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  • Pop Quiz: Germs 101—A Crash Course for Parents

    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

    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

    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…

Columns

  • LASIK and Other Popular Refractive Procedures

    LASIK and Other Popular Refractive Procedures

    Refractive surgery is designed to correct myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism to effectively reduce dependency on eyeglasses and contacts. The most popular refractive procedure is LASIK, which stands for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis. It involves shaping the cornea using a laser. Other refractive procedures include photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and refractive lens exchange (RLE). Those…

  • Bridging the Gap Between a Healthy and Unhealthy Smile

    Bridging the Gap Between a Healthy and Unhealthy Smile

    Bridges and crowns are both great tools to help improve your smile if you have cracked, chipped, missing, or damaged teeth. While new techniques like dental veneers and bonding are available, traditional methods such as bridges and crowns offer stronger, more efficient results. Bridges and crowns are fixed prosthetic devices that are fixed onto existing…

  • Diabetes Mellitus:  Not Just About Controlling Your Blood Sugar

    Diabetes Mellitus: Not Just About Controlling Your Blood Sugar

    Ever too often, I encounter patient who are diabetic and practice blood sugar monitoring only. Diabetes mellitus is a condition that affects all organ systems. It is important that patients also monitor their eyes, kidney, nerves and heart. Some conditions directly associated with poor diabetic control are: Diabetic retinopathy: an eye condition that affects your…

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