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Care During Crisis

Virus Changes How Clinics Reach Patients by TIM CRAIG It didn’t take long for Central Florida Health Care CEO Ann Claussen to realize that the COVID-19 virus was going to change the way they do things. Claussen says that in early March, Polk County’s first confirmed case of the virus was diagnosed through the group’s…
Pitching In

Florida Polytechnic University Using 3D Printers to Make Face Shields by PAUL CATALA When the opportunity to help patients affected by the coronavirus arose, Matt Bohm says it was the perfect time to share with those in need. Along the way, the current health crisis has allowed faculty such as Bohm, staff and students at…
Made With Love

Residents-Turned-Seamstresses Help Fill Demand With Homemade Masks by MARY TOOTHMAN Before COVID-19 changed daily life, it was usual to grab keys, sunglasses, wallet — and walk out the door to run an errand. But with concerns about the contagious virus spreading as fast as the virus itself, another item has been added to the list…

Skin Cancer Screening a Necessity for Floridians

It should come as no big surprise that simply living in Florida puts you at an increased risk for skin cancer. The reason for this is simple: The biggest cause of skin cancer is exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UV light) from the sun. There’s a reason that Florida is called “the Sunshine State,” and while…
Diagnosis and Treatment Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Last month, I explained what an aortic aneurysm is, how it can be detected, its presentation and risk factors. How Is It Diagnosed? An abdominal aortic aneurysm can be diagnosed with the help of an ultrasound, a safe, painless test that does not involve any radiation. If confirmed and found to be larger than…
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

An aneurysm is a “weakening” or “dilatation” in a part of an artery. An estimated 15,000 people die of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) every year in the US. About 200,000 new cases of AAA are diagnosed every year. Most of these are diagnosed by tests that are done for unrelated reasons. The aorta is…