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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…

Enjoy the Summer Wisely

In Central Florida, we are blessed with sunny days for about two-thirds of the year. With so much sunshine pouring down on us, it’s important to remember that too much of anything – including sunshine – can be bad for your health. The biggest danger of too much sun exposure comes from the sun’s…
Lower Back Pain and Sciatica: Where to Start

Lower back pain and sciatica can be a life-changing event. There can be a lot of reasons for back pain but some popular ones that we hear about are things like stenosis, degenerative disc disease, alignment issues or good old-fashioned back strain. It makes sense that these injuries happen for different reasons. Arthritis in your…
Understanding Hernias

June is Hernia Awareness Month and to help educate you on what a hernia is, how they can be avoided and how they’re treated, we spoke with board-certified general surgeon Shiva Seetahal, MD. Dr. Seetahal specializes in procedures that treat gastrointestinal conditions, hernias, and endocrine disorders, and provides care for the body, mind, and spirit to support his…