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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…
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…

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…