Health News

Features

Open Enrollment

It’s Time to Evaluate Your Options and Choose the Insurance Plan That’s Best for You by TERESA SCIHFFER It’s open enrollment season for Medicare and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans. If having health insurance that covers your actual medical needs, as well as your preferred doctors and necessary medications, is important to you, then…
Pop Quiz: If You Don’t Snooze, You Lose! How Much Do You Really Know About Sleep Apnea?

A full night’s sleep is supposed to be restful and recharging, but for millions of Americans, that’s not the case. Many wake up in the morning tired and unrested, and most don’t know that sleep apnea is to blame. Sleep apnea is a condition that disrupts sleep, keeping sufferers from getting that restful, restorative sleep…
Young Warriors

Twins Don’t Let Type 1 Diabetes Stifle Their Dreams by TIM CRAIG photos by CELESTE JO WALLS When 8-year-old Amelia Walls was hospitalized in 2016, Cecilia, her older sister by a whole 10 minutes, was worried. When Cecilia found out that her identical twin sister was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, she went from worried…

Ask a Nurse: Popping pain pills?

Americans make up ~4.6 percent of the world’s population, yet have been consuming 80 percent of the global opioid supply and 99 percent of the global hydrocodone supply1! According to the CDC in 2008, 14,800 died of an opioid overdose… more than heroin and cocaine COMBINED2. Opioids like morphine, codeine, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, oxymorphone, and fentanyl…
PCMA Letter: Don’t let an active lifestyle be a chore this summer

It’s fairly common amongst the general population to want to live a long, healthy, and happy life. Remaining physically fit is imperative to this way of life. Staying in shape helps you live longer and prevents illnesses. This is why the doctors of the Polk County Medical Association (PCMA) bring you the fitness edition this…
Publisher’s Note: Some of the healthcare legislation recently passed

Like any other year, the 2014 Florida Legislative Session saw a lot of action for health and safety-related bills. Some of them passed with flying colors, while others failed—but, just in case you aren’t aware—I’d like to summarize three important pieces of legislation that are being made into law: SB 1030 During the legislative session,…