Welcome to HealthyRockford.com, your one-stop-shop for information on health and healthy living in the Rock River Valley.
What can you expect to find? A wealth of local news, advice and listings, combined with national headlines and helpful links.
Local stories. Editor Mike DeDoncker, a personal trainer and longtime sports reporter, will focus on fitness and wellness; his blog is called Like Mike. Reporter Deb Austin, who formerly worked for BusinessRockford.com, has moved over to cover the business of health care; her blog is called Pulse.
Two expert blogs. Our Health Experts collects articles and notes by local professionals in a variety of fields, from obstetrics to pain management. Read their bios here. And Good for You writers share tips on diet and exercise.
A directory of health-care providers, searchable by name, health system, first letter, city and gender.
A-to-Z information on diseases and conditions from Harvard Health Publications, a trusted leader in the medical community. You can look up definitions/descriptions, symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, prognosis and other links.
A calendar of events.
Job listings in the health-care field.
Photo galleries and videos.
National news and features, updated throughout the day.
Links to helpful local, state and federal government resources. Also a link to United Way’s site to search volunteer opportunities.
Why are we making this commitment? You, our readers, consistently rank health in your top 10 areas of interest. Also, the health-care industry is the No. 1 employer in the Rock River Valley, making it an important economic force in the community.
“I’m excited to be part of this new venture because my hobby becomes my job,” DeDoncker said. “It’s definitely a case of teaching an old dog new tricks, but the community has responded positively so far.”
Michele Massoth, advertising director at the Register Star, which runs HealthyRockford.com, said the new Web site is the product of re-thinking the newpaper’s former practice of publishing roundups of health-related news and information three times a year.
“Our readers and our advertisers wanted consistent health-care coverage and there was a gap that we could fill,” Massoth said. “HealthyRockford.com is the result of asking ourselves ‘what if,’ listening to community and health-care professionals, and acting on their ideas.”
We want to know what you think. The site officially launches today. You can e-mail HealthyRockford.com Editor Mike DeDoncker at mdedoncker@rrstar.com. Or you can take our survey here.
Beyond the Web, we have a few print components to watch for.
1. Each Sunday in the Life&Style section of the newspaper, you’ll find a best-of-the-Web digest on our HealthyRockford.com page.
2. On June 22, the Register Star will publish its annual health directory. It’s a must-save because it lists hundreds of doctors and providers by specialty.
3. Rockford Woman magazine produced a 16-page health section for the May/June issue and plans to do the same for September/October [—] two times a year. Content focuses on how to look and feel your best.
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