PUBLISHER'S NOTE

2020 and the Tale of an Incredible Community

NELSON KIRKLAND, PUBLISHER

nelson@centralfloridamediagroup.com

With the close of 2020, there was a collective sigh of relief. Hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost to COVID-19, and each night we keep their families in our prayers as we eagerly await the promise of a new day. The year was a busy one for those of us here at Central Florida Health News as we worked to continue our mission under the constraints of social distancing and abundant caution. We moved our much anticipated Health Expo to a virtual platform, creating a safe environment for sharing ideas facilitating connections. As the scope of the pandemic became clear, we focused our coverage to bring you incredible stories of strength and perseverance. We introduced you to Winter Haven missionary Danny Jones and his family, all of whom contracted the virus early on, as well as Auburndale’s Keith Johnson, who shared with us his own victory over COVID-19. We knew there was more to the story than the pain and the suffering. The words of Mr. Rogers rang true through the world’s grief and fear: “Always look for the helpers. There’s always someone who is trying to help.” Throughout the rest of the year, we brought you countless tales of heroism and courage among the health heroes. Their determination was contagious, and we eagerly shared their stories. Words can’t adequately convey our appreciation for the health heroes among us, and we know our community is filled with them. If there’s something that we take away from 2020, let it be this: This community rises to the occasion even in the hardest of times. Nothing can keep it down ... not even 2020. God bless, and let’s start the year with a heart full of appreciation. HN

We knew there was more to the story than the pain and the suffering. The words of Mr. Rogers rang true through the world’s grief and fear: “Always look for the helpers. There’s always someone who is trying to help.

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CFHN | 1 ENROLL PAGE 12 CentralFloridaHealthNews.com SPECIALIZED CARE Chapters, Bartow Regional Open Palliative Care Clinic BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM WITH THESE RECIPES STAYING IN THE GAME Polk Games Keep Seniors Active, Involved POP QUIZ: Are You Washing Your Hands Correctly? THE ENDORSED PUBLICATION OF THE POLK COUNTY MEDICAL CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC Local Response and Essential Resources volume 9 | issue 13 | april 2020 FREE — TAKE ONE! centralfloridahealthnews.com CFHN | 1 CentralFloridaHealthNews.com PRESORT STD U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 335 Lakeland, Fl. BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM WITH THESE RECIPES STAYING IN THE GAME Polk Games Keep Seniors Active, Involved POP QUIZ: Are You Washing Your Hands Correctly? THE ENDORSED PUBLICATION OF THE POLK COUNTY MEDICAL volume 9 | issue 14 | may 2020 FREE — TAKE ONE! CentralFloridaHealthNews.com PRESORT STD U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 335 Lakeland, Fl. ON THE FRONT LINE Nurse Describes New Normal Caring for COVID-19 Patients CARE DURING CRISIS Virus Changes How Clinics Reach Patients HEALTHY COOK A SPLASH OF CITRUS GOES A LONG WAY MADE WITH LOVE Seamstresses Help Fill Demand for Masks KEEPING THE FAITH Winter Haven Family Recovering From Coronavirus THE ENDORSED PUBLICATION OF THE POLK COUNTY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION volume 10 | issue 2 | may 2020 FREE — TAKE ONE! THANK YOU TO OUR HEROES! centralfloridahealthnews.com PRESORT STD U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 335 Lakeland, Fl. The HEROES MASKSBehind the READ ABOUT THE COURAGE, RESILIENCE, AND STRENGTH OF OUR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

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www.CentralFloridaHealthNews.com PUBLISHER

Nelson Kirkland

MANAGING EDITOR

Jessica McDonald

PROJECT MANAGER

David Kiessling ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Juanita Halter

MARKETING DIRECTOR & DIGITAL SPECIALIST

Morgan Driggers CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Erika Aldrich, Mary Joye, LMHC, Paul Catala, Julie Gmitter, Teresa Schiffer, Carol Corley, Dr. Joy Jackson CONTRIBUTING COLUMNISTS

Aly Sheraly, MD, Ritu Aparajita, MD CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

April Spaulding CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

Dawn Lewandowski

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