You're a tobacco user but you're ready to quit. You do well for a couple of days, but then the cravings come, and stress lowers your strength to say no. You’ve been here before. You really want to quit but you just don’t know what to expect from attending a quit group. Will you be judged? [...]
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) are a topic no one wants to talk about. Not with a doctor, a partner, or even a friend. However, the stigma surrounding STDs is only adding to the problem. In 2017, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) released data showing 2.3 million diagnosed cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis, an increase [...]
As we recognize April as “Child Abuse Prevention” month, it seems appropriate to reference a recent article in the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) journal that examined the prevalence of parental spanking of children between the ages of three and five and its association with the children’s behavior and vocabulary through the age of nine. This [...]
February is American Heart Month. Heart disease is something we often overlook if we aren’t directly affected, but the stats of this disease are a little staggering. In fact, heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. While this is a frightening statistic, rest assured that heart disease is often preventable [...]
Let’s get the year started off by talking about women’s health. It’s Cervical Health Awareness Month, and we can all encourage each other to get screened for this highly preventable and treatable cancer. Cervical cancer starts in the cells lining the cervix. The normal cells of the cervix gradually develop pre-cancerous changes that turn into cancer. [...]
The Constitutional Revision Commission (CRC) of Florida meets once every 20 years to examine the Florida Constitution and propose changes. During 2017-2018, they held more than 15 public hearings across the state to identify issues that matter most to Floridians, ultimately resulting on the CRC’s recommended changes to the Florida Constitution. On May 9, 2018 the [...]
This year, on November 15, the American Cancer Society is holding their 43rd annual Great American Smokeout (GASO). This event encourages current smokers to take action and steps towards quitting tobacco and living a healthier life. Providers, employers, and other organizations host many different events in honor of this day, and they all encourage current smokers [...]
Human Papillomavirus, commonly known as HPV, is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the United States and the leading cause of cervical cancer in women. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 79 million Americans are currently infected with HPV and about 14 million become infected with the [...]
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (UWPHI) have collaborated to bring the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps report for 2018. These rankings compare counties within each state on more than 30 health-influencing factors such as education, jobs, and access to quality healthcare. They provide overall rankings for each county [...]
With the knowledge, medical advances, and technology that we currently have, you may believe that the rate of infant mortality is not a major concern in the United States. Infant mortality is the death of an infant before his or her first birthday and the infant mortality rate is the number of infant deaths for every [...]