December, 2015

Clinic Staffer Brings Joy to Children as Santa

By day, Dale Hastings is the store room supervisor at Watson Clinic, but on his off hours during the holiday season, he assumes an entirely different identity. It happened six years ago, Dale recalls. I was walking with my wife through a shopping mall and I was approached by a five year old girl who mistook my bearded face for Santa. That inspired a tradition in Dale’s life that continues to this day. Every holiday, he pulls an elaborately authentic red, white and black costume from h...

Health Department Encourages Flu Vaccine

The Florida Department of Health in Polk County DOH-Polk reminds residents to protect themselves and their families from influenza flu by getting immunized. The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat and lungs. It is a potentially serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. A flu vaccine is a person’s best defense against catching the flu, said Dr. Joy Jackson, Health Officer for DOH-Polk. The flu vacc...

Five Tips for Buying Safe Toys

The holidays are a magical time for a child, particularly when they hold a treasured toy for the first time. That precious look in the child's eyes says it all. For grownups, that's the joy of giving toys for birthdays, holidays or just because. While kids want fun stuff, they need safe play things too. Thousands of toy-related injuries happen every year. So keep these safety tips in mind on your next trip down the toy aisle: 1. Read labels carefully . Labels on toy packages can help you ...

Four Tips for Long-Distance Caregiving

You live many miles away from an increasingly frail or ill loved one. And you wonder: How can I help from such a distance? Caregiving is a challenge under the best of circumstances. It's even more so when you're not close by. Still, there are ways to help watch out for your loved one's well-being from afar. Here are four key ones: 1. Reach out to people who live near your loved one. With your loved one's OK, put together a list of people who can be your eyes and ears in your absence. They can le...

Thyroid Cancer: Five Facts to Know

It's not a cancer that typically makes headlines. But it's important to learn the facts about thyroid cancer because more and more people are being diagnosed with the disease. In fact, it's the most rapidly increasing cancer in the U.S. Here are five things to know about it. 1. It's most common in women, and it occurs at a younger age than most other adult cancers. More than three out of four people diagnosed with thyroid cancer are women. Nearly two out of three cases of the disease are in peop...