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Pop Quiz: Germs 101—A Crash Course for Parents

Back-to-school season is upon us, and that means your child’s chances of coming down with an illness is greatly increased. While schools are centers of learning, they are also breeding grounds for all manner of germs. However, there are ways to lessen your child’s chances of coming down with something, having to miss school due…
Tackling Mental Health Together

Establishing the West Central Florida Mental Wellness Coalition Recognizing the record number of suicide rates, substance use and opioid deaths, nearly 30 local organizations have joined forces to develop a regional mental health initiative. On June 20, BayCare CEO and President Tommy Inzina and participating leaders from other hospitals, behavioral health providers, law enforcement, government…
Working Like a Dog

Reading with Bonnie the Therapy Dog by RACHEL CHRISTIAN Cassandra Banning and Bonnie, her 10-year-old shih tzu therapy dog, have been bringing joy and happiness to people in the Plant City area for almost six years. The pair can be spotted across town visiting nursing homes, hospitals, and even Bruton Memorial Library. Unlike service animals…

Ask a Nurse: Weight gain and genetics

We have all heard the phrase, “I will always be overweight; it’s in my genes!” Well, according to an article on the Mayo Clinic website in June of 2013, “Obesity can sometimes be traced to a medical cause, such as Prader-Willi syndrome, polycystic ovary syndrome and other diseases and conditions.” However, with Prader-Willi syndrome’s prevalence…
Publisher’s Note: Inspiration for the present and encouragement for the New Year

With all the changes happening to the healthcare industry in 2014, Central Florida Health News magazine is a trusted resource for how these changes are affecting our local community. We’re starting this edition with a very relevant topic: obesity. The numbers don’t lie. In our region we have a significantly higher obesity rate than the…
Healthy Cook: Sticking to diets that work

Okay folks. The fun is over. It’s time to get back to the real world. That means tightening the belt you let out a couple of notches over the holidays. Controlling weight is a year-long process and, unless there is a medical reason, is a matter of math. Calories in versus calories out. If you…