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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…

Editor’s Dose: Helping you get ready for a new school year

In this special edition of Central Florida Health News, we’re taking a good, detailed look at the challenges of helping our kids make healthy lifestyle choices, especially when you throw in the complexity of a busy school semester. It’s definitely not easy to bring up your kids in the way that they should go,…
Healthy Cook: After school time (or any time) snack ideas

“Mom, I’m home and there’s nothing to eat and I’m hungry.” The answer was easy for Eve: “Go pick yourself a piece of fruit . . . but not the apples.” Life is more complicated now. And the neighbor’s citrus is out of season for a quick snack. This is a wonderful opportunity for…
Body, Mind & Spirit: Curb the stress of school expenses

When bills start piling up at the start of the school year, stress levels also rise. There may be anger, or feelings of deprivation as favorite extracurricular activities are cut. But there are ways for the family to adjust and grow stronger. “We can teach our children what is really important in life,”says Patricia…