Health

Thursday, January 8, 2009

C-U Public Health District offering free home radon test kits

CHAMPAIGN – Free home radon test kits are available to Champaign County residents from the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District.

The kits can be picked up from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Environmental Health department at the public health building at 201 W. Kenyon Road, C.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Total Fitness workshops offered for families

CHAMPAIGN – You'll cook. You'll eat. You'll even get a free gift card to go to the grocery store if you sign up for a new series of workshops called Total Fitness, being offered by the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District beginning next week.

The workshops will be held on five Tuesday evenings from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at district headquarters at 201 W. Kenyon Road, C. The first series runs Jan. 13 through Feb. 10, and is open to eight families. One adult and one child per family can attend.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Sullivan nursing home makes job cuts

SULLIVAN – It was New Year's Eve, and as the last hours of 2008 ticked away, the phone rang in the homes of several employees of the Mason Point nursing home in Sullivan.

Brenda Rambo wasn't home for the call. But when she got home, she had a message from interim Administrator Renee Bogard telling her they needed to talk before Rambo returned to her housekeeping job.

Supportive living facility in Monticello holds open house

MONTICELLO – LaVern Gerth lived happily for nine years in a Decatur retirement home, but when she needed a wheelchair, she had to find someplace else to live.

Last month she became the first resident in Piatt County's new supportive living facility, Maple Point, which is located on the north side Monticello, near the Piatt County Nursing Home and Kirby Hospital.

Monday, January 5, 2009

Provena starting new 'Coffee Shop' health program on Jan. 14

CHAMPAIGN – Local senior citizens are invited for free coffee, doughnuts, games and health screenings once a week at the Provena Covenant Center for Healthy Aging.

The new "Coffee Shop" program will start Jan. 14, and will be held on that day and each Wednesday from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the Center for Healthy Aging at 410 E. University Ave., C.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Blood donors needed to bolster local supplies

URBANA – Terry Koker was going to give blood, anyway, but a phone call hastened his plans.

Koker, a chemistry teacher from Gibson City, has type O-negative blood, which makes him a universal donor.

Friday, January 2, 2009

Device gives babies with jaundice more contact with parents

DANVILLE — Babies born with severe jaundice at Provena United Samaritans Medical Center's Family Life Center will now get more cuddle time with their parents in their first few days after birth, thanks to new equipment the hospital has purchased with an $8,000 gift from Ronald McDonald House Charities of Illinois.

Jaundice, a condition that causes newborns to have yellow coloring of the skin and white coloring of the eyes due to excess bilirubin in the blood, typically goes away on its own in one to two weeks in mild to moderate cases. But higher-level jaundice is treated by phototherapy administered with special lamps.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Agencies finally get cash infusion from state

CHAMPAIGN – There may have been no better Christmas present for Illinois' many cash-starved social service agencies and medical providers than a check from the state.

And that's exactly what many of them received in the past week.

Private firm taking over Sullivan nursing home

SULLIVAN – After 105 years, Illinois Masons have sold the former Illinois Masonic Home east of Sullivan to a private nursing home firm.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Community organizer tapped to be University YMCA leader

The University YMCA has chosen a longtime local community organizer to be its executive director.

Mike Doyle, who established the Champaign County Health Care Consumers and Community Shares of Illinois, will begin his new position at the University YMCA on Feb. 1, 2009.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Brain tumor brings unexpected blessings for Urbana woman

URBANA – For years, even decades, a war went on within C.K. "Tina" Gunsalus' skull.

And through those years, her brain lost ground, squashing up against itself as a tumor grew into the size of a baseball, an insidious mass making a place for itself where her brain once resided.

If it sounds like "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," it almost was.

Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club facing negatives in cash flow

CHAMPAIGN – Every day after school, a bus takes Tyanna Jones' two kids to the hub of activity known as the Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club.

There they can get help with homework, work with a tutor, make an art project or just unwind from the school day until their mom gets off work at 5 p.m.

The club is a godsend for Jones, a single mom with a full-time job. Membership is $5 a year, which she knows is an "incredible" bargain. She probably couldn't afford that much day care, and the club is so much more.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Local doctors urge caution as ERs fill up with injuries from ice

URBANA – Icy conditions are making local hospital emergency rooms busier.

"A dislocated shoulder, a head injury, some ankles," said Dr. Jim Ellis, head of Provena Covenant Medical Center's emergency room, listing what he'd seen by early Friday afternoon. "There's a couple of wrecks on the interstate right now."

A.L. Webster Foundation accepting applications for grants

DANVILLE – The A.L. Webster Foundation is accepting grant applications from nonprofit organization whose primary purpose is meeting the health care needs of the Danville area.

Applications are available from the receptionist at the Old National Bank, 2 W. Main St.; Danville Public Library, 319 N. Vermilion St.; or write the Webster Foundation Board, P.O. Box 946, Danville, IL 61834.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Dental exams for infants, toddlers scheduled

CHAMPAIGN – Dental exams for infants and toddlers up to age 35 months will be offered by the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District today and on two days next month.

The exams today are available on a walk-in basis from 1 to 4 p.m., and will be offered at the same time Jan. 28 and 29 on a walk-in basis at the public health building at 201 W. Kenyon Road, C.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Christie Clinic now sole defendant in state's antitrust suit

URBANA – Christie Clinic is now defending itself in an antitrust action alone.

Champaign County Judge Richard Klaus accepted a settlement agreement Wednesday afternoon that allowed the Champaign clinic system's co-defendant, Carle Clinic, to end its involvement in the lawsuit filed last year against both clinics by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. "I think it is a good and maybe even elegant solution to the problem," Klaus said, thanking Carle Clinic and the state for negotiating a settlement in good faith.

Director of Provena's emergency departments switching jobs

URBANA – Dr. Jim Ellis will be the first to admit he thrives on the fast pace of an emergency room.

Lots of variety, quick decisions, bring it on.

"I'm probably an adrenaline junkie," he says with a smile.

The medical director of the emergency departments at Provena Covenant Medical Center and Provena United Samaritans Medical Center, Ellis will put in his last day at those hospitals Dec. 23.

United Samaritans Medical Center gets new chief executive

DANVILLE – Provena United Samaritans Medical Center has a new chief executive.

Mike Brown, 51, has taken over as president and CEO at that hospital for David Bertauski, who previously had oversight of both the Danville hosital and Provena Covenant Medical Center in Urbana.

Health surveys being conducted in Piatt County

MONTICELLO – Some Piatt County residents will be asked by telephone to take part in surveys for the Illinois Department of Public Health over the next month, beginning today.

Northern Illinois University spokeswoman Cynthia Nelson said personnel from the university will be calling Piatt County adults age 18 and older as part of a health behavior study.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Judge accepts Carle settlement on state antitrust lawsuit

URBANA – Champaign County Judge Richard Klaus on Wednesday afternoon accepted a settlement agreement allowing Carle Clinic to exit an antitrust lawsuit filed last year by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

"I think it is a good and maybe even elegant solution to the problem," Klaus said, thanking both Carle Clinic and the state for negotiating in good faith.

Phone survey of Piatt County residents to begin Thursday

MONTICELLO – Some Piatt County residents will be asked by telephone to take part in public opinion surveys for the Illinois Department of Public Health over the next month, beginning Thursday.

Northern Illinois University spokeswoman Cynthia Nelson said personnel from the university will be calling Piatt County adults age 18 and older as part of a health behavior study.

Graduate Employees' Organization: Keep sonogram services

URBANA – Despite final exams, relentless snow and below-freezing temperatures, more than a dozen University of Illinois graduate students and employees gathered in front of the campus health center on Tuesday to call for better health care for students.

"Women's health should be a priority!" they shouted. Health care benefits should be improved, not whittled away, several said in response to news that because of the upcoming retirement of a technician, sonograms may not be available at the center.

Group offers tips to make shoveling safer

CHAMPAIGN – Heading out to shovel your driveway? Don't forget that shoveling can take a lethal toll on your heart.

As many as 1,200 people in the United States die of coronary artery disease a year during and after major snowstorms, according to the American Heart Association.

Meeting on funding for social service programs postponed

URBANA – A broken water main and snowy weather combined to cancel a study session of the Champaign County Mental Health Board on Tuesday afternoon.

Officials planned to brainstorm with city, county and United Way officials about how they could help social services agencies hit hard by state payment delays, budget cuts and the economic downturn.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Take care when you go out to shovel that snow

CHAMPAIGN – Heading out to shovel your driveway?

Don't forget shoveling can take a lethal toll on your heart.

Christie Clinic files objection to Carle's proposed settlement

CHAMPAIGN – Christie Clinic plans to fight the settlement agreement that its cross-town competitor – Carle Clinic – hopes to finalize Wednesday with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

Christie Clinic has filed an objection to Carle Clinic's proposed settlement in an antitrust litigation against both clinics, claiming part of Carle's settlement agreement has been kept secret from Christie.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Official seeks team approach to fund social services

URBANA – The state of Illinois owes more than $7 million to social services agencies in Champaign County, and they've had to borrow $2.5 million just to keep operations going, a new survey shows.

That's actually less than Peter Tracy expected.

As executive director of the Champaign County Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities boards, Tracy has complained for months about how the state's backlog of bills is pushing some nonprofit social services agencies to "the brink."

DCFS director tours new family advocacy center

SAVOY – In tough economic times, more families are going to need help, said Erwin McEwen, director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

McEwen was in Savoy to help launch the department's newest office, the Family Advocacy in Champaign County. On Friday afternoon, he and a couple dozen social-service, police and school representatives walked around the new space.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Provena program announces Litter Lottery for cleaning project

DANVILLE – The Health Community Initiative of the Provena United Samaritans Medical Center Foundation has announced the Litter Lottery for the September, October, November "Before the Snow Flies" cleaning project.

Adopt-A-Spot groups, totalling 149 people, worked 299 hours to pick up 116 bags of trash. That brought 2008 totals totals to 553 people working 1,312 hours to pick up 517 bags of trash.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Think warm for holiday gifts for nursing home residents

Gwendolyn Hartfield, an activities worker at ManorCare in Champaign, suggests scarves, hats and gloves for older relatives. Andrew Buffenbarger, the administrator of the Champaign County Nursing Home, agrees that warm clothes never go wrong.

Holiday Tour of Homes to be Sunday in Hoopeston

HOOPESTON – The Hoopeston Area Healthcare Foundation will present a Holiday Tour of Homes from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Featured on the tour are the homes of:

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Provena Covenant Medical Center makes upgrades with patients in mind

URBANA – It may never be fun to go to the hospital, but a Provena Covenant Medical Center Foundation official says there's no reason it can't be more pleasant.

With that in mind, the foundation has paid for nearly $1 million in recent improvements at Covenant, and is working to raise $1 million more for other upgrades, according to Dave Selzer, vice president of development and mission at Covenant.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Danville YMCA holding registration for youth, adult classes

DANVILLE – The Danville Family YMCA is holding open registration for both youth and adult program classes.

Classes for the winter session begin Jan. 5, 2009, and are seven weeks long.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Phone upgrade to affect service at Carle on Wednesday, Thursday

URBANA – The main phone lines at Carle Foundation Hospital will have limited service from 10 p.m. Wednesday to 6 a.m. Thursday because of work on the telecommunication system.

The main hospital number, 383-3311, will work, but callers should expect delays and busy signals, officials said. A system has been established for emergency communications.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Simulators help maternity nurses know what to expect

URBANA – There she was, stretched out on the operating table in the throes of childbirth, and not looking very happy about it, either.

"You'd think they'd have made her cuter," said Renell Composto, Provena Covenant Medical Center's director of maternal child health services.

But never mind how this birthing patient simulator – actually a mannequin with a wide-open mouth (simulating screaming, perhaps?) named Noelle – looks.

Composto is thrilled to have her on board, along with Noelle's two patient simulator babies, because this birthing and neonatal simulator system Covenant began using recently is helping better train nurses to handle about anything that can happen in a real-life delivery.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Carle Clinic antitrust deal limited to Champaign County

URBANA – The terms of a tentative agreement that would end an antitrust action against Carle Clinic don't extend beyond Champaign County, according to the Illinois attorney general's office.

Part of that agreement requires Carle Clinic – which operates facilities in five East Central Illinois counties – to boost primary care services to 2,850 more needy patients covered by the state's Medicaid program.

Area lacks options for safe disposal of needles

CHAMPAIGN – Growth hormone injections are helping Leanna Cossman's 10-year-old son, who was born with a host of medical issues and needed to put on some weight.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Watchdog pleased with tentative deal between Carle Clinic, state

URBANA – Claudia Lennhoff is used to moving the barriers standing between low-income patients and the medical care they need.

But five years ago, she faced a bigger obstacle when her organization, Champaign County Health Care Consumers, started hearing complaints about scores of Medicaid patients being turned away at Carle Clinic and Christie Clinic.

Residents marching to get answers on contaminated site

CHAMPAIGN – Residents who live near a former manufactured gas plant in Champaign will march around their neighborhood Saturday to publicize what they say are unanswered questions about contamination at the site.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Carle Clinic, state reach tentative deal in antitrust suit

URBANA – Carle Clinic would expand access to 2,850 additional needy patients on the state's Medicaid program and give money to two local health organizations serving the poor under a proposed settlement the clinic has reached with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

The settlement, which was presented in Champaign County Circuit Court this morning, must still be approved by Champaign County Judge Richard Klaus.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Speakers to discuss battling depression with mind, body

CHAMPAIGN – A psychiatrist and a certified yoga teacher/Pilates instructor will offer a workshop on Saturday on "Using Your Mind and Body to Recover from Depression."

The workshop will be from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the Savoy Room, Hawthorn Suites Hotel, southwest corner of Neil and Kirby streets, Champaign. Participants are to wear comfortable clothes that allow gentle stretching. The workshop fee is $20.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Events mark 20 years of AIDS awareness

CHAMPAIGN – The launch of World AIDS Day 20 years ago may have raised awareness of the virus, official say, but locally, there's not enough.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Economic woes put Carle expansion on back burner

URBANA – Carle Foundation Hospital says it will slow down its $236 million expansion project because of the downturn in the economy.

"The Carle Foundation and Carle Clinic are financially sound organizations. They are simply taking a conservative approach to financing the building project and believe it is in their best interest to wait until the financing environment improves," the hospital announced in a written statement.

Renovated outpatient clinic for veterans now up and running

DANVILLE – Doctor visits are never fun, but they've gotten much easier for some of the newest patients at the Veterans Affairs Illiana Health Care System.

That's because this year, the Danville medical center opened a newly renovated outpatient clinic for veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Provena to get its day in front of Illinois Supreme Court

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court will give Provena Covenant Medical Center another chance.

The state's high court Wednesday granted Provena's petition to review a 4th District Appellate Court ruling back in August that removed the Urbana hospital's property tax exemption.

The Supreme Court will settle an ongoing issue that has been played out in the state's lower courts, about whether Covenant can be billed for local property taxes in the future and whether the hospital or local taxing bodies will eventually keep more than $6 million that Covenant has paid in taxes since 2002.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

If you plan to fry your turkey Thursday, remember the risks

Turkey fryers are a popular alternative way to prepare a holiday dinner, but experts warn there are some hazards.

In recent years, deep-fried turkeys have become a staple at the Thanksgiving dinner table, but deep-frying can be very dangerous and poses a fire risk, according to Illinois State Fire Marshal David B. Foreman.

Supreme Court to hear Provena tax exemption case

The Illinois Supreme Court today agreed to hear Provena Covenant Medical Center's appeal of a 4th District Appellate Court decision that removed the Urbana hospital's property tax exemption.

 

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Champaign, MTD work on child care facility downtown

CHAMPAIGN – The city and the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District are working together on plans to expand Illinois Terminal in downtown Champaign to include a "park and ride" child care facility.

Plans are still in an early stage, but the MTD board is expected to approve Wednesday using up to $300,000 in mostly federal funds to hire an architectural firm to begin preliminary planning on the project. Those plans would be due in February.

Carle Clinic lays off 21 employees

URBANA – Carle Clinic laid off 21 employees Monday, citing a need to cut staff expenses.

The affected employees were primarily in "manager-level" and support-service positions, according to a statement from the clinic. No employees providing hands-on patient care were affected, it added.

Vermilion County Health Department still offering flu vaccines

DANVILLE – It's not too late to get a flu shot.

The Vermilion County Health Department is offering influenza vaccinations to adults on a walk-in basis from 8:30 to 11 a.m. and from 1:30 to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays at the health department, 200 S. College St., Danville.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Carle Clinic lays off 21 employees to cut expenses

URBANA – Carle Clinic laid off 21 employees Monday, citing a need to cut staff expenses.

The affected employees were primarily in "manager-level" and support-service positions, according to a statement from the clinic. No employees providing hands-on patient care were affected, the statement added.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Whooping cough on the rise in some areas around state

CHAMPAIGN – Beware of coughing friends and relatives next week, especially if you'll be having Thanksgiving dinner in some areas of northern Illinois.

Pertussis, more commonly known as whooping cough, has been on the rise this year in Lake County and Chicago. And clusters of pertussis have turned up among school-age children in Cook, Lake, McHenry, Stephenson, Whiteside and Winnebago counties, state public health officials say.

Vermilion County has had one reported case this year, but the patient was an Indiana resident, and there haven't been any cases reported in Champaign County this year, local public health officials said.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Governor reverses some cuts; agencies greet action with caution

CHAMPAIGN – Gov. Rod Blagojevich's move to restore $176 million in budget cuts has local human service agencies reacting cautiously.

"Clearly, it's good news, but there's a major problem right now, and that's cash flow," said Sheila Ferguson, chief executive officer of the Champaign County Mental Health Center, which stands to gain back $51,000 in funding. "Yes, it was the right thing to do; now the right thing to do is expedite payments."

Need surgery? Carle Clinic will need a down payment first

URBANA – Whether it's your aching knee or your tonsils about to go under the knife, you may not see the surgeon these days unless your wallet appears first.

Carle Clinic has joined a growing number of physician groups now requiring patients to pay a deposit in advance of all non-emergency surgeries.

The policy, which excludes obstetrics and gynecology procedures, went into effect earlier this month, and so far, a clinic official said, most patients haven't complained.

Provena Health names new chief executive

MOKENA — Provena Health, the parent company of Provena Covenant Medical Center in Urbana and Provena United Samaritans Medical Center in Danville, has a new chief executive for the second time in less than two years.

The new president and CEO of the Catholic health care system, Guy Wiebking, replaces Steven Hunter, who was appointed president and CEO in April 2007.

Vote on nursing home chief put on hold by Champaign County Board

URBANA – Champaign County Board members held off Thursday on taking a vote of confidence in the county nursing home's administrator, and voted not to discuss his performance in closed session.

There had been a resolution about confidence, or lack thereof, in Andrew Buffenbarger on Thursday night's agenda, but board Chairman C. Pius Weibel distributed a legal opinion questioning the propriety of such a vote just before the meeting began.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Delays in Medicaid payments putting squeeze on hospitals

URBANA – A mountain of unpaid Medicaid claims is piling more financial stress on Illinois hospitals at a time they can least afford it.

As the nation's economy has worsened, hospitals have seen their supply costs rise, borrowing options narrow and a growing number of patients unable to pay their bills.

And with Thanksgiving right around the corner, it's been months – since August, in fact – that these hospitals were paid for the care they provided for patients on Medicaid, a state-administered health plan for the poor, Illinois Hospital Association spokesman Danny Chun said.

Parkland students try to make healthy lunches that kids like

CHAMPAIGN – The challenge: make a healthy lunch that kids will like.

It's got to include all the food groups, and it's got to be inexpensive and easy to fix.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Salt Fork deer business thrives, but not all neighbors thrilled

ST. JOSEPH – A thriving deer-butchering operation on the Salt Fork River has been rezoned from family business to "major rural specialty business" after hearings that addressed some neighbors' complaints about odors.

River Bend Wild Game and Sausage Co., 1161 County Road 2400E, was started by a University of Illinois meat science worker, Charles Stites, as a family business.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Champaign council to discuss discount for marathon organizer

CHAMPAIGN – City council member Deborah Frank Feinen wants the new Illinois Marathon to get off on the right foot.

So Feinen, a runner herself, said she intends to propose Tuesday a reduction in how much the city will charge the marathon organizer, CasMar Events, to offset the estimated $19,880 in city police and public works costs to help run the event.

Podiatric association providing free phone consultations

CHICAGO – Podiatrists with the Illinois Podiatric Medical Association will staff a toll-free phone line (888-869-3338) and answer questions from the public from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday.

Podiatrists won't be able to diagnose anyone on the phone, but they can give out general advice and referrals to podiatrists in the callers' communities, organization spokesman Chris Martin said.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

UI researchers using genetic relationships to track evolution

URBANA – The latest computer technology has buttressed a revolutionary look at how life evolved, while offering new potential for medicines.

Carl Woese startled the scientific world in 1977 by positing that there are three essential domains, or types of life. Before, there were thought to be two, bacteria and everything else: eukaryotes, whose cells contain membrane-coated parts, such as the nucleus.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Judge excuses Covenant from turning tax money over for now

URBANA – Provena Covenant Medical Center can hang onto its multimillion-dollar tax refund from Champaign County for now, a Champaign County judge has ordered.

The Urbana hospital is also excused – for now, at least – from paying its 2007 property taxes, until the Illinois Supreme Court either resolves whether Covenant qualifies for a religious or charitable tax exemption or declines to hear the case.

Area advocates for the disabled hail ruling on housing

URBANA – For years Lester and Barbara Pritchard have campaigned for more rights for people with disabilities.

They know something about the topic. Lester Pritchard has cerebral palsy, which affects his speech and keeps him in a wheelchair. Barbara is visually impaired.

Dental program for kids will be able to expand

 

CHAMPAIGN – A dental program that serves needy Champaign County children plans to expand with the help of $150,000 in extra money to be available starting Jan. 1.

The former Central Illinois Dental Education and Services program, recently renamed SmileHealthy, has received $100,000 from the Illinois Children's Healthcare Foundation and a $50,000 donation from Carle Foundation Hospital.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Diabetes preventable, reversable with right tools, doctor says

CHAMPAIGN – Dr. John Stokes reaches into a pile of magazines in a Christie Clinic exam room and grabs one with a luscious-looking dessert on the cover.

So much of our society centers around eating, he says. Is it any wonder his patients have such a tough time controlling their weight, even when their lives depend on it?

"Everywhere you go, you're bombarded by food," he says.

Urbana council OKs revisions to Crystal Lake Neighborhood plan

URBANA – The city council thinks it has worked out compromise language about what should be done if Carle Foundation Hospital expands its north Urbana campus and existing residences are removed.

Council members, meeting in committee, voted unanimously to approve revised language for dealing with replacement housing in the proposed Crystal Lake Neighborhood Plan. Final passage will be considered Monday.

Veteran employee picked to lead C-U Public Health District

CHAMPAIGN – A veteran public health worker was the unanimous choice Monday night to head the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District.

Julie Pryde, a 14-year veteran who started as an intern, has been acting interim administrator since August 2007, when her predecessor, Vito Palazzolo, was fired for dubious spending.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Provena planning workshops for bereaved near holidays

Worried about coping with the holiday season because you're mourning the death of a loved one?

The Provena Hospice Center for Grief, Loss and Hope says it can help.

The organization is offering two free workshops in Champaign and Westville to help provide holiday coping skills for those feeling overwhelmed and saddened by a loss.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Spokesfamily for Tree of Hope thrilled with help that they got

CHAMPAIGN – Bouncing around the auto showroom, tussling with his big brother over their toy cars, Mark Davis is the epitome of a busy 3-year-old.

Community group to host food giveaway for needy families

CHAMPAIGN – A community organizing group in north Champaign will host a food giveaway for needy families Saturday.

About 8,000 pounds of food, enough for approximately 250 families, will be given out from 9 a.m. to noon at the Apostolic Faith Church, 101 E. Bellefontaine St., C., near Market Street.

Author says food can be healthful and still delicious

URBANA – Mollie Katzen knew more than three decades ago, when her now-classic "Moosewood Cookbook" was published, that plant foods should play the starring role in a healthy diet.

But people often still draw what she calls an unnecessary line between delicious food and healthful food, and think eating healthy is all about being deprived, she says.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

A-OK Network opens doors for Parent Cafes on Nov. 10

DANVILLE – The Vermilion County Health Department's A-OK Network will sponsor an event from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday at the New Life Christian Center, 2105 N. Bowman Ave. Danville, to mark the beginning of its Parent Cafes program.

The event will provide information about three upcoming Parent Cafes, the first of which will be in January. It also will allow parents to get to know each other and help them identify issues affecting young families.

Crystal Lake neighborhood plan sent back for more discussion

URBANA – The city council on Monday sent a proposed Crystal Lake neighborhood plan back to the committee of the whole for further consideration after a Carle Foundation Hospital official objected to proposed wording about replacement housing in the plan.

The delay will give aldermen more time to consider whether wording in the plan should "encourage" or "require" Carle to support one-to-one replacement housing when its medical campus expands into the Crystal Lake neighborhood. Mayor Laurel Prussing wants to require it; Carle officials favor the "encourage" wording, which they worked out previously with city planning staff.

Farmer City resident speaks out against use of TIF funds for new clinic

She says money should be used on infrastructure

FARMER CITY – Both citizens and council members had questions they wanted answered at Monday night's regular meeting.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Catholic group eyeing former Sager Campus for senior living

DANVILLE – For 70 years, Hubert Doan, 91, has lived on Bryan Avenue across the street from what was once St. Elizabeth Hospital, later became Provena United Samaritan Medical Center's Sager Campus and is now a grassy, empty lot.

Like other Rabbittown residents, Doan is happy to hear that Mercy Housing, a nonprofit organization sponsored by Catholic Sisters, is considering the former hospital property as the site for a new senior-citizen housing complex.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Christie Clinic plans for new campus moving ahead

CHAMPAIGN – Christie Clinic is moving ahead once again with plans to build a new campus in northwest Champaign.

But unlike plans the clinic announced in 2006 and later abandoned, these new plans call for leaving the downtown clinic in use as well as building the new campus across town, says Christie Clinic CEO Alan Gleghorn.

Provena auxiliary seeks donations

URBANA – Want to help warm some hearts this winter?

Provena Covenant Medical Center auxiliary members will once again be hand-making mittens, hats and scarves to give to local charities, shelters and residents of nursing homes and care centers.

More flu shot clinics set in Champaign, Vermilion counties

If you haven't gotten a flu shot yet, public health departments in Champaign and Vermilion counties are offering more opportunities early this month.

The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District's "Vote and Vax" project will have mobile flu shot clinics at three polling places from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on election day Tuesday.

Friday, October 31, 2008

YMCA, Larkin's Place to team up at southwest Champaign site

CHAMPAIGN – When he used to drive by the Champaign County YMCA, Fellowship of Christian Athletes Regional Director Tim Johnson couldn't help but think to himself about what an incredible resource it could be.

But he didn't realize just how much of a resource the YMCA could be until he read about a Champaign mother's quest to build an all-inclusive play space where developmentally disabled children like her daughter, Larkin, would feel welcome.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Orthodontist offering trick-or-treaters cash for candy

CHAMPAIGN – Hey kids, that sack of candy you haul home on Halloween night could be worth some cash.

But there's a catch: You can't eat it.

Dr. Wes Chladny, a Champaign orthodontist, says he'll give trick-or-treaters a dollar for every pound of candy they bring to him after Halloween.

Program to offer instruction on caring for elderly with chronic illnesses

PAXTON – People caring for older adults with chronic illnesses are invited to a free six-week program to learn to care for themselves while they're caring for someone else.

The program is being offered by the Ford-Iroquois Public Health Department, and will begin Nov. 6.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Coroner attributes boat death to carbon monoxide

HAMMOND – The Moultrie County coroner said that a 63-year-old Hammond man who died on a boat Sunday morning apparently died from fumes of carbon monoxide from the boat's engine.

According to a Moultrie County coroner's report, Harold and Katana Ponder of Hammond went to the Findlay marina and spent Saturday night on their boat at Lake Shelbyville. The couple left both the boat's engine and air-conditioning unit running throughout the night, the report said.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Self-Help Center of Family Service presents Mowrer awards

CHAMPAIGN – The Self-Help Center of Family Service has presented seven awards for contributions to the field.

The awards are named for the late Hobart and Molly Mowrer, University of Illinois professors who did pioneering work in the development of self-help locally through the establishment of integrity groups in the 1950s.

Health Alliance's chief medical officer stepping down

URBANA – Jeff Ingrum still remembers a major condition Dr. Robert Scully set to give up his beloved internal medicine practice and accept the job as chief medical officer at Health Alliance Medical Plans: Coverage decisions would be made based on what he thought was right for the health plan's members.

"He's always kept what's best for the patient in mind with every decision he's made," said Ingrum, CEO of Urbana-based Health Alliance.

Provena fundraiser to feature wine tasting, jewelry sales

URBANA – Wine tasting and jewelry sales will be part of a new fundraiser sponsored by the Provena Covenant Auxiliary and Foundation.

Proceeds will support the center's lobby renovation and campus revitalization project.

The Wine Tasting and Pearls & More Jewelry Sale is scheduled for 6 p.m. Nov. 8 at the I Hotel and Conference Center, 1802 S. First St., C.

Champaign native earns American Cancer Society award

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Champaign native Lori Greenstein Bremner has won an award from the American Cancer Society Action Network.

The 1975 graduate of Champaign Central High School and 1980 graduate of the University of Illinois lives in Sonoma, Calif., now. She is the daughter of Helen Greenstein, Champaign, and the late Orie Greenstein. As California's state ambassador lead to the society, Bremner, a cancer survivor, facilitated statewide advocacy trainings last year and this year. She also has mobilized other volunteers and participated in various Relay for Life events.

Rantoul woman earns agency's Employee of the Year honor

Georgia Womble's boss says she is the type of person you would want by your side in troubled times.

"She's just very compassionate and a very gentle person," said Rosalie Adkins, area administrator for Community Care Systems, where Womble works as a caregiver for elderly clients.

Womble was recently recognized as an Employee of the Year by the Illinois Department on Aging. There were nine statewide recipients of the award honoring older workers who continue to play a very important role in the workforce.

Altrusa donating products to Developmental Services Center

CHAMPAIGN – The Developmental Services Center today was expecting two truckloads of cleaning products from Altrusa International of Champaign-Urbana.

Altrusa, a service organization of business and professional leaders, collected some $2,000 worth of things like detergent and anti-bacterial wipes for the center as part of Make A Difference Day.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Students racing to recruit organ donors

URBANA – Thousands of people in Illinois are waiting hopefully for organ donors to come along and help save their lives.

Erin Kasper and some fellow students at the University of Illinois are working to find those potential donors, and they need the community's help.

Provena Covenant Cancer survivors forum scheduled

URBANA – Provena Covenant Medical Center, Urbana, will hold a cancer survivors forum at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Auditorium B.

The program will feature a presentation by Sister Mary K. Kimens, who will discuss how to handle stress and worry after a diagnosis, and a discussion of healthful eating for cancer survivors.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Disability Resource Expo set for Saturday

URBANA – You're in a wheelchair and would like to make your house more accessible. Or you have a child with Down syndrome and don't know where to get help.

The second annual "Disabilty Resource Expo," scheduled for Saturday at Lincoln Square Village in downtown Urbana, could have the answer for you. The expo is designed to give Champaign County residents one central place to learn about available resources and promote a better quality of life for people with disabilities, whether they're physical, developmental, mental or emotional. The theme of this year's event is "Reaching out for Answers."

Georgetown library to host annual safety fair

GEORGETOWN – The Georgetown Public Library will host its annual safety fair from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the library, 102 W. West St.

Participants include: Georgetown Police Department; Georgetown Lions Club on bicycle safety; Georgetown Ambulance Service with free blood pressure checks; Georgetown Fire Department with fire trucks, equipment and Illiana Safe House; American Legion Post 203 Auxiliary; Georgetown Ladies Community Club on health issues; Georgetown-Ridge Farm FFA; and the Vermilion County Sheriff's department with Drug Abuse Resistance Education information and a K-9 unit demonstration. Also available will be information on computer and Internet safety. Call 662-2164 to learn more.

Anti-cancer bus to make stop in Champaign-Urbana

CHAMPAIGN – The Fight Back Express bus, a venture of the American Cancer Society Action Network, will make a stop in Champaign-Urbana on Saturday morning.

It will be at Huff Hall at Fourth Street and Gregory Drive in Champaign rom 10 to 11 a.m. The public is invited to hear speakers and take along their opinions on the importance of the government's role in defeating cancer.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Author to share experience with breast cancer

URBANA – Geralyn Lucas slipped on a surgical gown and looked at her right breast for the last time.

What would it be like, she wondered, when it was gone?

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Hospital seeks TIF help for proposed Farmer City clinic

FARMER CITY – City council members reviewed an application by Gibson Area Hospital and Health Services that asks for financial assistance from the city's tax increment financing district for a proposed new medical clinic near the Prairie Ridge subdivision.

The clinic would be located on George Rock Drive, just off Illinois 54 on the city's south side. The location is within the city's TIF 2 project area, on part of the 10.5 acres zoned for commercial development.

Woman organizes event for stem-cell transplant survivors

CHAMPAIGN – Five years after leukemia rocked Mica Witt's life, she thinks it's time to celebrate the stem-cell transplant that gave her a second chance.

And she wants to include more than her friends and family in this party.

Problems after accident blamed in Hoopeston boy's death

CHAMPAIGN – A 12-year-old Hoopeston boy's death was caused by medical complications following a car-bike accident that occurred about three weeks ago, the Champaign County coroner said.

Coroner Duane Northrup on Tuesday released the autopsy results for Colby Haskins, who died late Sunday night at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Prof, son reveal keys to happiness

CHAMPAIGN – Money isn't everything, but according to happiness expert Ed Diener, it certainly is something.

"Our research shows money is, in fact, related to happiness," Diener told about 200 people attending a Busey Wealth Management seminar Monday in Champaign.

Monday, October 20, 2008

For Champaign woman, adoption was an easy choice

Sue Malenius didn't set out to be a single mother.

And yet she became one intentionally, adopting one little girl after another (after another) from China. She believes mothering the girls is in God's plan for her. Everything she has done up until she took them in prepared her for being their parent, their guide.

Portrayal of single moms continues to evolve

When the Virgin Mary first told her cousin Elizabeth about her pregnancy, her first response was, "Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb."

Since then, births to a single woman, particularly to a teen, have not always been seen as such a blessing.

Community, church leaders weigh in

When baby boomer Gary Grogan was growing up, most kids were raised with traditional family values in married, two-parent homes.

And when many of them later dropped out of their churches, they never considered there might be consequences for the next generation.

City organizations make push for marriages, good parenting

A report released last week by the Bush administration shows how communities can encourage healthy marriages and parenting and improve child support.

Organizations in Chicago, Boston and Jacksonville, Fla., each sponsored activities and programs to provide marriage education, marriage skills training, public advertising campaigns, high school education on the value of marriage and marriage mentoring programs.

And baby makes two: Comments from readers

Comments from readers about "And baby makes two," The News-Gazette's four-part series on babies born to single women.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

And baby makes two: The ultimate gift of love

Everything was set. Pregnant and single at 23, Samantha Simmons had made the emotional choice to put her baby up for adoption.

It hadn't been that hard, really. The parents she chose were friends of her grandmother's, good people with good jobs who could give her son a wonderful home. Once she met them, she knew it was the right thing to do.

Planned Parenthood presents birth control, pregnancy options

Planned Parenthood provides information and help to women of all ages – single and married – about reproductive health.

These include counseling and information about birth control, including pills, patches and shots. Other services include counseling about the best and healthiest strategies for timing when having kids and options a woman has after she gets pregnant, said Julie Rabinovitz, the agency's vice president of clinical operations. Options include keeping the baby, adoption and abortion, all of which are discussed.

Law makes safe havens available for abandoned babies

Dode Greene will never forget that night in late November 2001 when she came home to find a red Staples paper box on her front porch in Tilton.

A mother of two who had once run a day care, Greene opened the lid to find what she thought was a doll – until it moved.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Carle, OSF sign letter of intent for deal on Bloomington clinic

BLOOMINGTON – Carle Clinic Association is exploring a sale of its Bloomington branch clinic, one of its largest, to Peoria-based OSF Healthcare System.

Urbana-based Carle Clinic and OSF have signed a letter of intent to explore the deal, Carle Clinic officials said.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Data show employer-sponsored health insurance eroding

URBANA – Rising health insurance costs are putting the squeeze on Ron Bailey's Champaign-Urbana floral business, but he's determined to keep his employees covered.

Four years ago, he paid $1,500 a month to provide insurance for his staff at Blossom Basket Florist, Bailey said.

 

Food banks in area seeing increase in first-time clients

URBANA – Two young moms pool their food to make dinner for their families, but lately they've come up short. A husband gets a raise that pushes his family above government-assistance levels. A senior citizen on Social Security just can't keep up with rising food prices.

They were among the first-time clients Monday at the Stone Creek Church food pantry in Urbana, which has seen demand more than double in just a year.

Conference to assist social agencies set Oct. 28 in Champaign

CHAMPAIGN – A best-selling author will be the featured speaker for a leadership conference sponsored by the Mental Health Center of Champaign County.

Robert K. Cooper, author of "The Other 90 Percent: How to Unlock Your Vast Untapped Potential for Leadership and Life," will lead morning and afternoon sessions at the Oct. 28 conference in Champaign.

Champaign exercise program out to help overweight teens

CHAMPAIGN – A Champaign fitness center is beginning a free exercise program for teen-agers who are overweight or at risk for diabetes.

The Teen Fit program, being provided by The Fitness Center at 2508 S. Galen Drive, is open to eligible teens ages 13-17.

Spaghetti supper set to help girl with leukemia

HUME – A benefit spaghetti dinner is scheduled for Friday in Hume for 3-year-old Zoey Penrod and her family.

Zoey was diagnosed in July with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a fast-growing cancer in which the body produces a large number of immature white blood cells.

'Day of Play' to help family of Danville girl struck by car

DANVILLE – The Danville Jaycees and friends of a couple whose 6-year-old daughter, Aneya Dye, was fatally struck by a car are hosting an event to remember her and raise money to help cover the family's medical expenses.

"A Day of Play" is planned for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Lincoln Park, 900 W. English Ave., Danville. It is open to the public.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Name picked for proposed medical center in Monticello

MONTICELLO – The brand-new hospital planned for Monticello will bear a brand-new name, the hospital board has decided.

But not all of the time-honored old name will vanish.

The John and Mary E. Kirby Hospital would open in its new location and new building as Kirby Medical Center if the state Health Facilities Planning Board approves the building-replacement project.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Scientist brings mobile laboratory for children to Champaign

CHAMPAIGN – Seven-year-old Krishna Subbiah spent a little time Saturday afternoon studying the death of a biological invader with wide-eyed interest from the back of a converted transit bus.

Its predator – a white blood cell – had overtaken a speck of bacteria with ease.

"I liked the movie," Subbiah said afterward. "I learned that white blood cells can eat all kinds of bacteria until they're full and it makes them die."

Though not the usual TV, the magnified microscopic mayhem on the small screen gave Subbiah and dozens of other kids in the Champaign-Urbana area this week a glimpse into the world of cell biology.

And that's just what Urbana native Ben Durbin-Thaler wants to do.

Durbin-Thaler is the education director of the BioBus, a mobile biology laboratory operated by Cell Motion Laboratories, a New York State non-for-profit educational corporation.

"We're practicing being scientists on a bus," he told a group of young spectators.

He spent this past week driving the BioBus to schools in the area, including the University of Illinois, before making a last stop Saturday at the Orpheum Children's Science Museum.

Families dismayed that pediatric oncology program suspended

URBANA – Patti Welander thinks about the countless nights during her young son's ordeal with cancer that his doctor, Mark Musselman, came to the hospital to see him.

Often, she'd feel bad about interrupting Musselman's evenings, but he was so devoted to his patients he never seemed to mind.

"He never complained about that," she said.

Now, Welander and other parents of children being treated by Musselman at Carle Foundation Hospital's pediatric hematology/oncology program say they just can't believe what Carle officials have told them: The program will end Oct. 31 because Musselman, its only doctor, chose to switch to a general pediatrics practice at Carle Clinic.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Tickets for annual Festival of Trees event set to go on sale

DANVILLE – Special events tickets for this year's Provena United Samaritans Medical Center Foundation Festival of Trees go on sale today at 10 a.m. at the David S. Palmer Arena box, 100 W. Main St. Tickets can also be purchased at www.palmerarena.com or by phone at 877-772-5425.

Special events requiring reservations through the purchase of advance tickets include:

Friday, October 10, 2008

Danville service aims to help those who have lost a child

DANVILLE – Kim Padan was eager to become involved in a new event that she hopes will offer an opportunity for people to share their grief.

Padan personally knows what it's like to lose a child and offered to help get the word out about the new candlelight service to commemorate Pregnancy & Infant Loss Remembrance Day.

The service will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Garden of Innocence Monument in Sunset Memorial Park, 3940 N. Vermilion St., Danville. The monument is directly in from the south entrance to the cemetery and marks the area where babies have been buried over the years.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Area teenagers to hold swim meet benefiting Crisis Nursery

URBANA – Though they swim in different lanes, on different teams, Urbana swimmers will be coming together for a common cause on Wednesday.

At the sixth annual "Make a Difference" meet, the Urbana, University Laboratory and Schlarman high schools' girls' swim teams will compete against each other in the lanes and work together to raise money for Crisis Nursery outside of the pool.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Christie announces plans to buy half of Danville surgery center

DANVILLE – Unable to win state approval to build an outpatient surgery center of its own in Champaign, Christie Clinic now hopes to buy half of an existing one in Danville.

The clinic has notified the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board that it plans to file an application seeking permission to buy about half of Danville HealthCare, an outpatient surgery center at 26 W. Newell Road, Danville.

Walk to School Day turning Urbana into gaited community

On Wednesday, comfortable shoes are a must for parents and children around the area. It's International Walk to School Day, and schools around Champaign and Urbana will be participating.

Events include a "walking school bus" where students are picked up by an adult and walk in a supervised group to school, and walks accompanied by local celebrities, including University of Illinois athletes and the mayors of Champaign and Urbana.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Christie wants to buy share of Danville surgery center

DANVILLE – Unable to win state approval to build an outpatient surgery center of its own in Champaign, Christie Clinic now hopes to buy half of an existing surgery center in Danville.

The clinic has notified the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board that it plans to file an application seeking permission to buy about half of Danville HealthCare, an outpatient surgery center at 26 W. Newell Road, Danville.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Hospice volunteers offer comfort in a time of great need

URBANA – Carole Matthews once wondered how good she'd be at helping dying people through their last few months of life.

After all, she doesn't knit. She doesn't quilt. How, she wondered, would she ever help them pass the time?

Then she discovered just listening and talking means quite a lot.

"You don't have to do anything great," she said.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Judge won't reconsider tax ruling against Covenant

URBANA – Champaign County is again asking Provena Covenant Medical Center for $6.1 million in property taxes, after a Champaign County judge refused to change a ruling that allows the county to bill the hospital for the taxes.

Judge Michael Jones on Friday denied a motion by Covenant to reconsider his ruling. Jones said the decision was necessary to achieve justice.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Prepare to be boarded, bitten by pirate bugs

Hungry bugs should vanish after area's first hard frost

Arrr, matey, they be harvesting the corn, so that's a sinking ship. Shiver me timbers, we need to start eating humans.

Flu shot clinics team up with polling places

CHAMPAIGN – Some Champaign-Urbana voters will get a chance to cast their ballots and roll up their sleeves for a flu shot all at the same place on Election Day.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

72 Carle Foundation workers lose jobs in cost-cutting

URBANA – The Carle Foundation has eliminated the jobs of 72 of its 3,060 employees.

The job cuts were largely management and professional nonclinical positions, though a few of those managers headed clinical departments, according to Carle spokeswoman Gretchen Robbins.

Inspect your restaurant's cleanliness before looking at the menu

When Parkland College student Jenifer Dalrymple walks into a restaurant, her first order of business isn't ordering her food. Her first priority? Checking for cleanliness by analyzing her surroundings.

"I just like the cleanliness of a restaurant because it makes me feel comfortable about eating there," Dalrymple said.

But if she sees food on the floor, overflowing trash, dirty silverware or employees that look like they just rolled out of bed after a rough night, she'll skip the food order entirely.

"I wouldn't want to eat in a dirty place or if the server is dirty or sloppy," said Dalrymple, who is also a fast-food employee.

Marshall Huffman, the program director at Parkland College for the Hospitality Industry, said those signs should raise an alarm.

UI student with meningitis expected to recover

A University of Illinois student has been diagnosed with bacterial meningitis.

The female student was admitted to Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana late Monday and is being treated there. She is expected to recover.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Carle Foundation cuts dozens of jobs

URBANA – The Carle Foundation has eliminated jobs for 72 of its 3,060 employees.

The job cuts were largely management and professional, non-clinical positions, though a few of those managers headed clinical departments, according to Carle spokeswoman Gretchen Robbins.

Doctor's departure to suspend child cancer program

URBANA – Kids with cancer will lose their treatment program and the cancer doctor currently provided by Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana starting Nov. 1.

Carle officials said they will be temporarily suspending the pediatric hematology/oncology program in a month because its only doctor, Mark Musselman, is transferring to general pediatrics at Carle Clinic.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Immunizations to be offered to migrant kids in Rantoul

RANTOUL – More than three dozen children from migrant families will be getting the immunizations required to continue school locally, thanks to a partnership between Carle Foundation Hospital, Carle Clinic, Rantoul City Schools and the Regional Office of Education.

Doctors and nurses from Carle Foundation Hospital and Carle Clinic will volunteer their time this evening to provide immunizations and physical exams to the migrant children living in northern Champaign County.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Physician set to open Urbana clinic for heroin addicts

URBANA – John Peterson usually knows long before police if there's bad heroin on the streets.

The veteran doctor has worked at a methadone clinic in Downers Grove for seven years and is just weeks away from getting a slightly different, less-regulated type of opiate-recovery clinic running in his hometown.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Firefighter fitness program pairs trainers and peers

CHAMPAIGN – Ever think how nice it would be to have a buddy who's a fitness expert and would work with you to get you into great shape?

And, to top it off, the buddy does all this for free – and you might get an annual bonus check if your health improves?

It might be an oversimplification, but that's what Champaign firefighters were able to negotiate in 2004 in contract talks with the city, when both sides agreed to create a peer-fitness-trainer program.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Program puts services for aches and pains under one roof

URBANA – When you have aches and pains so severe you can barely move, the folks at Provena Covenant Medical Center think the last thing you need is to be sent here, there and everywhere for your medical care.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Judge adds '07 taxes to hospital's potential bill

URBANA – The back and forth dispute over Provena Covenant Medical Center's property tax exemption has taken yet another turn.

Last month, it was $6.1 million, plus interest, that Champaign County wanted Covenant to pay back to local taxing bodies.

Agencies turn to governor to provide money for services

Agencies that treat mental illness, developmental disabilities and drug addictions cheered Tuesday's state Senate action to restore more than $200 million cut from the state budget.

Now they're turning their lobbying efforts to Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Provena hospitals in Urbana, Danville changing providers for ER

URBANA – Provena Covenant Medical Center and Provena United Samaritans Medical Center will bring in a new contract physicians group to staff their emergency departments next year.

The hospitals said they will be ending their relationship with Emergency Consultants Inc., a Michigan company that staffs hospital emergency departments in 16 states, and hiring Dallas-based EmCare.

Crohn's sufferers can take part in test of new drug

URBANA – It can make you miserable. It's expensive to treat, and it involves an area of the body nobody wants to discuss in polite conversation.

But if you're one of the unlucky people to have Crohn's disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disorder, help may be in sight.

Free clinic expected to open in Champaign next month

CHAMPAIGN – Dr. Cristina Medrano looks around her small rented space in a dental building and marvels at all the donations that are turning this place into a new free health clinic for the needy.

With the medical and office equipment she needed all donated and the remodeling being done by friends, Medrano now hopes to have this clinic – which she has named Hope Community Health Center – up and running by mid-October.

Missing shelves a 'legacy' of Palazzolo time at health district

CHAMPAIGN – Industrial shelves, missing from a previous administration, are bedeviling the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District.

Davis Electric is willing to pay for the shelves, which it acquired almost two years ago while doing electrical work at the district's new Kenyon Drive headquarters. While there's a dispute over the price for the shelves, the district isn't alleging the contractor stole them.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

County can bill Covenant for '07 property taxes, judge rules

URBANA – Champaign County taxing authorities can bill Provena Covenant Medical Center for 2007 property taxes, Champaign County Judge Michael Jones ruled this morning.

Jones vacated his order of this past spring that had protected the hospital from being billed for 2007 taxes based on a Sangamon County court decision that found the hospital to be tax-exempt.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Van Zuidam thrilled to be active after recovery from meningitis

URBANA – Erica Van Zuidam loves the feeling of a good workout that gets her heart pumping.

"It feels like how it used to be. My old life, in sports and everything," she said. "I think that's why it's so fun. It brings back good times."

On Saturday, Van Zuidam ran a 5-kilometer race – 3.1 miles in two laps around the University of Illinois campus, from the Illini Union to the Stock Pavilion. It was her first race on her carbon fiber legs with the zebra-striped cloth covering the top. Her first race since her feet and hands were amputated, the casualties of a nearly fatal case of bacterial meningitis she contracted at the end of her freshman year at the UI.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Advocate for girls, women plans visit 'home'

 

DANVILLE – In between attending the Clinton Global Initiative in New York City and receiving a Rising Voice of Women award in Chicago, human rights activist Molly Melching will make a stop at her alma mater, Danville High School.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Small change can make big difference for Danville boy

TILTON – This week, Southwest Elementary School students have been raiding their piggy banks, looking under couch cushions and digging through kitchen drawers for loose change.

It's all part of a "Coins for a Cure" drive to help 10-year-old Christopher Adkins, a fourth-grader who has mitochondrial disease.

Child car seats checked for free around area on Saturday

Parents whose children who need car seats are encouraged to have the seats checked Saturday.

The Illinois Department of Transportation's division of traffic safety is working with a number of partners at 90 locations around the state to promote Saturday as National Seat Check Saturday.

Make-a-Wish Foundation holding fundraiser at Lincoln Square Village

The Champaign Regional Council for the Make-A-Wish Foundation will be hosting a fundraising event on Saturday at Lincoln Square Village in Urbana.

Council Chairman Brian Luckenbill says the Wish Upon A Star Fundraising Celebration is an effort to raise money and awareness of Make-A-Wish activities in central Illinois.

Rotarians raising money to eradicate polio

URBANA – Would you give 17 cents to help rid the planet of a crippling and sometimes fatal disease that remains a threat to children?

Rotary clubs throughout central Illinois figure that's all it would take – just 17 cents from each adult and child in their 24-county district – to raise their share of the $200 million being raised by Rotary International for a massive polio eradication campaign.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Advocates for social services protest budget cuts

URBANA – A gathering Wednesday night intended to be a public forum about state budget cuts turned into an all-out rally supporting human services that are facing budget cuts.

A boisterous, cheering crowd filled the gym at Brookens Administrative Center, bringing together hundreds who know the importance of services that help the mentally ill, the developmentally disabled and those with substance abuse problems.

Carle donates $100,000 to Parkland to help elder care

CHAMPAIGN – Carle Foundation Hospital is giving $100,000 to Parkland College to improve the health care of elderly residents.

Kris Young, Parkland's vice president for academic services, announced the gift to Parkland's board of trustees at their Wednesday night meeting.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Law change could affect relationship of Carle clinic, hospital

URBANA – A change in federal law taking effect next year could prompt Carle Foundation Hospital and Carle Clinic to become what many patients already think they are – one large organization under a common owner.

The for-profit clinic and not-for-profit hospital, long under separate ownership, disclosed Wednesday that they will begin discussions about their relationship to comply with changes in the nearly two-decade-old Stark Laws that will have a major impact on dealings between physicians and hospitals throughout the country starting Oct. 1, 2009.

Food bank's challenge: Dine on $25 a week

URBANA – Forget the chicken dinner circuit. State Sen. Mike Frerichs plans to be eating a lot of PB&J next week.

He's taking part in a challenge from the Eastern Illinois Foodbank to get by on $25 worth of food for the week – the same amount given to the average person receiving government food stamps.

Public hearing on government-health-plan bill set Thursday

CHAMPAIGN – Are you disgruntled about not being able to afford health insurance? Or not being able to afford medical care even when you do have insurance?

Here's your chance to tell your legislators what you think of a proposal to provide health care for everyone in Illinois through a government-sponsored, single-payer insurance plan.

A public hearing on the Health Care for All Illinois Act (HB 311) will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Illinois Terminal building, 45 E. Universtiy Ave., C.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

UI health showcase offers opportunity to get interactive

CHAMPAIGN – If you want to learn more about a healthy lifestyle – and get in some rock climbing – you'll want to visit the University of Illinois' Activities and Recreation Center next week.

The recreation center, known as ARC and located at 201 E. Peabody Drive, C., is hosting a Health and Wellness Showcase from 2 to 7 p.m. Sept. 25. The event is free and open to the community.

Vermilion County offering free class on smoking cessation

DANVILLE – The Vermilion County Health Department will offer a free four-week smoking-cessation class in the conference room at the health department, 200 S. Collett St.

Sessions will meet from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Sept. 18 and 25 and Oct. 2 and 9.

Cash-strapped Crosspoint sending out pleas for help

DANVILLE – Julia Lawless has already contacted her state legislators to call attention to the lack of reimbursement for services and the recent cuts in human services.

"I've known there's been a problem, but it hasn't been until recently that I actually made a call," said Lawless, a licensed practical nurse at Crosspoint Human Services in Danville.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Kirby Hospital buying land for new facility

MONTICELLO – The John and Mary E. Kirby Hospital is making plans to buy 108 acres near Interstate 72 to build a new hospital.

Hospital officials said they have a verbal agreement to purchase the property, which is northwest of the Rick Ridings Ford Mercury dealership and the Market Street/Interstate 72 interchange.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Feds probing complaint at Champaign County Nursing Home

CHAMPAIGN – An anonymous complaint brought federal investigators to the Champaign County Nursing Home late last week.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sent investigators from a Medicare/Medicaid fraud unit to the nursing home on Friday, said Administrator Andrew Buffenbarger.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Agency's chief diagnoses ills of health care across Illinois

Wonder what health care issues most concern the medical profession?

In the following report, Dr. Shastri Swaminathan, president of the Illinois State Medical Society, talks to The News-Gazette about what's on doctors' legal and legislative agendas right now.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Provena Covenant Medical Center stands pat on tax refund

URBANA – Provena Covenant Medical Center's attorney says the hospital will hang onto the $6.1 million property-tax refund it received from Champaign County earlier this year – at least for now.

The county is demanding the money back after the 4th District Appellate Court last month came down against the hospital and overturned a 2007 circuit court decision that had found Covenant tax-exempt.

Carle earns accreditation from Society of Chest Pain Centers

URBANA – Carle Foundation Hospital has become one of 15 hospitals in the state to receive accreditation from the Society of Chest Pain Centers, an international nonprofit organization devoted to reducing heart fatalities.

Accredited chest-pain centers show they can reduce the time it takes for a potential heart-attack patient to see a doctor, according to John Snyder, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Carle.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Provena set to announce appeal of tax case to state's high court

URBANA – Provena Covenant Medical Center hopes to take its case for a charitable tax exemption all the way to Illinois' highest court, hospital board chairman Jon "Cody" Sokolski said.

He and other Provena officials were scheduled to announce later this afternoon that the hospital will file an appeal with the Illinois Supreme Court of last month's 4th District Appellate Court decision that came down against the hospital and sided with the Illinois Department of Revenue.

Provena program offering skincare event Sept. 27

DANVILLE – Women Aware, an outreach program of Provena United Samaritans Medical Center Foundation, will present "Skin as Soft as the Dewy Petals of a Flower" from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 27 in Conference Rooms 2 and 3 of the medical center, near the cafeteria, 812 N. Logan Ave.

Presentations include: Dr. Arvin Uppal on the different types of aesthetic enhancement available for face lifts; Carol Shriver, dietician, on how to eat properly for healthy skin; and Dr. Mary Gindi on the warning signs for freckles and moles that could turn cancerous.

Ameren pleased with gas plant site investigation

CHAMPAIGN – Contamination from a former manufactured gas plant at Fifth and Hill streets has spread off site in all four directions, but generally by less than 100 feet and only 150 feet at its furthest point, according to AmerenIP.

Ameren officials said they were pleased with the findings of their latest site investigation report, which came after they drilled 45 new soil borings around and on the 3.5-acre site this past April and May. Results showed that the contamination has not spread far and most of it is at least three feet underground, where the public is less likely to be exposed through inhalation of dust or direct contact with soil, said Brian Martin, an Ameren consulting environmental scientist.

Provena wants to keep $6.1 million tax refund

URBANA – Provena Covenant Medical Center's attorney says the hospital will hang onto the $6.1 million property tax refund it received from Champaign County earlier this year – at least for now.

The county is demanding the money back after the 4th District Appellate Court last month came down against the hospital and overturned a 2007 circuit court decision that had found Covenant tax-exempt.

Brown recluse spider found in PBL High School office

PAXTON – A poisonous brown recluse spider has been found in a third school building in Paxton, officials confirmed over the weekend.

A staff member at Paxton-Buckley-Loda High School caught a spider in the school's office on Thursday, Superintendent Cliff McClure said, and representatives of the school district's pest-control provider, Terminix, have identified it as a brown recluse.

Game night aims to help men score good health

URBANA – Monday night football may not necessarily be great for your blood pressure, but Provena Covenant Medical Center wants to make it better for your prostate.

The hospital will offer its first game night prostate cancer event – featuring food, football (Eagles at Cowboys), a men's health speaker and prostate screenings, all free – on Monday.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Post-traumatic stress panel discussion set for Sunday

CHAMPAIGN – the Anti War Anti Racism Effort and Iraq Veterans Against the War have organized a panel discussion on post-traumatic stress disorder and its effect on people in Champaign County.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Urbana Free Library auditorium.

Officials to discuss cleanup project at former gas plant site

CHAMPAIGN – Community residents who want to know more about AmerenIP's latest report on contamination at a former coal gasification plant can attend an open house Monday evening.

The utility is inviting neighbors to discuss the cleanup project at Fifth and Hill streets in Champaign during an open house scheduled for 4 to 7 p.m. in the cafeteria of Booker T. Washington School, 606 E. Grove St., C.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Social service agencies call for public 'outrage' against budget cuts

State officials are "playing games with people's lives" for political gain as they announce cut after cut to vulnerable populations, and it's time to speak up, service providers say.

"We can't just sit around and be silent," said Peter Tracy, executive director of the Champaign County Mental Health Board and Developmental Disabilities Board. "We have a responsibility to this community."

Agencies that help people with mental illness, developmental disabilities or drug and alcohol addictions have organized a Sept. 17 public hearing in Urbana to push legislators to take action.

Many organizations just managing to scrape by

URBANA – A small victory at A Woman's Fund this week: Employees were paid on time.

An overdue release of $80,000 by the state of Illinois allowed Executive Director Tami Tunnell to pay her staff, most of whom make $23,000 to $35,000 a year.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Internships made summer a learning experience for teens

James Clifton and Karolina Kalbarczyk could have spent more time at the pool this summer. They could have watched more TV or spent the daylight hours hanging out with friends.

Instead, they spent their summer among scientists, playing a part – albeit a small one – in helping cure cancer.

IEPA OKs sewer upgrades for northwest C-U treatment plant

URBANA – Some $39 million in improvements to the local sanitary sewer system are moving ahead.

Judge allows antitrust suit against Carle, Christie to go to trial

URBANA – An antitrust lawsuit filed more than a year ago by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan accusing Carle Clinic and Christie Clinic of conspiring to fix state Medicaid prices will continue to trial.

Champaign County Judge Richard Klaus issued a written order Wednesday morning denying most of the clinics' motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Judge rules state's suit against Carle, Christie to continue

URBANA – An antitrust lawsuit filed by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan accusing Carle Clinic and Christie Clinic of conspiring to fix state Medicaid prices will continue to trial.

 

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Medicare to stop paying for mistakes caused by hospitals

URBANA – Nobody goes to the hospital expecting to get sicker.

But mistakes can happen.

A patient falls out of bed and gets hurt. An infection can set in after surgery. Bedsores can worsen.

Currently, Medicare picks up the tab for the conditions patients acquire while they're in the hospital – things that could have been prevented, such as injuries from falls and surgery-site infections.

But starting Oct. 1, hospitals will have to absorb those extra costs. And they won't be allowed to bill the patients for them, either.

 

Monday, September 1, 2008

Prairie Center detox unit closed, reducing choices for addicts

 

URBANA – Jim Ellis is waiting for the full effect of cuts in state funding for social services to make their way to his emergency-room door.

But Ellis, the chairman of emergency medicine for Provena Covenant Medical Center in Urbana and Provena United Samaritans Medical Center in Danville, knows they're coming.

That's because the Prairie Center Health Systems was forced to close its detoxification unit at 122 W. Hill St. in downtown Champaign on Aug. 1. Last calendar year, the unit had 803 admissions – alcoholics and drug addicts who came there to sober up for an average of three to five days.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Older students to help UI newcomers avoid 'freshman 15'

URBANA – College life can be dangerous for the waistline, as many university freshmen know.

Late-night pizza, all-you-can-eat dorm food, stress and, in some cases, alcohol all contribute to what's been known for years as the "freshman 15" – the 15 pounds, more or less, that can pile on in the first semester or two of college.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

County treasurer demands tax money back from Covenant

URBANA – Less than six months after Champaign County refunded five years worth of property tax money to Provena Covenant Medical Center, County Treasurer Dan Welch is demanding the money back.

Welch acted swiftly, sending the hospital a letter on Friday, just two days after the 4th District Appellate Court overturned a circuit court decision that had restored Covenant's on-again, off-again tax exemption.

Brown recluse spiders found in two Paxton school buildings

District issues precautions for parents/guardians

PAXTON – Parents of students at Paxton-Buckley-Loda Eastlawn and Clara Peterson Elementary schools are asked to check their children regularly for bites by poisonous spiders that have been found in the two schools in Paxton this summer.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Provena Covenant Medical Center loses tax exemption again

URBANA – Provena Covenant Medical Center will lose its property-tax exemption once again.

The 4th District Appellate Court on Wednesday afternoon sided with the Illinois Department of Revenue and local taxing authorities and ruled against the hospital, overturning a circuit-court ruling from last summer that restored Covenant's exemption.

Free health clinic set to reopen on Sept. 9

CHAMPAIGN – The Champaign County Christian Health Center, which has been closed for two months since it lost its nearly free space at the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District, will reopen in a new location Sept. 9.

The free clinic that serves needy, uninsured patients has signed a three-year lease at the Dental Circle Building at 507 S. Second St., C, and will occupy the second floor of that building.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Provena loses tax exemption again in appellate court ruling

URBANA – Provena Covenant Medical Center will lose its property tax exemption once again.

The 4th District Appellate Court on Wednesday afternoon sided with the Illinois Department of Revenue and local taxing authorities and ruled against the hospital, overturning a circuit court ruling from last summer that restored Covenant's exemption.

'I Can!' program in Edgar County will focus on diabetes

PARIS – Edgar County patients who have diabetes or who are at risk for diabetes have a chance to take part in a discounted exercise and diet program designed to halt the progress of the disease.

The "I Can!" program, set to start by Oct. 1, is being offered by Paris Community Hospital/Family Medical Center, the Paris Community YMCA and the Edgar County Public Health Department.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Judge moves Carle property-tax lawsuit to Champaign

URBANA – Carle Foundation Hospital will have to make a case for the return of its property-tax exemption in its own hometown.

A Cook County judge has granted the motion of Champaign County and Cunningham Township officials to transfer a lawsuit filed by the Carle Foundation from Cook County to Champaign County.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Carle Foundation grant to help more seniors get around

CHAMPAIGN – Imagine you live alone, without any family nearby.

And you don't have a car, but you've still got to get to the doctor, the drugstore, the bank and the grocery. And you can't afford to take a cab everywhere, and taking the bus is hard, because you're nearly 70, nearly blind and afraid.

Deanna Henderson doesn't have to imagine any of this. It's her life.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Hospice license plates not selling as petition for them promised

SPRINGFIELD – Lonnie Dirks worked hard to get Illinois to create a new specialty license plate that could raise money for hospice programs.

But, two years after the Secretary of State began offering the hospice plate Dirks designed, only 87 of them have been sold.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Small hospitals opting for new facility over renovation

The brand-new Kewanee Hospital opened May 31, and by one account, not a minute too soon.

This small hospital northwest of Peoria was functioning in a 1917 building that had undergone about 13 additions over the last 80 years.

Kirby Hospital taking steps to serve Monticello long into future

MONTICELLO – Not long ago, folks in Galena would bypass their own little hospital and travel to Dubuque, Iowa, for their medical care.

And with no surgery and no MRI in town, many of them had to.

"Now we're seeing that reversed," said Galena's Midwest Medical Center CEO Jeff Hill. "They're staying here for their care, for a lot of good reasons."

Danville Family YMCA closing for annual maintenance week

DANVILLE – The Danville Family YMCA, 1111 N. Vermilion St., will be closed for its annual maintenance week, Aug. 24 through Sept. 1.

The front desk will be open for class registration from 8 a.m. to noon Aug. 25 to 29.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Community clinic in Danville acquires more space

DANVILLE – Depending on your perspective for good or bad, business is booming at Aunt Martha's Vermilion Area Community Health Center.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Carle Foundation Hospital gets go-ahead to build addition

URBANA – Construction should begin by early next year on a $236 million addition to the main Urbana campus of Carle Foundation Hospital.

The hospital won state approval Tuesday for the nine-story addition from the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board. The state panel voted 4-0 to approve the project, which will be next to the hospital's north tower.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

State approves $236 million Carle expansion in Urbana

URBANA – Carle Foundation Hospital won state approval Tuesday to go ahead with construction of a nine-story, $236 million addition to its main Urbana campus.

The Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board voted 4-0 to approve the project, which will be next to the hospital's north tower.

Helia Health Care completes state's corrective-action plan

URBANA – An Urbana nursing home is off the state's watch list after fixing several problems, including loose monitoring of narcotics.

Helia Health Care, 907 N. Lincoln Ave., finished its six-month corrective-action plan Monday, said Melaney Arnold, the communications manager of the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Faith in Action program puts out call for more volunteers

URBANA – When Nancy Smith needs a ride to the hospital or the drugstore or the bank, she calls the folks she knows will always be there for her: Faith in Action volunteers.

A four-year-old program of Provena Covenant Medical Center Foundation, Faith in Action pairs volunteers of all faiths with older people who need a little help living independently.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

UI's IMPE to complete transformation to ARC on Aug. 21

URBANA – Folks, this is not your father's IMPE.

In fact, it's not IMPE at all any more.

It's ARC, the Activities and Recreation Center. And there are four levels of things to do here: work out on cardio equipment, run around the new track, join a spinning class, even lounge in the sauna, on a couch in front of a flat screen TV or at the cafe.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Provena seeks cancer survivors to help develop program

URBANA – Provena Covenant Medical Center is looking for cancer survivors willing to help the hospital develop a cancer survivorship program in the local community.

Cancer survivors willing to participate are invited to attend an open forum set for 6 p.m. Tuesday in Covenant's Auditorium B.

Friday, August 8, 2008

Farmers' market responds to need at public health district

CHAMPAIGN – There was fresh corn on the cob, and plenty of it.

Ripe tomatoes, peaches, squash, berries, potatoes, onions and peppers, too.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Champaign County Y sells Church Street facility

CHAMPAIGN – The Champaign County YMCA has agreed to sell its building at 500 W. Church St., C, to a local buyer for $1 million, said Kay Machula, chair of the Y's campaign for a new facility in southwest Champaign.

 

Nursing home tax subsidy issue won't be on ballot

URBANA – There won't be a Champaign County Nursing Home tax subsidy proposal on the November ballot.

At the county's policy committee Wednesday night, the issue was tabled by a voice vote, meaning it won't be on the full board's agenda Aug. 21, which would have been the last board meeting before the deadline for approving a referendum proposal.

Teen birth rate falls to a 36-year low in Vermilion County

DANVILLE – Fourteen-year-old Candace St. Pierre was pressured to have sex once, but she knew how to handle the situation.

"I was able to think about the conversations we had in Smart Moves, and I said, 'No,'" she said.

Candace participated in the Boys and Girls Club's Smart Moves program, which uses role-playing scenarios between boys and girls to teach the importance of abstinence, the negative consequences of being sexually active and how to deal with a challenge to have sex. It also addresses self-esteem issues.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Mettler general manager parts ways with family businesses

CHAMPAIGN – Miles Mettler has resigned as general manager of the Mettler Center and Mettler Athletic, citing philosophical differences with owners Paul and Lisa Mettler, his brother and sister-in-law.

Miles Mettler had managed the businesses for 12 years during a time of intense growth. Over those years, the Mettlers opened a physical-therapy and fitness center in southwest Champaign, an auxiliary fitness center in Campustown and the Mettler Athletic facility on South Neil Street.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Health care rights group protests at new Carle, Christie clinics facilities in Urbana

URBANA – Champaign County Health Care Consumers doesn't think much of the new buildings Carle Clinic and Christie Clinic built in southeast Urbana.

Not that they're not nice buildings, the organization said.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Color this cancer survivor an appreciative pink

 

CHAMPAIGN – Petrea Nelson is in the pink.

CDC: Meningitis vaccination a good idea for students

CHAMPAIGN – Back-to-school shopping for a student bound for middle school, high school or college?

Don't forget to add a meningitis shot to your list, if your child hasn't already had one.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends vaccination against the potentially deadly or debilitating meningitis for all youths 11-18, and medical providers and public health departments in the area say there's plenty of vaccine available.

Rantoul harvest festival about far more than crops

Celebration focus is on diversity, practical topics

RANTOUL – The fourth annual Rantoul Harvest Festival featuring public education, workshops and multicultural presentations will be from 2 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Wabash Park.

Friday, August 1, 2008

Christie chief says clinic's plans to move still up in the air

CHAMPAIGN – Will they move or will they stay?

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Philo couple raising money to fight disease that killed daughter

PHILO – Luke and Leslie Kirby are radiant with pride when they remember their beloved daughter, Raley, as a baby with big, blue eyes who loved naptime with her daddy.

"She was just so beautiful," Luke said. "It was amazing."

The Kirbys' time with their daughter was cut short, however, by mitochondrial disease, which claimed the life of the 7-week-old girl June 13.

Villa Grove family hopes service dog will help autistic boy

VILLA GROVE – For the first year and a half of his life, Kaleb Drew did all the typical things babies do.

He babbled. He said "mama" and "dada" and grasped his toys.

And then, suddenly, "he just stopped," his mother, Nichelle Drew, said.

She and her husband, Brad, didn't learn why their second child had suddenly withdrawn until he was 2 and diagnosed with autism.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Champaign County ballot funding question put on hold

URBANA – For months, Champaign County Board members have mentioned asking voters to increase their taxes through a November referendum as a possible fix to nursing home expenses weighing on its budget.

With the recent creation of an advisory board and the subsequent hiring of a St. Louis consulting firm, the talk has died down as a deadline for putting the measure on the ballot nears.

Friday, July 25, 2008

Carle seeks women for testing of hot-flash medication

URBANA – Medical experts have tried everything from herbal remedies to anti-depressants to help relieve hot flashes in menopausal women.

Now, researchers at Carle Clinic and more than 100 other medical sites around the country will begin testing a remedy on women that has already been shown to work for men who get hot flashes as a result of hormone treatments for prostate cancer.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Danville Housing Authority sets health and safety fair Thursday

DANVILLE – Danville Housing Authority residents are invited to a summer health and safety fair on Thursday at the Fair Oaks public housing complex.

The event will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the pavilion at the complex, 1607 Clyman Lane, Danville. The pavilion is near the basketball courts.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Firefighters' streak snuffed out in fundra