Home Educator Classes at the Peoria ZooThe Peoria Zoo offers classes for children ages 5-13 who are home educated. Make science more exciting as we explore a new topic each month that helps to meet state education standards. Parents are welcome to attend but are not required. If classes fill, alternate dates may be available. Fee for each class: $5 for Zoo members/$9 for non-members.

Day-Date Time Topic
W: 8/10 10-11:30 am Spineless Wonders (invertebrates)
W: 9/14 10-11:30 am Migration Moves
W: 11/9 10-11:30 am Animal Transformations (metamorphosis)
W: 12/4 10-11:30 am DEFENSE!

If you have questions or for more information, call the Peoria Zoo Education Department at (309) 681-3513.

Zoo Tots Program at Peoria Zoo
Peoria Zoo offers education programs for children ages 2 to 4. The program, Zoo Tots, is designed for you and your child to explore the amazing world of animals. Fee for each class is $5 for Zoo members/$10 for non-members.

Day-Date Time Topic
Sa: 8/13 & Th: 8/18 10-10:50 am Remarkable Reptiles
Sa: 9/10 & Th: 9/15 10-10:50 am It All Makes Sense
Sa: 11/12 & Th: 11/17 10-10:50 am Hike and Seek (camouflage)
Sa: 12/10 & Th: 12/15 10-10:50 am All in the Family
Please pre-register for these classes by calling 681-3513. If you have questions or for more information, call the Peoria Zoo Education Department at 681-3513.

According to the National Weather Service, an extended period of hot and humid weather is coming up this weekend. This high pressure system will bring oppressive heat and humidity to central Illinois. This weather is not unlike what we have experienced recently, only it will be over a longer period of time.

The American Red Cross would like to encourage residents to prepare now for the coming heat wave. As temperatures and humidity levels soar, protecting yourself and others from overheating is critical to avoid a potential heat-related illness. Here are some easy tips for staying safe during heat waves:

• Never leave a child or pet in a parked car – even for a few minutes. The inside temperature of a car can quickly reach 120 degrees.
• Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of fluids throughout the day – even if you don’t feel thirsty. Avoid drinks with caffeine or alcohol that dehydrate the body.
• Dress for the heat. Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored clothing in layers. Avoid dark colors that absorb the sun’s rays.
• If you must work outdoors, take frequent breaks to hydrate and cool yourself. Avoid strenuous exercise during the hottest part of the day.
• Protect yourself from sun exposure even on cloudy or hazy days. In addition to dressing for heat, apply a broad-spectrum (protection against both UVA and UVB rays) sunscreen and reapply as indicated, wear eye protection (wraparound sunglasses that provide 100 percent UV ray protection) and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
• If you do not have air conditioning, know where you will go to escape the heat. During this heat wave, temperatures at night will not cool down enough to provide relief from the heat. If you are in your home, go to the lowest level out of the sunshine or go to cooling centers in your area.
• Be a good neighbor. Check in on the elderly, young children and pets to make sure they are not suffering from the heat.

Red Cross holds golf outing to raise money for services to the community

The Central Illinois Chapter is pleased to announce that the 1st Annual “Golf FORE the Red Cross” outing will be held at Metamora Fields Golf Club on Thursday, September 1, 2011.

The mission of the American Red Cross is to help people prevent, prepare for and cope with emergencies. Our chapter serves 10 counties and more than 700,000 people by offering a wide array of assistance including:
• Services to military members and their families
• CPR, First Aid and AED training
• Traffic safety education
• Youth education classes
• Disaster assistance
• Disaster preparedness and planning

To continue these efforts we rely on donations from our friends and neighbors right here in central Illinois.

Individuals that are interested in participating in the event should visit www.redcrossillinois.org/golf to download an entry form. Entry Deadline August 24, 2011 at 5:00p.m. All entries must be paid by the deadline.

Businesses that would like to consider contributing to the event should call John Wahlfeld at 677-7272 x214.

A Washington, Illinois volunteer has been honored for her outstanding service to Methodist Medical Center. Michael Bryant, President and CEO, presented a Community Ambassador Award to Barbara Spurgeon in recognition for over 30 years and nearly 18,000 hours of volunteer service to the hospital.

Spurgeon, a graduate of the Methodist School of Nursing, was also presented an honorary Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree by the Faculty and Board of Directors of the Methodist College of Nursing.

A native of Washington, Spurgeon has been a strong supporter of the Methodist Medical Center Foundation for over 25 years and is a lifetime member of the Foundation’s President’s Society. She has also raised support for the Methodist College of Nursing Scholarship Fund and Endowment Fund.

In presenting the award July 13, Bryant said, “Barbara has been instrumental as a volunteer and as a long-time board member of the Methodist Medical Center Foundation. She epitomizes the values of Methodist. She is committed to patients, service and community.”

Tradition of hosting informative women’s health and well-being event continues as Kramer transitions to Senara Health and Healing Center and Senara Spa (Senara)

Kramer, which is in the process of transitioning its name to Senara, will host its sixth annual “Girls Night In” event on Thursday, July 21 at Mt. Hawley Country Club, 7724 N. Knoxville Ave. The popular event, which is expected to draw more than 200 attendees, features lectures and breakout sessions focused on women’s health and general well-being, with topics covered ranging from diet and exercise to yoga and green living.

Aromatherapy massages, food and drinks are also on the agenda. The event is open to Kramer/Senara patrons, their guests and the public. Registration starts at 5 p.m., with activities taking place throughout the evening until 9 p.m. Women interested in attending the event should RSVP by July 19 by calling 309-693-9600 or via email to KramerChiroAcu@sbcglobal.net.

Dr. Keith Kramer and his wife, Penny, sponsor Girls Night In. “It gives us a great way to show how passionately we care about women’s health and well-being issues,” said Dr. Kramer. “We focus the entire evening on making it enjoyable for our guests to learn more about how they can ‘live life well.’”

Penny Kramer said the overwhelmingly positive response from guests attending in the past played a major role in continuing to host the event. “Yes, Kramer is going to be a lot different when we move into our new building this November as Senara,” she said. “But our guests have let us know how much they love this event. So it will stay with us and become a Senara tradition now. In fact, it will be better than ever, because we’re going to be incorporating activities related to the expanded services we’ll be providing at our Senara Spa.”

EcoThermics Corporation announces addition of a new laboratory in Lenexa, Kansas. While, the EcoThermics corporate office and initial research and development lab will remain housed at the Peoria NEXT Innovation Center, a primary objective of the Lenexa lab is to test EcoThermics products against industry standard applications on a third party basis.

Mr. Stanley J. Demster, PE, a well-known industry innovator, will direct lab operations that will be used to demonstrate full scale compressors and systems operating in a computer controlled cycle to simulate equipment configurations found in typical applications. EcoThermics has two unique CO2 compressor models in development. The next step is to design an HVAC heat pump system which combines the latest CO2 technology and components for a variety of applications – primarily heating of air and water, and with ancillary cooling capabilities as well. “Most every house, building and factory could benefit from these innovations, which will not only significantly reduce energy costs but also the huge electrical demand surge that is overloading our electrical grid today” according to Demster.

EcoThermics was founded in 2007. Merle Rocke as Chairman and CEO says in just over three years and with only $5 million dollars, EcoThermics has done what large corporations spend decades and scores of millions of dollars trying to do. “We have a passionate team that has worked tirelessly because we believe in the importance and potential of our technology.” Rocke says local support has played in the successful nurturing of this technology from a seed to a sapling. “Organizations including Heartland Partnership, Caterpillar, the Strategic Manufacturing Group, Bradley University, Peoria NEXT, local component suppliers, angel investors and our business and technical advisory board have been absolutely crucial to our ongoing development and commercialization.”

In early June, the Peoria Symphony Orchestra held an Open House at Grace Presbyterian Church, which is one of the PSO’s new venues for its 2011/2012 season. Those who attended were impressed and delighted with what they saw, and commented that Grace will undoubtedly provide a great concert experience.

Due to the positive response, the PSO and Grace will hold another Open House on Wednesday, July 20 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. PSO staff will be on hand to answer any questions that PSO patrons may have regarding their seats.

The PSO’s 114th season begins on Saturday, September 17 as Maestro George Stelluto and the orchestra welcome renowned pianist Jorge Osoria and guest conductor James DePreist for perfromances of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 and the Finale to Mahler’s Symphony No. 3.

Grace Presbyterian Church is located at 8607 N. Route 91 in Peoria. Take U.S. Route 150 (War Memorial Drive) to the west side of Peoria near the Shoppes at Grand Prairie. Turn north onto Route 91 and drive 1.2 miles, the church is located on the left across from the OSF Center for Health.

Nation’s Most Wired Hospitals Make Progress in Adoption of Health Information Technology

Methodist Medical Center has been recognized as one of the nation’s “MOST WIRED” hospitals, according to the results of the 2011 Most Wired Survey released today in the July issue of Hospitals & Health Networks magazine.

The nation’s Most Wired hospitals are making progress towards greater health information technology (IT) adoption, according to Hospitals & Health Networks’ 2011 Most Wired Survey released today. As a field, hospitals are focused on expanding and adopting certain kinds of IT, such as computerized physician order entry (CPOE), to promote improved patient care and data collection.

“Our efficiencies, quality measures, safety and patient satisfaction scores all reflect the positive impact that automation has had at Methodist Medical Center of Illinois,” said Steven Riney, Methodist Vice President and Chief Information Officer. “We are very data-driven. Automation has enabled us to make major improvements in safety, service, and clinical outcomes for our patients.”

“Independent assessments demonstrate that Methodist not only leads the local market, but we also lead on a national basis,” said Deborah R. Simon, Interim President and CEO for Methodist. “Our designation as a 2011 Most Wired Hospital confirms that. Fewer than 150 of the almost 6,000 hospitals in the U.S. were recognized for this achievement.”

Most Wired hospitals have made great strides forward in this area with the survey results revealing strong advances in CPOE. Among the key findings this year:

• Sixty-seven percent of Most Wired hospitals ordered medications electronically in comparison to 46 percent of the total responders.
• Fifty-eight percent of all organizations reported that they have implemented computerized standing orders based on treatment protocols that have been scientifically proven to be effective; in the Most Wired group, 86 percent have implemented such standing orders.
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A greater reliance on digital records puts pressure on Chief Information Officers (CIOs) to ensure that data can be restored quickly in the event that systems go down. Eighty-two percent of the Most Wired hospitals and 57 percent of all surveyed hospitals can restore clinical data within 24 hours after a power loss.

· Most Wired hospitals are leading in the use of encryption on movable devices to safeguard information. All Most Wired hospitals encrypt data for laptops and 76 percent encrypt smart phones in comparison to 85 percent of total responders that use encryption on laptops and 57 percent on smart phones.

“Greater adoption of IT can bring important new tools to our efforts to improve the safety and quality of care in hospitals, and better coordinate care across settings,” says Rich Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the AHA. “To promote further use of information technology, we are aggressively working to remove regulatory barriers, and provide clarity in areas such as the meaningful use criteria.”

Hospitals & Health Networks’ Most Wired Survey, conducted between Jan. 15 and March 15, asked hospitals and health systems nationwide to answer questions regarding their IT initiatives. Respondents completed 530 surveys, representing 1,388 hospitals, or roughly 24 percent of all U.S. hospitals.

“Most hospitals look beyond short-term drivers of meaningful use and view technology as part of a powerful toolkit to support their long-term goals for clinical quality improvement and preparation for reform,” said Patrick Blake, executive vice president and group president, McKesson Technology Solutions, a sponsor of the survey. “Using all aspects of an electronic health record, including CPOE, is becoming the expected standard of care in many communities. As a result, we continue to see growth in those areas.”

Strides are also being made in the integration of the electronic health records with digital clinical imaging, according to survey results. Progress in the areas of digital dictation, structured reporting, and voice recognition with picture archiving and communication systems is also being made. Under these systems, clinicians receive faster diagnostic results that can improve aspects of patient care.

The July H&HN cover story detailing results is available at www.hhnmag.com.

Celebrating Recovery in Motion One Step at a Time

The Proctor Health Care Foundation and the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery at Proctor Hospital are pleased to announce Recovery Walks! 2011 Saturday, September 24.

The Walk, to benefit the Ameel Rashid Scholarship for Addiction Recovery, will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on the campus of Proctor Hospital. The Walk steps-off at 12:00 p.m.

It all begins at 10:00 a.m. with plenty of fellowship; great entertainment providing by Band of Friends and Danny Blakey; balloon creations by Unique Twist; face painting; morning and afternoon refreshments; and one of the most popular silent auctions in central Illinois.

All proceeds from the Walk benefit the Ameel Rashid Scholarship for Addiction Recovery which helps individuals who are appropriate for treatment services at the IIAR but are unable to meet the financial requirements.

Registration for the Walk is just $20.00 per person and $15.00 for children 12 and under. Families may register for $50.00.

There are four steps in support of Recovery Walks 2011: individual walkers; families; steppers – create your own team!; and donors – if you cannot attend the Walk you can still participate by becoming a Walk donor.

Registration information is available at www.addictionrecov.org. For those who consider themselves in recovery, there is an Honor Guard and respective years in recovery will be celebrated by shirt colors: 0-9 years, 10-19, 20-29 years, and 30 or more years. To guarantee t-shirt size and color, please register by September 2. T-shirt pick-up is Thursday, September 22 from 2:00-8:00 p.m. or the day of the Walk.

Contact Laura Schoon at (309) 693-0414

Proctor Health Care is pleased to announce the association of Andrew C. Bland, M.D., M.B.A., as Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Medical Affairs at Proctor Health Care effective August 1, 2011. Dr. Bland was most recently a partner with the Illinois Kidney Disease and Hypertension Center in Peoria.

A graduate of the University of Illinois College of Liberal Arts (cell and structural biology), Champaign, IL; Dr. Bland graduated with honors and was a James Scholar in Independent Study. He received his medical degree from the University Of Illinois College Of Medicine at Peoria, where he graduated with honors and was a James Scholar in Independent Study.

He completed his combined Internal Medicine and Pediatrics residency at St. Francis Medical Center, Peoria; Fellowship Program in Nephrology at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics; and his M.B.A. in Medical Management from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

Dr. Bland is a life member of the American College of Physician Executives; an American College of Physicians, Fellow; and American Academy of Pediatrics, Fellow.

As a Partner with the Illinois Kidney Disease and Hypertension Center, Dr. Bland was the Rotation Director in renal medicine working with medical students and residents, winning both the Sub-specialist and Combined Medical and Pediatric Physician of the Year.

While Medical Director and Managing Partner in the Center’s Research Division he brought state-of-the-art medical therapy to the practice and developed mission, vision, and protocols for the division. As Chair of the Center’s Electronic Medical Record Committee, he developed a multi-disciplinary committee that created the vision and executed implementation of the practice-wide electronic medical record.

He is currently an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University Of Illinois College Of Medicine at Peoria.

Dr. Bland’s commitment to the Peoria-area community is just as notable as his educational and medical accomplishments.

He is currently the President of the Limestone Fire Protection District Board of Trustees; Religious Education Teacher with St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, Bartonville; Member, Diocesan Health Care Committee; and President of the Parrish Council, St. Anthony’s Catholic Church.