-of-life decisions can be wrought with emotion and trepidation, and while hospice is there to tend to the…
Acknowledging Disparities in Health Care Is a Crucial First Step

Sponsored by Central Florida Health Care by TERESA SCHIFFER April is National Minority Health Month, a time to recognize the disparities in health care received too often by minority populations in the U.S. and to work together toward solutions for these issues. Established in 1915 by Dr. Booker T. Washington, Minority Health Month reminds…
Word to the Wise

Lakeland Octogenarian Shares How Structure, Fitness Have Factored Into His Golden Years story by TERESA SCHIFFER photos by MICHAEL WILSON Who doesn’t want to live a long, healthy, and happy life? There’s no one formula that fits every lifestyle, so Central Florida Health News asked Lakeland octogenarian athlete Gordon “Cork” Wilson to spill the beans…

Body, Mind & Spirit: Restoring confidence while reconstructing the breast

Reconstruction of a breast that has been removed due to cancer or other disease, in my experience, is one of the most rewarding surgical procedures. New medical techniques have made it possible for us to create a breast that can come close in form and appearance to matching a natural breast. Frequently, reconstruction is possible…
Beyond breast cancer: Looking after your health

You’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer and undergone the first phase of treatment: surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or hormone therapy. Now comes the next step in your journey: taking good care of yourself, monitoring your health, and learning habits to promote good health for the long run. As a breast cancer survivor, healthy habits and…
Publisher’s Note: Will the Medicaid overhaul favor certain FL-based HMOs?

It seems only yesterday it was August 2, when hundreds of pages describing the Florida Medicaid overhaul were released. The goal of this overhaul is to shift Medicaid beneficiaries into “managed-care plans” by 2013 while using a heavily debated pilot program until then to set the wheels in motion. But which companies stand to benefit most…