Posted: 10:30 AM Cooler weather usually means flu season is nearby and the Florida Department of Health is urging people to protect themselves and their families from the virus.

Updated: 8:21 AM Traditional lung surgery is tough on patients. Not only does it require a huge incision, it means months of recuperation. Now local patients have another choice that's much less invasive with a very quick recovery time. A local man was one of the first in our area to have the surgery..

Posted: 8:17 PM Panama City - We're learning more about the proposed 40 year lease of Bay Medical Center to the Sacred Heart Group. Bay Medical Center, Sacred Heart, and LHP executives were in town Wednesday with the media and county commissioners explaining the lease agreement.

Updated: 8:08 PM Bay County - On Sunday, December 4, 2011, a rabid raccoon attacked a small dog in the area of Rusty Gans Drive off of North Lagoon Drive on Panama City Beach.

Updated: 8:54 PM Roger Hicks is a minister and a pilot, who relies heavily on his eyes for both passions. A large part of his ministry involves flying himself and others to countries for mission trips. He thought eye problems just might ground him, but a new laser is taking his need for glasses away.

Updated: 9:25 AM Panama City - The lease negotiations for Bay Medical Center are moving faster than most people realize. The hospital's board of trustee's met with county commissioner Guy Tunnell and representatives from Sacred Heart and the LHP Group Tuesday morning to further discuss the 40 year lease agreement.

Updated: 3:09 PM With skyrocketing healthcare costs a major concern, many people are finding they can save money on medical and dental procedures by hitting the road. But how far would you go to save as much as 80% off of the cost of surgery?

Updated: 9:18 PM November 14th through the 18th is national bladder week. It's a great time to remind people, they don't have to live with bladder problems.

Posted: 9:11 PM Based on American Cancer Society estimates, about 30 women a day are diagnosed with cervical cancer in the United States. According to the CDC, 80% of all women will be infected with the HPV virus by the age of 50, but experts say there is something that can be done in middle school to prevent that.

Updated: 11:15 AM There are many decisions that come along with having a baby. Everything from choosing a name to what kind of crib to get. A local hospital is hoping moms will make one more decision that could mean a better life for others. It involves donating their baby's placenta.

Updated: 11:18 AM If it happens to you, would you be able to live to tell about it? It depends on more than just your health. We'll take a look at the best-and-worst places to have a heart emergency and hear from one family who is turning their tragedy into a life-saving campaign.

Updated: 9:42 AM The Administrator of the Bay County Health Department has issued a rabies alert for the eastern geographical region of Bay County, Florida. This is in response to cats that tested positive for rabies on September 20, 2011 and October 12, 2011.

Updated: 5:47 PM The potential lease agreement between Bay Medical Center and Sacred Heart Hospital is becoming more concrete.

Posted: 8:08 AM The American Cancer Society predicts 240-thousand men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year. 34-thousand will die. Most people think of it as an older mans disease. One local man found out that's just not the case.

Posted: 9:33 PM Marianna- Each year, more infants are dying in Northwest Florida because of health complications compared to the rest of the state. But there's a statewide program that's been trying to change that for the last 20 years.

Posted: 6:30 AM Psoriasis affects about 1 in 100 people. That number might actually be higher because many don't realize they have it. There are five kinds of psoriasis and each has its own symptoms. The tough part for those who suffer from it, is the embarrassment.

Updated: 8:06 AM You probably know someone who can predict the weather just by how their joints feel.

Posted: 10:40 PM Panama City - Gulf Coast Medical Center is affiliating with one of the most well-known and respected hospitals in the nation. Gulf Coast administrators announced Friday morning they are the first in Florida to join the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Cancer Care Network.

Updated: 3:22 PM The world's smallest heart pump is making a world of difference in the lives of many locals.

Posted: 9:27 PM Bay Medical Center is looking to affiliate itself with a larger hospital corporation.

Posted: 3:24 PM Coffee reduces skin cancer risk

Updated: 11:23 AM A local doctor is now performing a new surgical technique that could help the millions of people suffering from neck and back pain. The new procedure repairs cervical spine damages. NewsChannel 7's Erica Rakow tells us about one of the first patients to undergo the surgery.

Posted: 7:43 AM New numbers released by the American cancer society, estimate more than one and a half million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer this year.113-thousand of those will be Floridians. That report also estimates more than 15-hundred people will die from cancer each day. A local oncologist stresses the need for education.

Posted: 3:15 PM Scoliosis is curvature of the spine most typically found in adolescents in their growing years. During those growing years scoliosis can progress. Certain types of scoliosis are more likely to progress than others. Now a local doctor is offering a first of its kind test called scoliscore that can determine who is at a higher risk.

Updated: 7:58 AM Last week Gulf Coast Medical Center announced the expansion of it's cardiology services. As hospital executives will tell you, it takes many departments coming together to make it work. Sometimes the toughest part of finding out you have heart disease is knowing what to do next. That's where Sommer Hoyt comes in.