Polk County

HCA Florida’s two freestanding emergency rooms in Lakeland – one opens Dec. 23 – are part of a wave of new facilities in this Central Florida town.

After Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo came to Polk County and called fluoridation a “public health malpractice,” city commissioners said they would need to learn more before they could vote on the issue.

Founder Jason DeShazo, known locally as drag performer "Momma Ashley Rose," said the center will expand in early 2025 to encompass the other half of the building it's renting.

State officials say there is no outbreak in the region. The cases were made public days after the Florida Department of Health reported its 10th case since mid-February.

The highly contagious disease was reported by someone 20 to 24 years old in Polk. It's unknown if it's connected to a school outbreak in Broward, where a case involving a child under 5 was confirmed.

Katie Seeright's daughter, Adeline, suffers from Aicardi syndrome, which prevents the 6-year-old from being able to take care of herself.

Polk County is working to make sure the odds of malaria spreading northward from Sarasota are as low as possible.

The new Lakeland clinic could help reduce wait times and how far veterans in Polk County have to travel for care.

After a lengthy discussion and public comments, Commissioner Neil Combee agreed to make changes to the draft and offer it up at a future meeting.

Natasha A. Pierre, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Hillsborough County, says that every person should do a daily check-in on their own mental state.