My medical education began in 1992, at a time when there was still belief that obesity was a problem of self-control or lack of motivation. There was minimal training in obesity itself, let alone nutrition and its impact on health. As I practiced primary care, it became apparent that weight management impacted many other medical […]
Nicole Florence
Posted inSpecial Issues
It’s about the “we,” not just the “me”
I am that “old-time” doctor. I now say, “Do you remember when? I do.” I started medical school in 1992. Adding those years with residency and decades of clinical practice, I am at 32 years of experience and counting. I remember watching a young boy in the halls of the pediatric hospital carrying his bucket […]
Posted inOpinion
Silent screams
The traumatic events that affect the Black community are never-ending. Breonna Taylor and George Floyd weighed heavy on the hearts of many, but moreso on Black Americans. After each event there is outrage and disgust by all, yet, after emotions subside, the status quo remains. The one solace I have had as a Black woman […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Honor Guard offers final tribute for fallen nurses
A white rose lays upon a casket as the Nightingale tribute for a fallen nurse is recited. After three unanswered calls for duty, the fallen nurse can be laid to rest and released of her earthly duties. Honoring a loved one at death, and the impact left behind, can be daunting for families. For some, […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Congratulations! What is your grandma name?
I am an ecstatic new member of the grandparent club! My daughter and her husband delivered a healthy baby boy, in their living room Jan. 12. As we awaited his birth, many seasoned members of this club would tell me that the love for a grandchild is like no other. Now I am experiencing what […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
If I could be like Dre
Like many of you, for Michael Jordan I drank Gatorade to “be like Mike.” I would do anything to attain his superhuman abilities. But realistically, few will ever experience the heights that professional athletes reach – physically, financially and socially. However, if given a chance to truly elevate one’s self, maybe we’d like to attain […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Life after death
Many of us choose to live the rest of our lives alongside another. Two lives intricately and intimately woven together into a fabric of family, hopes and dreams. But what happens when one dies before the other? What happens to the one left behind to grieve not only the loss of their love, but also […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Leigh Steiner reflects on Our Town
Leigh Steiner is a director and actor in the Springfield theater community. She recently reflected on how plays and musicals can whisk us away to fantastical places, but it can also be a space to for us to reflect on our lives and experiences. Steiner directed Our Town by Thornton Wilder, a successful production April […]
Posted inOpinion
Moments after No Title for Tracey
This past week marked the one-year anniversary of the premiere for No Title for Tracey, the documentary about my sister, Tracey Meares, and her being denied the title of valedictorian of her senior class at Springfield High School in 1984. Many have asked what has been the most impactful moment since the documentary was first […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Healing art
I didn’t get my first tattoo until my 50th birthday. In my younger years the perception was that a tattoo was a sign of rebellion or roughness. And of course, as my mom would say, “How are you going to get a job with that?” But then I met Jason Lee. His statuesque 6-foot-4-inch frame […]
