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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…
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…

Medical Advice: Back-to-school tips and the 5-2-1-0 program

AS STUDENTS and families prepare to return to school, the Florida Department of Health in Polk County (FDOH-Polk) would like to take this opportunity to remind them to take the proper steps to stay healthy this school year. Good health is important for students in order to maintain regular school attendance and be ready to…
Hospice Help: Hospice myth busting

WHEN MOST PEOPLE hear the word “hospice,” they immediately associate the provided care as being intimately tied to hours, or if lucky, days before death. Then there is also the supposition that hospice is only for cancer patients. These are just two myths that need to be busted when it comes to understanding hospice.
First impressions of our daughter’s new specialist

WE HEARD IT growing up from our mothers all the time, but we didn’t quite understand the true significance of it. As adults, we begin to see the value in making a good first impression. Whether it’s for a job interview, that first parent-teacher meeting, or sitting down with a new doctor, first impressions play…