Representative Jehan Gordon (D-Peoria) received an award from the Peoria Fire Department and participating members of the statewide Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) for her continued support of disaster preparedness through mutual aid.

“I would like to thank the Peoria Fire Department and Mutual Aid Box Alarm Systems for this recognition,” Gordon said. “Part of my job as your state representative is to make sure that our fire departments and first responders have the resources they need to keep our citizens safe. This includes making it easier for fire departments from across the state to work together. The Peoria Fire Department and all of its partners have my heartfelt appreciation.”

In the past decade, fire departments in throughout Illinois have organized through the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. This partnership establishes a network of fire departments that provide assistance to each other when there is a crisis in the one of the participating communities.

“If it wasn’t for the cooperative nature of Illinois’ Fire Service and the support of state officials including Representative Jehan Godon, MABAS would not be the premier statewide mutual aid and disaster response system that it is,” explained Fire Chief Kent Tomblin of the Peoria Fire Department and MABAS Division 36.

MABAS includes 68 divisions and over 1,100 fire agencies throughout Illinois and parts of Wisconsin, Missouri, Indiana and Michigan. MABAS is also considered to be a national leader of local mutual aid systems that is prepared and trained to respond to a disaster.

The Central Illinois Health Information Exchange (CIHIE) today introduced allcharts ™ patient data exchange software and secure clinical messaging to the community. CIHIE is an independent non-profit organization that governs implementation of the regional health information exchange.

The CIHIE service area currently covers 20 counties in central Illinois with a population of approximately 1.3 million people. The region includes 27 hospitals, 20 health departments, 2,800 physicians, 280 pharmacies, 12 labs and imaging centers and numerous ancillary healthcare providers such as rehabilitation centers, behavioral healthcare, long-term care facilities and nursing homes.

Gail Amundson, MD, CIHIE Board Chair, said, “allcharts™ is a secure technology tool that will assist healthcare providers to improve their quality of care and relieve patients of the need to carry their health record around in their head or on sheets of paper. In a world where we have online banking and financial transactions travel across the globe in seconds, the time has come to modernize healthcare communications in central Illinois.”

Joy Duling, Interim Executive Director of CIHIE, said, “allcharts™ is important because it creates a community patient record, which provides a comprehensive view of inpatient and outpatient information, lab results, radiology tests, medications and much more.”

allcharts™ is able to extract patient information from disparate systems and present this information into a single view. The portal does not replace electronic medical record systems, but enables them to integrate with one another. allcharts™ also provides the ability for clinicians to send secure messages to each other to aid in care coordination. Such communication could include referral letters, consultation notes, important images and more. Secure messaging eliminates the need to fax, mail or hand-deliver such important patient care documentation.

“There are clear benefits to having a community-wide patient record,” said David Trachtenbarg, MD, CIHIE Chief Medical Informatics Officer. “For providers, it means delivering higher quality patient care by having unprecedented access to clinical data, reducing duplicative tests, and improving care coordination. This will enable physicians to spend more time with their patients, thereby increasing patient satisfaction.”

“allcharts™ will strengthen care coordination among CIHIE participating hospitals, clinics and other health facilities and establish a more collaborative approach to care delivery. By improving treatment decisions, avoiding redundant diagnostics and eliminating adverse drug reactions, allcharts™ will contribute to cost reductions while patient care outcomes improve,” Amundson added.

About the Central Illinois Health Information Exchange The Central Illinois Health Information Exchange is an independent nonprofit organization that governs implementation of the regional HIE and was incubated under the auspices of Quality Quest for Health of Illinois. Member organizations include: Advocate Bromenn Medical Center, Normal; Community Health Improvement Center, Decatur; Decatur Memorial Hospital; Easter Seals – Peoria & Bloomington-Normal & Decatur; Heartland Community Health Clinic, Peoria; Human Service Center, Peoria; Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Peoria; Methodist Medical Center of Illinois, Peoria; OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, Peoria; Proctor Hospital, Peoria; St. Mary’s Hospital, Decatur; St. Mary’s Hospital, Streator; and the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria.

Learn more at www.allchartsnow.com and www.cihie.org.

OSF Saint Francis Medical Center is pleased to announce the most recent winners of the DAISY Award, which recognizes outstanding nursing care. Winners are nominated by patients and their families.

The October 2011 DAISY Award was presented to Jennifer Uzella from Granville, who works in Neuro Intermediate. She was nominated by the mother of a patient.

Her nomination reads: “Our son was admitted with aspiration pneumonia. What is significant is that he is a 35 year old male, with profound mental retardation and autism. Although gross motor skills are intact, he is not able to speak, has limited comprehension, and can be behaviorally challenging. Jennifer was his nurse while he was in the Neuro Intermediate Unit. She was amazing to watch! Each time she came into his room, she acknowledged his vocal sounds as conversation. She responded to a grunt with whatever was fitting to the situation. Within hours he was smiling. He even began to show us he was working on his own recovery. This is a FIRST for him even after many, many hospitalizations. Jennifer would request motor movements (i.e. thumbs up, wiggle your toes, stick out your tongue). Our son has never been able to isolate these motor tasks but she made it a game and smiled and laughed at each visit. For the VERY FIRST TIME in his 35 years, he was trying to do what was requested. Most of all he was moving his mouth in an effort to stick out his tongue. By mid afternoon of the second day and after countless times that Jennifer had been in his room, the requests came again. (our son) worked, she waited and smiled. He worked again and finally, for the very first time ever HE STUCK OUT HIS TONGUE. Jennifer smiled, clapped and gave him a high five. He was so very proud of himself. I know this is a small thing but I watched a dedicated professional take the extra few minutes to show a young man with challenges he is someone special. She helped him understand he was a participant in the process of healing. We will never forget the image of our son sticking out his tongue and smiling! Thanks for giving us a wonderful memory that we will cherish forever.”

State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) is proud to announce that the governor’s office has released more than $200,000 to help children who attend LaSalle Elementary School in Creve Coeur get to school more safely. The money, which comes from the Safe Route to School program, will be spent on crosswalk upgrades.

“The Safe Route to School program benefits our communities on several different levels,” Koehler explained. “Most importantly, it improves the safety of our children. However, it also encourages them to start walking and biking at a young age, creating lifelong healthy habits, and it helps parents and schools save money on gasoline.”

Illinois Safe Routes to School is a program of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration. The program is designed to enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school. The program also facilitates projects and activities that will improve safety and reduce traffic, fuel consumption, and air pollution in the vicinity of primary and middle schools.

The governor’s office also awarded smaller grants to Parkview Junior High in Creve Coeur and Bartonville Elementary School in Bartonville to fund safety initiatives.

Positioning themselves for a decisive victory in 2012, the Illinois Senate Democratic Victory Fund announced today they have out raised the Senate Republicans by more than a 2 to 1 ratio. Illinois Senate Republicans filed with $1,202,186 cash-on-hand while Senate Democrats filed with $2,524,806 cash-on-hand; over twice as much according to the latest filed campaign disclosure reports.

More troublesome for Illinois Republicans this year is that Illinois Democrats consistently have had more than twice the cash-on-hand than Illinois Republicans in the first filing cycle. In 2009, Republicans had $1,226,739 in the bank during the first reporting cycle while Democrats reported $2,600,253 during the same period.

“We are pleased to show such strong fundraising numbers and feel our message of creating jobs and getting Illinois back on track is resonating with voters”, said Senate Democrats Finance Director Liz Nicholson. “The Senate Republicans have continuously demonstrated an inability to garner the same kind of support from the people of Illinois.”

Financial figures are derived by comparing the Republican State Senate Campaign Committee and Citizens for Radogno to the Senate Democratic Victory Fund and Citizens for Cullerton.

About the Senate Democratic Victory Fund – The Senate Democratic Victory Fund is the campaign committee for the Illinois Senate Democrats. The organization assists Democratic Senate candidates and incumbents with their campaigns.

State Rep. Jehan Gordon (D-Peoria) will be at Federal Companies on Friday, January 27 at 1:00 p.m. to present them with “Good Neighbor” Business of Month Award.

FamilyCore nominated Federal Companies for donating their trucks and manpower to pick-up and deliver donated file cabinets several times.

“The Peoria region is fortunate to have many businesses who find ways to use their resources and skills to help people and non-profits. Their good deeds do not go unnoticed by those they have helped,” Gordon said. “I think that it is for our entire community to recognize these efforts and that is why I am happy to present this award to Federal Companies.”

Rep. Gordon will be joined by Rep. Mike Unes (R-East Peoria) in presenting this award to Federal Companies.

For more information about Gordon’s “Good Neighbor” Business of the Month Award, or to receive a nomination form, please contact Rep. Gordon’s constituent services office at 309-681-1992 or e-mail her at repjgordon@gmail.com. Nomination forms are also available at her website, www.housedem.state.il.us/members/gordonj.

What: January “Good Neighbor” Business of the Month Award Presentation
When: Friday, January 27 @ 1:00 p.m.
Where: Federal Companies, 200 National Road, East Peoria

Economic Development has been a hot topic in the region lately.

In an effort to keep dialogue open and moving forward the Economic Development Council for Central Illinois is hosting the 2012 Regional Economic Development Summit on Tuesday, January 31st at the Gateway Building from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. A panel of speakers, including regional leaders and national experts, will present case studies of regional successes and challenges in economic development. They will discuss new site requirements for attracting businesses, financial tools that help businesses expand and grow jobs, what communities need for job growth and examples of the latest business attraction and expansion success to keep and get more jobs.

EDC President Vickie Clark says expects to reach more than 200 regional policy decision makers, business, community and elected leaders. “It is designed to further engage these leaders in current regional economic development activities and provide a forum for open dialogue regarding economic development. There are multiple critical roles we all have if we want to keep and create jobs in this region. It is imperative that all of our regional leaders are on the same page, working towards the same goals.”

Upcoming CAPtions shows focuses on “Continuing the Dream” and “State of the City” issues. All programs are broadcast on Comcast Community Access Channel 22.

Dr. Michael Eric Dyson was the keynote speaker at the 2012 Public Employees for Community Concerns Dr. King Celebration Luncheon. The CAPtions edition featuring his motivating address will be broadcast on Sunday, January 29th at 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 1st at 7:00 p.m., and later again at Midnight. In addition to Dyson’s speech, a press conference held before the luncheon will be included in the broadcast.

Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis presents his annual “State of the City” address, touting accomplishments and challenges the city is facing in 2012. Also in the broadcast is an interview with 1st District Councilman Clyde Gulley, who gives his reaction to the speech, and discusses its relation to the 1st District. Gulley also mentions the challenges of the 1st District, and hints at his future plans in the 1st District.

The “State of the City” will be broadcast on Sunday, February 5th at 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 8th at 7:00 p.m., and later again at Midnight.

“Continuing the Dream” concludes two weeks later with the Dr. King Commemorative Service and Awards. The speaker for that event is Rev. Samuel Duren, pastor of Zion Baptist Church, which hosted the event. Also in that program are awards to various community members who have shown leadership and commitment to the legacy of Dr. King.

This CAPtions will be broadcast on Sunday, February 12th at 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 15th at 7:00 p.m., and later again at Midnight.

In summary, here is the upcoming schedule:

“Continuing the Dream” Part 1, with Michael Eric Dyson:
Sunday, January 29th 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, February 1st 7:00 p.m. and later at Midnight

“State of the City” with Mayor Jim Ardis and 1st Dist. Councilman Clyde Gulley
Sunday, February 5th 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, February 8th 7:00 p.m. and later at Midnight

“Continuing the Dream” Part 2, with the Dr. King Commemorative Service & Awards:
Sunday, February 12th 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, February 15th 7:00 p.m. and later at Midnight

CAPtions is produced by the Peoria Citizens Committee for Economic Opportunity, Inc. Media Services Department. It is funded in part by a grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

The Peoria Fire Department and the statewide Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) is presenting a plaque to Rep. Jehan Gordon (D-Peoria) for her continued support of disaster preparedness.

“It is an honor to be recognized by those who put themselves in harm’s ways to protect their fellow citizens. Our fire departments and emergency responders deserve all of the assistance that we can provide them on a state level,” Gordon said. “I would like to thank the Peoria Fire Department and fire departments across the state for working together and becoming a national leader in disaster response. They are what makes Illinois great.”

MABAS and Illinois Emergency Management Agency have developed a statewide partnership of fire departments that provide aid to each other in times of disaster. Through MABAS over 1,100 fire stations and 40,000 firefighters can respond to emergencies across the state when called upon.

What: Peoria Fire Department and MABAS Award Presentation
When: Thursday, January 26 at 12:00 p.m.
Where: Peoria Central Fire Department, 505 NE Monroe Street, Peoria

The Morton Chamber of Commerce is co-hosting a great networking social with the Young Professional Organziation of Greater Peoria (YPGP) on Thursday, February 2 at Red Rock Bar & Grille from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

YPGP is a group of 20 and 30-somethings who have a mutual interest in social and business networking, community involvement, and professional development. Their goal is to promote the Peoria area as an exciting place to live, work, and play.

The cost is $5.00 for non-YPGP members, payable at the door. Call 309-263-2491 with questions.