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Heart health is incredibly important because the heart is the central organ responsible for circulating blood throughout the body, delivering oxygen and nutrients to tissues, and removing waste products. Without a healthy heart, your body cannot function properly. Here are several reasons why maintaining heart health is critical: 1. Vital for Overall Health 2. Prevention…

Ever since high school, Dakota Campbell has loved being around little kids. Hoping to one day open a daycare herself, she got a job at Tiger Tots Preschools: Central Location, a daycare center in Columbia, Mo, working with 1- to 2-year-olds. Every two years, Tiger Tots’ staff take a CPR and First Aid course through…

As a pediatrician, I often hear from parents concerned about Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). RSV can affect all ages but is particularly dangerous for newborn babies. Some babies just get mild cold symptoms but many illnesses last at least two weeks, and the infant often develops bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways) or pneumonia, requiring…

Dr. Tibuakuu hails from a small village in northern Ghana and has an inspiring journey. He walked barefoot to school and was the first in his village to get an education. Growing up in poverty, Dr. Tibuakuu went weeks without food and didn’t have the means to seek health care. This experience instilled a strong…

I’m from Center, Mo., a small town of about 500 people located about 20 miles southwest of Hannibal. I graduated from the University of Missouri—Columbia in 2020 with a Bachelor of Health Science in Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences with an emphasis in Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound. I obtained my ultrasound credentials through the American Registry of…

Winter’s shorter days and frigid temperatures can make it difficult for even the most dedicated fitness enthusiasts to find motivation to exercise. It’s easy to stay inside with a blanket and cup of cocoa when the temperature drops, but there are good reasons to break a sweat when it’s cold out. Since 1950, heart disease…

Vaccines are one of the most significant public health innovations in human history, revolutionizing our approach to disease prevention and control. They have played a crucial role in reducing the prevalence of infectious diseases, preventing outbreaks, and saving millions of lives worldwide. Understanding why it is essential to get necessary vaccines can reinforce public commitment…

Darla Taylor considered herself healthy. She watched what she ate, walked two miles a day and never thought she would be admitted to the hospital with a serious lung infection. But that’s where she found herself in January 2024. A few weeks earlier, Darla’s father-in-law passed away from Stage 4 Liver Cancer. Having spent weeks…

Deidre “DK” Hirner loves being active. She walks her dog several miles a day and enjoys working out on her recumbent exercise bike. She’s able to keep up her active lifestyle after having several joints replaced; she’s had 3 shoulder replacements – one shoulder was done twice – and a hip replacement. DK spent a…