Health

PA Program to Launch Mobile Medical Clinics

The director of Palm Beach Atlantic’s new Physician Associate (PA) program envisions mobile medical clinics heading out from the University to underserved areas throughout the county. Dr. Phil Tobin came to PBA in July 2021 to develop and direct a PA program, after having directed programs at Mercer University and Touro University in Nevada. From Touro, he sent PA teams out in three mobile units serving the homeless throughout the Las Vegas Valley.   Serving the community At PBA Tobin plans a community medicine requirement for PA students, where they will serve not only through a mobile unit, but also […]

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Mental Health: A Growing Concern That Needs Faith and Counseling

In the past, most people took mental health for granted or ignored it altogether. In fact, the stigma behind it was that if you suffered with mental health issues, something was wrong with you – you were weak, unstable and almost contagious! People were pitied, ridiculed, shamed and misunderstood. Yet, COVID has brought mental health to the forefront.  Mental health, the next spiritual battle? Many issues have arisen from the consequences of this virus. It changed our way of life, it changed our thinking, and it changed us. In my practice I see many more people struggling with anxiety, grief […]

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Is the Destruction of our Families Fostering Mental Illness?

In the light of current events, our entire country is collectively moving through the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and inevitably for some, acceptance. While the motivating factors are different, the overarching question resounds in the same outcry: WHY? Why must the innocent, our children, be the object of suffering and hatred? When we blow away the chaff, what’s left is the family or the lack thereof.  What defines families? While the world defines family in many ways, the Biblical definition has remained the same: two parents, a father and a mother, guiding children through childhood, adolescence […]

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The Good News Is Still The Good News

I recently spoke with a counselor about the pressure the pandemic has brought to bear; his practice has ministered to more than 30,000 people since COVID. Working remotely, fewer family gatherings, less time with our various community groups combined with death and fear have been harrowing and traumatic circumstances to everyone. The positive has been that the open conversation about our mental health and emotional well-being has been destigmatized. What was once spoken about in a private, inner circle-only conversation is on all the newsstands and airways with global celebrities such as Olympian Simon Biles and Michael Phelps speaking out.  […]

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How Old Are You Emotionally?

(Scroll down to leave a comment on your emotional age you identify with.) When we mention the phrase “Arrested Development,” most people think of the sitcom with that title. It’s the story of the formerly wealthy Bluth family and their dysfunction. The series received critical acclaim, six Primetime Emmy Awards, and one Golden Globe Award. It has been named one of the greatest TV shows by publications, including Time and Entertainment Weekly. I’ve not watched the program, but my guess is it was widely viewed because we all relate to it at some level. Every family has some dysfunction, and […]

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Class in Session: Teen’s Mental Health

I’ve often said to my team that research is revelatory. Research removes assumptions and reveals what’s truly going on beneath the surface. As children and teens in Broward County and around the country settle back into their school routines, I’m reminded of the potential of the next generation – their ability to be creative and their zeal for causes that are making a difference. Generation Z, today’s teenagers, have grown up with technology in hand, and it’s changing the way they see and interact with the world. Behind the TikTok posts and the lighthearted YouTube videos they create something harmful […]

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Ready or Not Here I Come

(Ready or not, leave a comment down below if you have ever played hide and seek with God) Remember, as a child, playing hide-and-seek? Running and hiding as fast as you can from whoever was “it.” Then, preparing to be discovered with anticipation? It’s an exciting game, but playing hide and seek as an adult is not nearly as satisfying.   As an adult, hide and seek sounds like this “I can no longer do that because of my pain.” “I used to do that, but because of ________, I just can’t do it anymore.” “I guess I’m going to […]

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How To Talk About Mental Health

We’ve all been talking about it, but not enough.   We must talk about it I lost another friend to suicide recently. This friend’s struggles with depression, public failure and the stress of being a high-profile leader were all indicative of him being a high risk person. I keep asking myself what could have, and should have, been done better. Maybe he’d still be here if things were different.   “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ― C.S. Lewis   Even though it’s been a few months, I’m still […]

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What Stands in the Way Becomes the Way

I like you, open my email daily and find worthy writers’ devotionals and musings. I often click “delete” for lack of time. I remind myself that I should read my Bible first, then if I have time, read the ponderings of others. This week I came across famous quotes and stumbled upon a quote by Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” I read it a few times, and the COVID virus came to mind. My mind rambled on like one kicking a stone along a worn path, and […]

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Preventing, Testing and Treating COVID-19

Whether you turn on the television, listen to the radio, pick up a newspaper or go online, COVID-19 is the headline. Questions about this relatively unknown coronavirus are dominating global communication as public health professionals worldwide are working diligently to protect patients, visitors, caregivers, staff and society as a whole.  Everyone shares some responsibility for the success of our combined efforts. While each of us can control only what is within our reach, the cumulative effect of our actions can have far-reaching and dramatic results.  Two crucial questions have overshadowed all others: Who is at risk and what can we […]

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