Published Articles
A selection of my work from decades of publication in newspapers and magazines. These articles and columns explore history, culture, politics, labor, and the everyday forces that shape people and communities.
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PTSD VA Ratings: What You Need to Know
PTSD is the fourth-most prevalent type of benefits claim the VA receives. Of the roughly 5 million veterans who receive compensation benefits, more than 1.1 million get PTSD benefits. Continue reading
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DD214: What You Need to Know
From healthcare to home loans, education to employment, nearly every veteran benefit starts with one document: Your DD214. Continue reading
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First-Time Homebuyers and the Advantages of VA Loans
Discover the advantages of VA loans for first-time homebuyers, including no down payment, competitive rates, and flexible credit requirements. Learn how to make homeownership a reality with your VA benefits. Continue reading
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Gold Star Families: Honoring Sacrifice and Legacy
A Gold Star family has made the ultimate sacrifice and is recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense for their loss and contribution to the nation. Continue reading
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Walking the valley: A hospital chaplain navigates daily emergencies with grace
A hospital chaplain at Orlando Regional Medical Center moves quietly through a world of pain and death with a smile and a kind word. Continue reading
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Glamour and crime at an historic Florida restaurant
Willoughby’s Open Hearth existed in Orlando’s collective memory as a stylish, indulgent restaurant from the 1970s, but behind the nostalgia lurked a much messier story. Continue reading
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Why your annual mammogram matters more than you think
One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, but many delay or skip mammograms due to anxiety about the procedure, confusion about when to start screening, or radiation concerns. Continue reading
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What 361 days of sunshine actually does to your skin
Floridians live in one of the highest skin cancer risk states in the country, but sun protection messaging tends to focus on beach days and vacations rather than daily cumulative exposure. Continue reading
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When ‘man up’ becomes shut down: The hidden crisis in men’s mental health
Men seek mental health help at less than half the rate women do, but public health messaging around this issue tends to either shame men for not opening up or oversimplify the cultural conditioning that teaches them emotional suppression from… Continue reading
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A holdout in a changing city: Tiny church struggles against tide of gentrification
Parishioners traveled by bus to worship in a storefront church surrounded by urban lofts and boutiques. Their presence challenges a question many U.S. cities face: Who belongs in neighborhoods that have been remade? Continue reading
Tiffini Theisen 