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Harbingers of Hope

From ECT to TMS, Lakeland Regional Health Has Powerful Tools for Fighting Depression By TERESA SCHIFFER Depression is an insidious illness. It can affect people in a myriad of ways, making it difficult to identify at times. If left untreated, it has the potential to impact the individual’s life in a profoundly negative way. Jobs…
Spotlight on Students’ Mental Health

New Law Seeks to Lower Number of Baker Act Incidents by MARY TOOTHMAN When state Rep. David Silvers heard about one child’s horrific experience as she was taken into custody under Florida’s Baker Act, he couldn’t stop thinking about it. A news story about the circumstances haunted him. The Baker Act is a Florida law…
Pop Quiz: Are Your Protecting Your Eyes From Digital Eye Strain?

For the majority of Americans, screen time is all the time. We utilize computers, tablets, and smart phones constantly, whether at work or for leisure. While the advantages of such technology can’t be denied, all of that time spent looking at a screen is not good for your eyes! Digital eye strain is a very…

Signs & symptoms: When your skin needs medical attention

As a surgeon who often treats and cares for patients whose ailments of the skin have gone too long without medical attention, I’d like to talk about the importance of seeing a doctor right away if you find abnormalities on the skin. I hope people can be aware that it is not only important…
Body, mind & spirit: Integrating primary and behavioral care

When you go to the doctor complaining of stomach pain, you probably don’t expect your problem to be depression. But it just may be. When you complain of headache, clumsiness, dizziness, shakiness, blurred vision, tingling around the mouth and seizures, you might expect an anxiety or bipolar (manic-depressive) disorder. You may be surprised if…
Mediterranean diet for cardiovascular health

Dr. Sean P. O’Rourke is a board-certified cardiologist at Watson Clinic. With a subspecialty in cardiovascular disease, Dr. O’Rourke often sees patients suffering from heart disease. He took the time to answer some questions about heart disease, which has a higher death rate in Polk County than in the rest of Florida. Health…