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Filling a Need

Polk State College Program Fights Nursing Shortage by JULIE GMITTER photos PROVIDED BY POLK STATE COLLEGE Advances in technology have revolutionized our world and few industries are unchanged by these advances. The healthcare industry is no exception. As a result of these advances in technology, some industries have become completely obsolete, whether the jobs have…
Primed for the Future

Project SEARCH Puts Students With Disabilities on Track for Career Success by TERESA SCHIFFER photos PROVIDED BY Project SEARCH Finding a job fresh out of high school is a challenge for anyone. For young adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities, those challenges multiply. Fortunately, there is a program to help these young people get the…
Fore the Love … and for the Babies

Fundraiser Benefits NICU at Winter Haven Women’s Hospital by MATT COBBLE photos PROVIDED BY WINTER HAVEN HOSPITAL FOUNDATION Few fundraisers offer something for everyone, but Winter Haven Hospital Foundation’s Fore the Love event, benefitting the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), comes close. Fore the Love had its beginnings in the Polk County Cup Juniors Tennis…

What Is Age-Related Macular Degeneration, or AMD?

by NADER MOINFAR, M.D., M.P.H. Geographic atrophy (GA) is an advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In general, AMD is a disease that progresses in stages. Patients with advanced AMD experience vision loss from either excess ﬂuid and blood (wet AMD) or the death of cells (GA). It is estimated that 1.5 million…
Understanding 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…
The Future Is Clear: The Shift to Daily Disposable Contact Lenses

by DANIEL SMITH, O.D. Contact lenses offer a wonderful alternative to traditional eyeglasses, providing wearers with a range of unique benefits that suit various lifestyles. They offer a natural, unobstructed field of vision, and the absence of frames on the face may be highly beneficial, especially during physical activities where glasses may pose a risk…