(Peoria, IL / March 20, 2013) – OSF Saint Francis Medical Center is pleased to announce the most recent winner of the DAISY Award, which recognizes outstanding nursing care. Winners are nominated by patients and their families.

The January 2013 DAISY Award was presented to David Zimmerman of Roanoke from the Cardio-Thoracic Unit.

His nomination reads in part: “David was not my mom’s nurse, but he was the RN taking care of the woman in the room with her. I was with my mom every day, and David simply amazed me. I listened as he conversed with (the other patient) and how she responded to him. They laughed, they talked, and he took the time to listen – he cared about what she had to say. The level of respect, dignity, and compassion he displayed was incredible! In the middle of the night, I felt compelled to stop him on his way out of the room to comment on how amazing I thought he was to which he modestly responded, ‘I’m just doing my job.’ I told him he was doing an amazing job at it and thanked him for caring so much. He had NO IDEA what an impact he made on (his patient) and me for that matter. A little compassion for a patient who had no family makes an enormous difference in their overall attitude to get better and want to go home. I was moved to tears. It takes a special person to do what nurses do and to do it with true compassion. David encompasses all of that!”

OSF Saint Francis Medical Center is the first hospital in the Midwest to participate in the DAISY Award, a national endeavor. The hospital receives approximately 180 DAISY nominations each month. From those nominations, a panel of five judges from the Professional Nursing Congress Recognition/Communication Committee at OSF Saint Francis chooses a monthly winner. Nurses who win a DAISY Award receive an award pin as well as a hand-carved Shona sculpture from Zimbabwe, an award certificate, a bouquet of daisies, cinnamon powder called “DAISY dust”, and cinnamon rolls for their entire unit.

Peoria County – At the March 18, 2013 Public Health Policy and Legislative Breakfast, hosted by the Peoria County Board of Health, Public Health officials from five area counties provided local legislators with community Public Health priorities.

Dr. David Trachtenbarg, Peoria County Board of Health President, welcomed local legislators and Public Health officials from Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, Marshall, and Knox Counties. Greg Chance, Administrator at Peoria City/County Health Department reviewed the current status of the health of the community and the return on investment of public health activities. “For every $1 spent on prevention, $5.6 are saved in health spending. Cancer deaths decrease, diabetes deaths decrease, cardiovascular deaths decrease, and infant deaths decrease. We know that 75% of our health spending in on chronic conditions, many of which can be completely eliminated through prevention measures.”

Chance identified public health priorities for legislators to help counties address public health issues. Topics of discussion included:
• The administration of Maternal and Child Health Programs within state agencies.
• Secure adequate funding for local governmental health protection operations.
• Support the establishment of a consumer friendly health benefits exchange.
• Support the passage of comprehensive gun violence prevention legislation.

Additionally, meeting participants discussed Priority Community Health Issues, Strategic Plans, Community Health Rankings and determinants of health. Chance concluded, “With a shifting political and fiscal landscape, our health system requires us to focus our efforts this year toward strengthening partnerships, increasing legislator and citizen engagement, and improving health outcomes for individuals in all our counties.”

For more information on important Public Health issues, visit the Peoria City/County Health Department website at www.pcchd.org.

Peoria, Ill. (March 19, 2013) – “The grades are in, and the nation’s drinking water and waste-water infrastructure is still in a poor state. If it was a student, such ongoing marginal performance would be unacceptable,” said Karla Olson Teasley, President of Illinois American Water, referring to the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) latest Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, released today. The report, issued every four years since 2001, gave the nation’s water systems a D grade, up slightly from the D- conferred in the last two reports, but, according to Teasley, this year’s outcome is not a cause for celebration. She sees the findings as further confirmation of the need to update and maintain water infrastructure to ensure resiliency for health, safety, and robust local economies.

A breakdown of water systems can result in water disruptions, impediments to emergency response, and damage to other types of infrastructure, as well as unsanitary conditions, increasing the likelihood of public health issues. “Simply put, allowing water infrastructure to lapse puts our communities at risk,” said Teasley.

The price tag for the critical upkeep and replacement of the nation’s outdated water systems is at least $1 trillion over the next 25 years, estimates the American Water Works Association. While this financial challenge is significant, there are solutions. Illinois American Water has proactively invested about $330 million in needed water and wastewater system improvements across the state between 2009 and 2013.

Illinois American Water is investing approximately $4 million in the Peoria District. Projects include:
– The construction of a 400,000 gallon elevated water storage tank on Rome West Road in Chillicothe, providing additional capacity to this area.
– Approximately 4,880 feet of water main to be replaced along SW Washington Street between Liberty Street and Maple Street and along State Street between SW Washington Street and Adams Street.
– Approximately 6,400 feet of 12-inch water main installed on Orange Prairie Road between W. Woodsage and Grange Hill Roads.
– Approximately 480 feet of water main replaced with 8-inch water main on Stonegate Road between N. Sheridan and N. Pleasant Ridge Court.
– Approximately 4,400 feet of water main installed in the El Vista Subdivision

All of these projects will help enhance and maintain water quality, water pressure and fire protection. “Such investments prove their value every day,” said Teasley. “From projects to replace water mains, pipelines, and hydrants to enhanced treatment capabilities improving efficiency and reliability, the investments we’ve made into the system ensure that we are well positioned to continue to meet customer needs in the communities that rely on us.”

What’s more, investing in water and wastewater infrastructure development creates good-paying jobs and boosts local economic growth. “With unemployment continuing throughout Illinois, there is no better time to reinvest in our essential infrastructure,” said Teasley.

According to Teasley, the value of the ASCE Report Card is in raising customer awareness of the critical nature of these issues, and that they already play an important role in system renewal and future reliability by simply paying their water bills. “By supporting needed improvements, customers and Illinois American Water are working together to keep the water flowing now and well into the future,” She said. “While much work needs to be done to raise the grade of the nation’s deteriorating water infrastructure, recognizing that a healthy water system truly promotes economic vitality, provides public health, and protects our environment can only improve future scores, in our state and across the country.”

About Illinois American Water
Illinois American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to more than 1.2 million people. American Water also operates a customer service center in Alton and a quality control and research laboratory in Belleville.

Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs approximately 6,700 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to an estimated 14 million people in more than 30 states and parts of Canada. More information can be found by visiting www.amwater.com.

Peoria, IL — CASA of Peoria County is a non-profit organization that recruits and trains community volunteers, who are appointed by judges to be independent fact finders and to speak up for the best interests of abused and neglected children in Peoria County. The program’s volunteers work with the court system and the Department of Children and Family Services to ensure that all of the necessary information is presented to the court to allow the judge to make the best decision possible.

CASA programs have been successfully implemented across the United States and in several other communities in Illinois . The program aims to reduce the amount of time children spend in foster care and help ensure that the child’s best interest is served in the court process.

WE NEED YOUR HELP: Please join us for an informational meeting on March 27th from 5:30-7:00 p.m. hosted by Two25 in the Mark Twain Hotel. Light appetizers will be provided. We have an especially strong need for male and minority volunteers. Our next training class begins April 27.

For more information on this event, call 309-669-2939.

Peoria, IL (March 20, 2013) Renowned author and champion of sustainable development L. Hunter Lovins will speak at Bradley University on April 16 at 7 p.m. in Neumiller Lecture Hall located in Bradley Hall.

Lovins’ presentation, titled “The Business Case for Implementing Genuine Sustainability,” is free and open to the public. It is the inaugural event in the Bradley Graduate Student Advisory Committee Speaker Series. A question and answer session and book signing will follow the presentation.

L. Hunter Lovins is the founder and President of Natural Capitalism Solutions, a non-profit organization in Longmont, Colorado. A renowned author and champion of sustainable development for more than 30 years, Hunter has managed international non-profits and corporations. Chief Insurgent for the madrone project and a faculty member at Bainbridge Graduate Institute, and Bard College, she has taught at major universities, consulted for citizens’ groups, governments and companies. In great demand as an inspirational speaker and effective consultant, she has addressed the World Economic Forum, the U.S. Congress, the World Summit on Sustainable Development, and hundreds of major conferences. She was named millennium Hero for the Planet by Time magazine and “the green business icon” by Newsweek. She is the author of numerous books including “Natural Capitalism” and “Climate Capitalism.”

Bradley is a top-ranked private, independent university in Peoria, Illinois, offering 6,000 students the choice of more than 100 academic programs. Bradley links academic excellence, experiential learning and leadership development with an entrepreneurial spirit for a world-class education. Its size provides students with extensive resources not available at most private colleges and the personal attention not commonly found at large universities.

PEORIA, IL — Peoria Riverfront Museum is hosting an Interplanetary race on Saturday, March 23, 2013. This family friendly race includes a 5K run, a 1 mile fitness walk and half-mile kids’ fun run. The 14th annual Interplanetary race is part of the IVS Grand Prix Series. This is the first year participants run the new downtown course.

The Interplanetary 5K / 1 mile fitness walk and kids’ fun run will follow the Riverfront Trail, where the new Community Solar System will be installed in the spring. The start and finish lines will be at the Gateway Building.

“This is the 14th year for this event and the first time downtown at the new Peoria Riverfront Museum. We are putting emphasis on kids with award trophies for the fastest runners aged 7 and under in the 5K race. We want to make this a really fun event for all participants – and educational, as well, with information about the solar system,” said Rucker.

Midwest Garrison of the 501st Legion will be at the race for families to visit with and take photos. The 501 Legion is an all-volunteer organization of Star Wars Storm Trooper costume enthusiasts.

Event Timeline:
7:30 – 8:30 a.m. – Race day packet pick-up and registration located at Peoria Riverfront Museum
9:00 a.m. – 5K Race (Refreshments following race)
9:05 a.m. – 1 Mile Fitness Walk
9:30 a.m. – Kids’ half mile fun run (Awards following the fun run)

March 20, 2013 – Peoria, IL – Today Safe Kids Worldwide® released a new research report that found kids are getting into medicine at an alarming rate. Every minute of every day, a poison control center receive a call about potential medicine poisoning for a child age five and under. And 67,000 times each year, or every eight minutes, a young child goes to the emergency room for medicine poisoning. This is a 30 percent increase over the past ten years.

In its report entitled “An In-Depth Look at Keeping Young Children Safe Around Medicine,” Safe Kids examines data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, information from poison control centers and findings from several focus groups among moms. The report reviews what is happening in households that leads to these disturbing numbers and offers parents simple things they can do to protect their children.

“Ask any parent, and they will tell you they store medicine where children can’t get them,” said Lynn Geier, Safe Kids Peoria Area. “But they are might not be thinking of pills stored in purses, vitamins left on counter tops or a diaper rash remedy near a changing table.”

The increase in exposure reflects the increase in medicines in the home. Most adults take medicine or vitamins on a regular basis; eight out of ten adults took at least one medicine or vitamin in the past week, and three out of ten adults took five or more. But they don’t always keep them up and away from kids. In 86 percent of emergency room visits for medicine poisoning, the child got into medicine belonging to an adult.

“Curious kids can get into trouble fast,” added Lynn Geier. “It only takes a few seconds for children to get into medicine that could make them very sick. Take a look around your house to make sure all medicine is up and away and out of sight.”

Tips to Keep Kids Safe Around Medicine
• Put medicine and vitamins up and away and out of sight. (In 67 percent of emergency room visits for medicine poisoning, the medicine was left within reach of the child, such as in a purse, on a counter, or under a sofa cushion.)
• Even if you are tempted to keep it handy, put medicine out of reach after every use.
• Look around your home for products you might not think about as medicine, like rubbing alcohol, eye drops or gummy vitamins, and store them out of the reach of children.
• When you have guests in your home, offer to put purses, bags and coats where kids can’t get to them. (In 43 percent of emergency room visits for medicine poisoning, the child got into medicine belonging to a relative, such as an aunt, uncle or grandparent.)
• Be alert to medicine in places your child visits. Take a look around to make sure there isn’t medicine within reach of your child.
• Program the nationwide poison control center number (1-800-222-1222) into your phones.
• Visit SafeKids.org for more tips on safe storage, safe dosing and safe disposal of medicine.

National Poison Prevention Week is March 17 – 23, 2013.

About Safe Kids Peoria Area Coalition: Safe Kids Peoria Area works to prevent unintentional childhood injury, the number one cause of death for children in the United States. Safe Kids Peoria Area is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing unintentional injury. Safe Kids Peoria Area was founded in 1999 and is led by Children’s Hospital of Illinois and American Red Cross. For more information, visit safekids.org or call Children’s Hospital of Illinois Safety Information Line at 1-877-277-6543.

Pekin, Ill. (March 19, 2013) – “The grades are in, and the nation’s drinking water and waste-water infrastructure is still in a poor state. If it was a student, such ongoing marginal performance would be unacceptable,” said Karla Olson Teasley, President of Illinois American Water, referring to the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) latest Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, released today. The report, issued every four years since 2001, gave the nation’s water systems a D grade, up slightly from the D- conferred in the last two reports, but, according to Teasley, this year’s outcome is not a cause for celebration. She sees the findings as further confirmation of the need to update and maintain water infrastructure to ensure resiliency for health, safety, and robust local economies.

A breakdown of water systems can result in water disruptions, impediments to emergency response, and damage to other types of infrastructure, as well as unsanitary conditions, increasing the likelihood of public health issues. “Simply put, allowing water infrastructure to lapse puts our communities at risk,” said Teasley.

The price tag for the critical upkeep and replacement of the nation’s outdated water systems is at least $1 trillion over the next 25 years, estimates the American Water Works Association. While this financial challenge is significant, there are solutions. Illinois American Water has proactively invested about $330 million in needed water and wastewater system improvements across the state between 2009 and 2013.

In 2013, Illinois American Water is investing approximately $4.1 million in the Pekin District. Projects include construction of a 1.25 million gallon elevated water storage tank on Riverway Drive to enhance system equalization, stabilize system pressures, and enhance system fire protection capabilities. In addition, upgrades to the Route 9 Booster Station are planned and include the installation of variable frequency drive (VFD) motors. VFDs ensure motors are operated such that system and customer water supply demands more closely match the pumping demands on the system. This technology improves energy efficiency and stabilizes system pressures.

These projects will help enhance and maintain water quality, service reliability, water pressure and fire protection. “Such investments prove their value every day,” said Teasley. “From projects to replace water mains, pipelines, and hydrants to enhanced treatment capabilities improving efficiency and reliability, the investments we’ve made into the system ensure that we are well positioned to continue to meet customer needs in the communities that rely on us.”

What’s more, investing in water and wastewater infrastructure development creates good-paying jobs and boosts local economic growth. “With unemployment continuing throughout Illinois, there is no better time to reinvest in our essential infrastructure,” said Teasley.

According to Teasley, the value of the ASCE Report Card is in raising customer awareness of the critical nature of these issues, and that they already play an important role in system renewal and future reliability by simply paying their water bills. “By supporting needed improvements, customers and Illinois American Water are working together to keep the water flowing now and well into the future,” She said. “While much work needs to be done to raise the grade of the nation’s deteriorating water infrastructure, recognizing that a healthy water system truly promotes economic vitality, provides public health, and protects our environment can only improve future scores, in our state and across the country.”

About Illinois American Water: Illinois American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to more than 1.2 million people. American Water also operates a customer service center in Alton and a quality control and research laboratory in Belleville.

Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs approximately 6,700 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to an estimated 14 million people in more than 30 states and parts of Canada. More information can be found by visiting www.amwater.com.

Peoria County continues to have moderately healthy residents when compared to the rest of Illinois, according to the annual County Health Rankings released today by the University of Wisconsin, Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

This is the fourth year of the Rankings Report which ranks the overall health of counties in all 50 states to provide a snapshot of how healthy people are and how long they live. Researchers used many standard measures and factors to assess the overall health including health behaviors, social and economic factors, rates of smoking, uninsured adults, number of primary care providers, access to healthy foods, and air pollution.

The 2013 County Health Rankings reveals that Peoria County ranked in the middle for overall health when compared to the 102 counties in the state. The Rankings provides the details on factors the influence its health rating and why Peoria County ranks high at 7th in clinical care but only 66th in overall health.

In reviewing the Rankings Report, Greg Chance, Administrator at the Peoria City/County Health Department, states, ” The Rankings help counties see what is affecting the health of their residents so they can see where they are doing well, where they need to improve, and what steps they need to take as a community to improve health. A significant change in health factors from past years suggests the challenge to becoming a healthier community lies in changing health behaviors. As a community, we need to use a systems approach to influence health and promote health improvement policy on many behavioral issues like tobacco-free communities, violent crime, and reducing our high STD and teen birth rates.”

Chance adds, “Current community efforts to improve Peoria County’s health status resulted in the Peoria County Community Health Needs Assessment and Improvement Plan. This planning document identifies priority community health challenges within Peoria County and outlines suggested intervention strategies to improve health status in Peoria County.”

To view the County Health Rankings Report, visit their website at: www.countyhealthrankings.org. For more information on the Peoria County Community Health Improvement Plan and other important public health issues, visit the Peoria City/County Health Department website at www.pcchd.org.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill.—MS activists from across Illinois converged on the statehouse today to meet with their local representatives and policy leaders to push for legislation to improve the lives of people living with multiple sclerosis and other disabilities, including the creation of an MS Task Force (SB1640) and Medicaid Expansion (SB26). The meetings are part of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Greater Illinois Chapter’s MS Action Day 2013, which coincides with MS Awareness Month, a month-long initiative by the Chapter to increase statewide public awareness through educational programs and services, fundraising and activism.

“Living with a chronic condition and disability such as multiple sclerosis can be a great challenge,” said Greater Illinois Chapter President John Blazek. “For our MS activists and the 20,000 individuals and their family members across the state affected by MS, coming together to meet with our policy leaders is a critical step to assuring that all people living with a disability gain access to the health care coverage that they deserve.”

Among the bills that the Greater Illinois Chapter is lobbying for is the establishment of the Illinois Multiple Sclerosis Task Force (SB1640) – a partnership between state government, medical professionals and MS activists dedicated to identifying and addressing unmet needs of persons with MS. Sponsors include Senate President John Cullerton (D-6th district), Sen. Linda Holmes (D-42nd district), and Rep. Ann Williams (D-11th district). The Task Force would develop strategies to provide persons with MS greater access to treatments and other therapeutic options and would also facilitate interaction between medical, government and non-profit communities.

The Greater Illinois Chapter is also seeking support for Medicaid Expansion (SB26), which would help insure that more Illinoisans, including people with MS and other disabilities, gain access to affordable, comprehensive health care coverage. Currently, 70 percent of individuals with MS report difficulty paying for their health care and 60 percent of those with MS exit the workforce within 10-years of their diagnosis, which often leads to losing access to employee-based health coverage. Expanding Medicaid will bring over $12 billion in federal funds into Illinois over eight years, leading to job creation and economic expansion.

The Greater Illinois Chapter had two major legislative successes in 2012, including the passage of Public Act 097-0866: Safe Patient Handling in Nursing Homes, which provides assistance to nursing homes with the adoption of policies to control risk of injuries to both residents and health care workers through evaluation, training and creation of “safe lifting teams.” With the implementation of best-practices and creation of these teams, needless injuries can be avoided, promoting better quality of life for residents, increased safety of nursing home staff and significant reductions in healthcare costs.

Public Act 097—1152: Gas Station Accessibility, was also passed into law during the fall Veto Session, amending the Motor Fuel Sales Act, giving people with disabilities greater access at gasoline service stations within the community. The new legislation requires gas stations to post a phone number of the station directly onto one gas pump to make it easier for people with disabilities to communicate with gas station employees. HB4866 imposes minimal financial obligations on gas stations while creating an increased consumer base. Stations not in compliance are subject to financial penalty.

For more information about being an MS activist, visit the Greater Illinois Chapter website at MSillinois.org, send an email to AdvocacyIllinois@nmss.org or call 1.800.344.4867.

The National MS Society addresses the challenges of each person affected by MS. To fulfill this mission, the Society funds cutting-edge research, drives change through advocacy, facilitates professional education, collaborates with MS organizations around the world, and provides programs and services designed to help people with MS and their families move forward with their lives. In the past year alone, through its national office and 50-state network of chapters, the Society devoted $164 million to programs and services that assisted more than one million people. To move us closer to a world free of MS, the Society also invested $40 million to support more than 325 new and ongoing research projects around the world. The Society is dedicated to achieving a world free of MS.

The Greater Illinois Chapter mobilizes people and resources to drive research for a cure and to address the challenges of everyone affected by MS. Envisioning a world free of MS, the Chapter moves toward that end by driving change through advocacy, facilitating education, collaborating with others and by providing helpful programs and services. For more information, visit MSIllinois.org.