Gold Coin Auction To Run Through Friday

What: Gold Coin Auction
Where: Coin can be seen online at: www.usc.salvationarmy.org/heartland
When: December 17 – December 23
Phone Bids accepted M-Friday only 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Online bids via “contact us” on website

There is positive economic activity in the Greater Peoria area and this trend is expected to continue in fact many regional businesses tell us they plan to hire employees and expand, in some way, over the next 18 months.

This is what we learned during The Heartland Partnership family of companies three day Business Outreach Blitz. Nearly 50 volunteers visited more than 150 businesses in the region to find out how they are doing and how they feel about the current regional business climate. Business managers and owners responded to the survey questions through a combination of personal interviews and an on-line survey. Here is a snapshot of the results:

· Over half of the businesses surveyed in the Peoria Region view their industry as trending positively
· 58% feel that they are out performing their competitors
· 68% have plans to hire within the next 18 months and 53% of businesses have plans to expand by opening new offices or invest in new technology, equipment and/or renovations.
· Almost half don’t feel they have a qualified pool of applicants when hiring. This is not due to the pool of qualified applicants but rather a lack of work ethic among applicants
· 38% believe our local economy is improving while 56% believe it is flat.
· 73% feel connected to the business community in the region and 49% feel elected officials take the small business community into consideration when making decisions.

South Side Trust & Savings Bank is pleased to announce Shannah King and Craig Myers as the new Branch Managers of the West Peoria and Downtown Facilities, respectively.

Ms. King has 13 years of South Side Bank experience. She joined the Bank in 1998 as a co-op student from Limestone Community High School in Bartonville. Ms. King was the former assistant manager of the facility and has been a resident of West Peoria for four years. Active in the community, Ms. King participates in the Angel Tree Program for South Side Mission, is the South Side Bank Team Captain for Race for the Cure, a Block Captain for the West Peoria Neighborhood Watch, and a reader for King’s Kids.

Mr. Myers has 10 years of banking management experience. He holds a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration and Economics from Illinois College. New to South Side Bank, Mr. Myers brings an area of specialty in Small Business, Mortgages and Investments. Active in the community, Mr. Myers has been a coach for travel baseball the past six years, is involved with Reading Buddies Program, and with United Way and Cystic Fibrosis over the past 20 years.

South Side Trust & Savings Bank, a locally owned financial institution since 1922, has $664 Million in assets and serves the tri-country area with 13 full service locations in Peoria, East Peoria, West Peoria, Bartonville, Chillicothe, Washington, and Pekin. South Side Bank also owns Mid Illinois Insurance Services, Inc. and is a subsidiary of Mid Illinois Bancorp, Inc.

During this business holiday season, we would like to remind motorists of the importance of obeying disability parking laws. Handicapped parking spaces are clearly marked and should only be used by individuals with a valid disability license plate or placard.

Motorists who illegally park in disabled parking spaces can be fined up to $350. Additionally, motorists who illegally use a disability placard or license plate can be fined as much as $500, and have their driver’s license suspended for 30 days.

For more information regarding this issues, please log on to www.cyberdriverillinois.com.

Rep. Jehan Gordon (D-Peoria) visited Pleasant Valley Elementary School to read The Polar Express to second graders in Mrs. Vicky Lockhart’s class. Gordon discussed with the students why Christmas is a special time and how they can share the magic of the season with their family. The second graders shared the gifts they were planning on giving to their parents. The class also treated Rep. Gordon to a special performance of some songs they recently performed at their holiday concert.

Midstate College is proud to announce the addition of Gale Grant of Caterpillar Inc. to the Board of Directors. Ms. Grant attended Midstate College to obtain an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Paralegal Services in July, 2002, and returned to Midstate to receive a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in May, 2011. She has also served on the Midstate College Paralegal Advisory Board since 2002.

Ms. Grant comes to the Midstate College Board of Directors with over eight years of Paralegal Services experience in the Peoria community. She is currently a Paralegal II at Caterpillar Inc.

Gale looks forward to continuing to engage with Midstate College in her new role. In her words, “I am honored to join the experienced Board of Directors for Midstate College. I look forward to contributing my skills and knowledge to this visionary higher educational institution, and as an alumnus, I am very excited to continue working closely with the College in the years to come.”

Midstate strives to keep alumni of the College engaged in both the College and the local community. Ms. Grant’s position serves as an alumni liaison to the Board of Directors.

For more information, please contact Ashley Spain, arspain@midstate.edu or 309.692.4092 ext. 1040

OSF Healthcare System is pleased to announce that its hospitals, physicians, advanced care practitioners, home care services and pharmacies in Central Illinois have been selected to participate as a Medicare Pioneer Accountable Care Organization (ACO) by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center. OSF will be one of about 30 organizations in the U.S. participating in this new program during the next 3 years based on its demonstrated capabilities to offer high quality, coordinated care.

As one in a diverse group of leading-edge health care organizations from around the country, OSF Healthcare System was chosen specifically by the Innovation Center to test the effectiveness of several models of payment in helping organizations make a rapid transition to higher quality care at a lower cost to Medicare. “These Pioneer ACOs represent our nation’s leaders in health systems innovation, providing highly coordinated care for patients at lower costs,” said Marilyn Tavenner, Acting Administrator of CMS. “OSF Healthcare System has demonstrated significant experience in providing high quality, coordinated care, and we are excited to partner with them,” Tavenner said.

The Pioneer ACO is a group of doctors, hospitals, and health care providers working together with CMS to give our Medicare patients better service, better quality and better care at a lower cost. The goal of the Pioneer ACO is for the Medicare patients’ health care providers to better coordinate the care of their patients in order to better meet unique individual needs and preferences of the patients we serve. This will involve innovative approaches to care management, care coordination and special attention to those with multiple complex medical problems.

Unlike a managed care plan, Medicare beneficiaries will not be locked into a restricted panel of providers. The Pioneer ACO Model is not a health plan or managed care plan. Under the Pioneer ACO Model, beneficiaries seeing doctors participating in an ACO will maintain the ability to see any doctor or healthcare provider, as well as the full benefits associated with traditional Medicare.

“This is a complete win for the Medicare beneficiaries in our communities”, said Tara Canty, Senior VP OSF Healthcare System, “OSF collaborates with CMS and other major health care systems in the country to find innovative approaches to improving how we care for patients. The patients still have all of the choices they have today; services and care improves for them when they go to OSF.”

If Medicare beneficiaries have questions or concerns, they can call the ASK OSF Call Center at (888) 627-5673 – Option 5, or beneficiaries can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048) or visit www.medicare.gov.

OSF Healthcare System, owned and operated by The Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, Peoria, Illinois, includes OSF Healthcare System consisting of six acute care facilities in Illinois and one in Michigan, one long-term care facility and two colleges of nursing. It also has a physician organization, OSF Medical Group that includes a multi-specialty group of more than 650 member physicians and advanced practitioners in more than 90 locations throughout Illinois. OSF owns an extensive network of home health services in Illinois and Michigan known as OSF Home Care Services and also owns OSF Saint Francis, Inc., comprised of healthcare-related businesses, and OSF Healthcare Foundation, the philanthropic arm of OSF Healthcare System and OSF Home Care. The OSF Healthcare System Pioneer ACO includes only those facilities, services and programs available in Central Illinois.

TICKETS AVAILABLE

Each year, in loving memory of his mother, future hall of fame major league baseball player and central Illinois native Jim Thome hosts a memorable evening featuring silent and live auctions, dinner, and special program to benefit Children’s Hospital of Illinois.

This premier benefit will be held Saturday, January 14, 2012 in the Peoria Civic Center Ballroom beginning at 6:00 PM.

2012 marks the 17th anniversary of the Joyce Thome Benefit for Children’s Hospital hosted by Jim Thome! A record breaking $259,875 was raised last year with more than 650 guests from all over the country attending.

Presenting partners for the evening are The Chicago White Sox, ATS, and Humana.

Tickets are $125 each or tables of 10 for $1000.

To reserve your table, call the Children’s Hospital of Illinois Foundation at 309.566.5666.

The University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria marked a milestone in cancer research today with a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of a new 24,000 square foot cancer research center. This remarkable new building will further the research of internationally known scientist Dr. Jasti Rao and his team of cancer researchers. The new laboratory space will also help the College to recruit additional bright and talented cancer researchers.

“My life’s goal is to improve the quality of life and survival rates for cancer patients,” said Dr. Rao, Senior Associate Dean for Research. “I have always dreamed of having a facility and the necessary funds to recruit other research experts to help reach these goals.”

The new facility will expand the already successful cancer research program. Since its inception in 2001, the cancer research program has received over $27.7 million in grants and published 150 papers. Dr. Rao has discovered and patented a promising new anti-cancer treatment. This patented discovery is now being safety tested before progressing to trials in humans.

The cancer research center project has been a collaborative effort between UICOMP, the Heartland Partnership and numerous key stakeholders throughout the region. “This new and modern building represents the bright future of the College of Medicine. It symbolizes how our community works together to accomplish great things,” said Regional Dean Dr. Sara Rusch. She acknowledged the community, university, city, state and federal support for the program. “Our community is blessed with great leadership and we’ve united behind our desire to cure this dreaded disease.”

The Board of Directors of Methodist Health Services Corporation, the parent organization of Methodist Medical Center of Illinois, has announced the appointment of Deborah R. (Debbie) Simon as Methodist’s President and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.

Simon replaces Michael Bryant, who served as Methodist’s President and CEO for 12 years.

In announcing the selection, Methodist Board Chair Karen Stumpe said, “The Board was impressed with the level of trust afforded Debbie by the employees, physicians, and our community. We’ve seen how her passion for the Methodist mission of delivering outstanding healthcare is energizing the organization, and we believe she is the right choice to lead Methodist to an even higher level of excellence.”

In response to the Board’s decision, Bill Leaver, President and CEO of Iowa Health System said, “Debbie’s experience and credentials make her an outstanding choice to lead Methodist. We welcome Debbie as her experience at Methodist has prepared her well to lead Methodist into the future.”

As of October 1, 2011, Methodist is a senior affiliate of Iowa Health System, based in Des Moines, Iowa.

Simon has been interim President and Chief Executive Officer since July 2011. With 34 years of health care leadership at Methodist, Simon has demonstrated commitment to organizational improvement, physician integration, financial stability and the enhancement of patient care. Simon, who began her nursing career with Methodist in 1976, has served as Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer/Chief Nursing Officer, since 1999.

A resident of Pekin, Illinois, Simon has a BSN from the University of Illinois, an MBA from Bradley University, and is a Wharton Nurse Executive Fellow and a Henry Crown Leadership Fellow from the Aspen Institute. She is actively involved in the community, having served on several Boards including the Peoria and Pekin Area Chambers of Commerce, Advanced Medical Transport, National Council of Advisors for the Bradley University Foster College of Business, United Way and St. Jude. Simon is currently a member of the CEO Roundtable and the Boards of Quality Quest for Health and PeoriaNext. She is also a member of Grace United Methodist Church. Simon and her husband, Rick, have one son, David.