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Growing Together

Lakeland Officials Say Orlando Health Watson Clinic Hospital Partnership Signals Promising Future by PAUL CATALA It’s a collaboration bringing together one of Central Florida’s most renowned and respected hospitals and top physician-led practices to offer specialized care. Watson Clinic, which opened as Watson Health in 1941, is a multispecialty community clinic with comprehensive primary and…
Rhythm & Resilience

Senior Pair Stays Active and Connected Through Dance by RYAN MILEJCZAKphotos by JESS McDONALD Staying active physically, mentally, and socially can be a challenge for anybody, and even more so for seniors. But for Bartow’s Cynthia Aycock, 65, and Polk City’s Doug Wright, 69, the solution was simple: dance. “I grew up dancing, and my…
Care in the Golden Years

From Assisted Living to Nursing Homes, Finding the Right Fit Is Key by MAGGIE THARP At some time or another, many seniors will reach a point where living on their own isn’t the best choice for their health or happiness. But when seniors and families realize this, it’s not always easy to make the transition…

Editor’s Dose: Tips for minimizing back-to-school stress

IF YOU ARE LIKE ME, then come early July you were already thinking about preparations for the new school year. Parents and children in the community this year are getting ready extra early because Polk County public schools moved up their calendar by one week — day one of school is August 15.
Making the choice to breastfeed

THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH in Polk County (DOH-Polk) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) recognize August as Breastfeeding Awareness Month. This is a wonderful time of year to promote breastfeeding as a vital health activity and discuss the health benefits breastfeeding provides. Although every woman has their own…
Editor’s Dose: Keeping kids’ bodies and minds active this summer

WHEN I FIRST had the twins, my mom would say, “Have a schedule for them, or they’ll have a schedule for you.” Basically, she was cautioning that I’d better keep those little minds and bodies active, or chaos would inevitably ensue. Being a mother of eight children, I think she was speaking from personal experience.…