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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…
Pop Quiz! Cholesterol: The Good, the Bad, and the Power to Change

September is National Cholesterol Education Month, so it’s the perfect time to educate yourself about the dangers of high cholesterol and the best options for managing your cholesterol. High cholesterol runs rampant in the U.S., and it’s linked with many of the country’s leading causes of death. Take our quiz to learn about high cholesterol…
Staying Connected

Peace River Center navigates the ‘new normal’ through pandemic. By PAUL CATALA The fear and anxiety caused by COVID-19 has become universal, causing many to feel isolated, lonely, stressed and anxious. Throughout the country, healthcare practitioners are adapting to the changing times and finding ways to help people deal with the added stress. At Peace…

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…