Health + Wellness + Safety

Protecting Children from their devices

Disconnected – Protecting Kids From Their Devices is in Your Hands

If you had the power to protect your children from depression and anxiety, would you? Even though any parent would answer “yes” to that question, a valuable weapon in their arsenal often goes unused: the word “no.” Psychotherapist and author Thomas Kersting makes the case for prohibiting or limiting children’s screentime in “Disconnected,” which lays out…

Jr Gasparilla Distance Classic Tampa
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Let’s RUN! The best races in Tampa Bay for families this year!

Start warming up and check out the awesome list of Tampa Bay races for 2024 including the Gasparilla Distance Classic in February and MORE!!

Four free COVID tests available beginning on Sept. 25.

How to get free COVID tests for your family

We’re showing you how to get four free COVID tests beginning Sept. 25 and where to go for low-cost or free COVID-19 tests in Tampa Bay.

Sturge-Weber Syndrome

Knight’s Story: Sturge-Weber Syndrome

Three-year-old Knight is a joyful ball of energy as he runs from the family’s living room to dining room to kitchen. He loves this little game, and for most 3-year-olds, this wouldn’t be an extraordinary feat. But, for this child, it is remarkable. What is Sturge-Weber Syndrome? Knight was born with Sturge-Weber Syndrome, a genetic…

Children's Mental Health

The Most Important Conversations: BayCare Kids introduces a game-changing resource to battle mental health disorders

Here’s a sobering statistic: During the past three years since the pandemic, the number of kids visiting the Emergency Room at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital for children’s mental health disorders has increased by 300 percent. That’s a three-fold increase. Here’s another number: When it comes to available mental health resources, Florida (one of the most…

RSV

The 411 on RSV | What you need to know about this common virus

 We’re catching up again with Dr. John Prpich, BayCare Kids Pediatric Pulmonologist and Medical Director of Pediatric Respiratory Care at St Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, to learn more about RSV and a groundbreaking new medicine just approved for use in all infants to prevent RSV infection.

Preparing for the 2023 Flu Season

Ask the Doctor: How to Prepare for the 2023 Flu Season

The 2023 flu season is expected to arrive earlier than usual with an uptick in cases already occurring in September. We may also see a tricky RSV season and an upward trend in COVID as a new variant is circulating. The Flu, COVID, or RSV: What is causing my symptoms? It may be challenging to…

Hillsborough County Anti-Bullying Award

Tampa Bay’s Bully Busters: Hillsborough County Anti-Bullying Award Recipients

Each October, in honor of Bullying Awareness Month, Hillsborough County’s Anti-Bullying Awareness Committee recognizes a student or students who have gone above and beyond to make a difference in our community. This year, it wasn’t just one person who stood out, but a local elementary school student and a group of students who are taking…

Bullying Prevention teenage girls on cellphone

It’s Bullying Prevention Month: Tips to Support Your Kids 

Bullying is when a person or group repeatedly tries to harm someone who is weaker or who they think is weaker, and there is some type of power differential in place. This can take a psychological toll on the child being bullied, sometimes lasting a lifetime. October is Bullying Prevention Month Below are answers to…

Safety Awareness Tips for Parents: a girl fastens another girl's bike helmet.

Safety Awareness Tips for Parents with Kids of All Ages

As parents, we naturally worry about our children. Whether we’re trying to protect them from mishaps as toddlers or shelter them from high-risk behaviors as teens, safety is always at the top of our minds. So how do you keep up when potential risks and dangers look so very different at every age and stage?…

Pelvic Floor Therapy, The HOPE Docs
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Pregnancy and Your Pelvic Floor: Why exercise and pelvic floor therapy matter

Your pelvic floor probably doesn’t come up in routine conversations with friends and family. However, if you’re pregnant or have had a baby, you’ve probably either thought about it or felt the impacts post-partum, even years after childbirth.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium Parenting Class
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CMA and Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Team Up to Offer Free Parenting Classes

The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is teaming up with Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital to offer free parenting classes at CMA with classes that focus on different developmental milestones including speech, feeding, and reading for children from birth to 5-years-old.

Tampa General is ranked top 10

The ‘Top 10’ Difference at Tampa General Hospital

Tampa General is ranked top 10 in the nation for Obstetrics and Gynecology by U.S. News & World Report for 2023-2024

Pediatric Cancer

Friends Forever: Pediatric Cancer Diagnoses Lead to a Special Childhood Friendship

This is the story of two friends who found each other. Four-year-old Bjorn and 5-year-old Ryan had never met. But in August of 2021, both were taken to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital with troubling symptoms. Pediatric Cancer Diagnosis Within the same week, both received the same devastating diagnosis: acute myeloid leukemia. “The moment I was told…

Childhood Injury Prevention

Safe September: BayCare Kids safety expert shares tips to prevent injury

September is all about back-to-school, but it’s also the month set aside for a more sobering “b” word—boo boos. National Childhood Injury Prevention Month is underway No one sees more injuries than the people who work at hospitals. BayCare Kids Wellness and Safety Specialist Michelle Sterling shares the four top injuries health care workers see…

kids and sleep
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Ask the Doctor: How much sleep does your child need, is melatonin safe, and more common questions

How much sleep do your kids actually need? Bobbi Hopkins, MD, a sleep expert and medical director of the Sleep Center at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital answers.

Isabella’s Tale: How TGH’s Pediatric GI Program Came to the Rescue

Isabella’s Tale: How TGH’s Pediatric GI Program Came to the Rescue

The nightmare began with a simple shopping-mall pretzel. But thankfully for a Tampa Bay middle-schooler named Isabella, a scary and painful ordeal ended with the help of the Tampa General Hospital (TGH) Children’s Hospital’s acclaimed pediatric gastrointestinal (GI) program in collaboration with the sole academic GI program in Tampa Bay, USF Health Pediatric Gastroenterology. Tampa…

How to Pick and Wear a Backpack
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How to Pick and Wear a Backpack

Backpacks are a back-to-school staple and necessity, but they tend to get heavier each year as students get older, which can be concerning for parents. Ryan Fitzgerald, M.D., a fellowship-trained pediatric orthopaedic surgeon with Children’s Orthopaedic and Scoliosis Surgery Associates (COSSA), treats patients at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. He shares backpack safety tips to…

free car seat inspections in Tampa Bay
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How to book a free or low cost car seat inspection in Tampa Bay

Safe Kids provides free and low-cost car seat inspections in the Tampa Bay area. You might want to book one because most parents are doing it wrong.

kids and social media addiction
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Is your child addicted to social media? Here’s what you need to know.

Dr. Jennifer Katzenstein, Ph.D, talks about how to teach kids smart social media behavior and how to find a healthy balance.

hospital facility dog program

Four Paws and a Heart of Gold: St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital launches new facility dog program with its first four-legged employee

No one wants to find themselves in a situation where their child has to be admitted to a hospital. But if your family does have to do so, at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, you can rest easy knowing that your child is in the hands of some of the country’s most sought-after, highly trained professionals….

Cleft Lip and Palate

Cleft Lip and Palate Awareness Month: One in a Million Bree

July is National Cleft Lip and Palate Craniofacial Awareness Month. Five-year-old Bree Brown is very special. So special, in fact, that she is literally one in a million. “Bree wasn’t breathing when she was born,” reflects an emotional Areen, Bree’s mom. During Areen’s pregnancy, Bree wasn’t measuring properly on sonograms. It was discovered that she…

meditations for mom
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A Tampa Mom’s Meditation Focused Podcast Downloaded 100 Million Times

Katie Krimitsos knows what moms need to hear to relax. Her podcasts (recorded in her closet) have been downloaded more than 100 million times.

Dr. Luis Rodriguez

Dr. Luis Rodriguez: Healthcare Hero Dad and Local Neurosurgeon

Modern day Brady Bunch families really do exist, just ask Luis Rodriguez, M.D., M.A.S., and his wife Lisa Moore, M.S.N., M.H.A, R.N., who both work at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. Dr. Luis Rodriguez is a neurosurgeon and Moore can be found in the cardiovascular ICU. This Father’s Day, Dr. Rodriguez reflects on his work as a…

water safety to prevent drowning

Local Family Shares Story to Prevent Drownings

Water is part of the allure of living in Florida, but few realize that drowning is the leading cause of death among Florida children ages 1-4. Water Safety to Prevent Drownings One family is incredibly grateful to have averted such a tragedy. Having recently moved from Washington State to Venice, Florida, the family of five…

water safety tips drowning prevention

Drowning Only takes 20 Seconds: Water Safety Tips Every Caregiver Needs to Know

Michelle Sterling, Senior Wellness and Safety Specialist at BayCare Kids Wellness and Safety Center, shares important tips every caregiver needs to know to keep kids safe around water this summer.

Alicia Schulhof
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Balancing it All as a Working Mom & Children’s Health Care Leader: Getting to Know Alicia Schulhof

We’re getting to know Alicia Schulhof, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital’s first female president.

water safety classes
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How to Take Advantage of FREE Safety Around Water Classes with the YMCA

The YMCA offers a variety of water safety classes.

Kangaroo Care with Your Baby
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The Benefits of Kangaroo Care with your Baby

Dr. Lilly Chang, with the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute shares the many benefits of practicing kangaroo care with your baby.

high-risk pregnancy

Doctor Shares Own Experiences as a Mom to Help High-Risk Expectant Mothers

A high-risk pregnancy can be stressful, but Karen Raimer, M. D. , has helped calm nerves and provide answers for expectant mothers for more than 30 years.

Lion’s Eye Institute for Transplant and Research

Clear Sight: One Family’s Journey to Better Vision with the Help of Lion’s Eye Institute

Samantha Barlow’s mother, Julie, was the first to see that something was clouding her newborn baby’s beautiful deep blue eyes. When Julie held her daughter for the first time, Barlow looked up at her mother but seemed unable to really meet her adoring gaze. Julie wouldn’t let it go. A flurry of doctors and specialists…

Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia

Celebrating Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia in April and Those Traveling to Tampa Bay for Care

The Center for Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, led by David Kays, M.D., was founded as the country’s first inpatient CDH unit with surgeons, nurses and other team members solely focused on CDH care.

self-care & parenting

Self-Care & Parenting: Put Your Oxygen Mask on First

Married, mother of two, Dr. Clark untangles why raising humans with strong senses of self is underpinned by parents’ self-care. 

Occupational Therapy

How Occupational Therapy Helps Kids Return to a Normal Life

April is Occupational Therapy Month. It’s a time to recognize the achievements of patients like 13-year-old Jaden who recovered from a serious accident, thanks, in part, to the efforts of occupational therapist Rachael Thibeau and other experts at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. Jaden had gone for a ride on his friend’s pontoon boat on…

Brea the Facility Dog

How Brea Brings Smiles and Comfort to Hospitalized Children

Brea (Bray-UH), the first-ever facility dog at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, brings smiles and a friendly distraction for hospitalized kids.

TGH Maternal Fetal Medicine

The Highest Level of Care: TGH’s Nationally Acclaimed Maternal-Fetal Medicine Program

The Maternal Fetal Medicine program and Fetal Care Center at Tampa General earned a spot on Newsweek’s List of Best Maternity Hospitals in 2022 and was named highest ranked in Florida for Obstetrics & Gynecology by U.S. News & World Report for 2022-2023.

AngelEye Camera System at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital

AngelEye Camera System: How Cutting-Edge Technology Helps Parents Bond with their Preemies

In December, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital rolled out the AngelEye camera system to help parent-preemie bonding in the NICU.

Acne

Acne: Causes, Types, and Treatment

Acne affects nearly 85% of people between the ages of 12 and 24. Advent Health Dermatologist, Dr. Graham, talks causes, types and treatments.

Behave Your Best 
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Why can’t they just behave? The truth behind your child’s unwanted behavior (and what to do about it!) 

When we have the right tools to address our child’s unwanted behaviors, difficult situations become easier to handle and our confidence as parents grows. Behave Your Best explores two common unwanted behaviors and what you can do to stop them.

Hand, Foot, and Mouth: What Parents of Young Children Should Know

Hand, Foot, and Mouth: What Parents of Young Children Should Know

Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a common virus in young children and, while it is usually not serious, it is very contagious.

High Blood Pressure in Children

High Blood Pressure, Salt Intake and Your Child’s Heart

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is usually seen in adults, but pediatricians and pediatric cardiologists are seeing this more often in children. Higher blood pressure means the pressure in the blood vessels is increased, causing the heart and other organs to work harder. This can put people at a higher risk for chronic illnesses…

open-heart surgery

New Device is Narrowing the Gap in Heart Valve Repair at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital

Learn how a cardiologist at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital helped a local teen avoid another open-heart surgery using brand new technology!

whole family health

How to Achieve Whole Family Health with the YMCA

For many, the Y represents positive childhood memories. For the Tichenor family, it represents generational support and holistic wellness.

birth defects

Liliana CHARGEs Forward During National Birth Defects Awareness Month

Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital helps an adorable local toddler with a rare condition, CHAREGE Syndrome. Her Mother shares their story.

How to help kids handle holiday stress
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Ask the Expert: How to help kids handle holiday stress and sensory overload

The holiday season isn’t always merry for kids so we’re turning to a local expert for advice and top tips.

holiday health and safety
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May Your Holidays be Merry and Safe!

The holidays can be chaotic. Check out these tips to stay safe and healthy this season, when ordinary rules can fall through the cracks.

Bilateral Cleft Lip and Palate Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital.

Logan’s Life Changing Surgery at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital to Repair a Bilateral Cleft Lip and Palate

When Logan was born with a complete bilateral cleft lip and palate, they sought help from Alex Rottgers, MD, a highly skilled pediatric plastic surgeon at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg.

youth sports

The Positive Power of Youth Sports

Mental health took a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockdowns, quarantines and distancing meant that outside activities like youth sports were put on hold. For some kids, sports were their outlet, their stress release and their social circle. Taking all of that away at once can certainly have a huge impact—especially at such a young…

Childhood Diabetes
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Sneaky Sugars: What is Diabetes and Are My Kids at Risk?

November is American Diabetes Month, a time for families to learn about childhood diabetes and ways to prevent it.

gene therapy miracle drug

The Elixir of Life: St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital administers miracle drug that saves babies from progressive neuromuscular degeneration

Thanks to a recently approved gene therapy named Zolgensma, the outlook for babies born with SMA has suddenly brightened.

Epilepsy

New Technology at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Helping Kids Battle Epilepsy

As a 15-year epilepsy patient, Ethan’s family recently elected a new, less-invasive surgery which has lessened the frequency of his seizures.

RSV, Flu and COVID Tripledemic
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Ask the Doctor: The “Tripledemic” Collision of Flu, RSV, and Covid

We recently sat down with two local doctors to get expert advice on how parents can better protect our children against RSV, flu and Covid.

October is Fire Safety Month: A Tampa Bay mom shares her escape from fire story; and fire safety tips we can all follow

A fluke accident on Gasparilla eve caused a fire under the Sanchez family home, which they evacuated with the help of their 7 year old son.

Melissa Thomas

Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Trusting Things Are As They Should Be

Melissa Thomas, a pediatric critical care physician, shares her story, and realization, after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

Mental Health Day
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Should Your Child Miss School for a Mental Health Day?

Making the case for school-aged mental health days: 50 percent of all lifetime mental health illnesses start by the adolescent years.

National Bullying Prevention Month
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Bullying Facts and How to Report a Bully in Tampa Bay

October is National Bullying Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness about bullying and what we can do as a community to prevent it.

safe sleep: Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

6 Ways to Prevent Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Syndrome

October is sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) awareness month, which takes the lives of thousands of babies each year.

Physical Therapy

Celebrating Physical Therapists and Patients During October

To celebrate National Physical Therapy Month, we’re sharing Hailey’s story and recognizing the hard work of her and her physical therapy team.

GuideWell Emergency Doctors
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Your Checklist for a Safe and Successful School Year—That’ll Save You Time and Money Too!

GuideWell Emergency Doctors is an advanced urgent care facility with the same capabilities as an ER that could save you time and money.

Roasted Whisk Lizette Rivera

Caring for a Loved One with Dementia: Meet Lizette Rivera with Roasted Whisk

Lizette Rivera, founder of Roasted Whisk, shares her personal journey of caring for a loved one with Dementia to raise awareness.