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Back to School

Doctors Discuss Safety, Logistics of Education During Pandemic by TERESA SCHIFFER It’s back-to-school season again – but this time there’s a twist. COVID-19 infection rates and deaths are still on the rise in the U.S., meaning students, educators, and parents must learn to navigate education during an ongoing public health crisis. This is not the…
The Vaccination Question

Doctor Explains Why Immunizations Are So Critical, Even During Pandemic by TERESA SCHIFFER As we enter flu season while in the midst of a raging pandemic, the topic of vaccinations is on a lot of people’s minds. You may be wondering if you should get a flu shot this year, if a coronavirus vaccine will…
Get Trained, STAT!

Polk Schools Offer Array of Medical Programs to Prepare Students for Booming Healthcare Fields by MARY TOOTHMAN The healthcare sector is booming, and people all across the country are taking note. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says that from 2006 and 2016, 2.8 million jobs were added to the health sector. That’s almost seven…

Vision and Learning

Children require clear, comfortable vision to be successful in school and extracurricular activities. We use our eyes to read, write, throw a ball, use computers, and watch TV. As children advance in school, the demand for clear vision increases because they spend more time reading and learning. Thus, any vision problems should be addressed at…
Are You Considering Cataract Surgery?

A cataract is where the normally clear lens inside the eye becomes cloudy. This is a normal process that occurs with age. Certain medications such as steroids, smoking, and high levels of sun exposure can cause cataracts to develop at an earlier age. Early symptoms of cataracts often include blurred vision with glare and halos…
Cardiac Testing in a COVID-19 World

In this column, I’ll talk about the varied tests done in cardiology in general and how we do them in a COVID-19 world. After all, people don’t stop having heart trouble because of a pandemic. First, I will discuss the various facets of the heart, how the tests are done and how we check them…