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[JUNE 27, 2001]  Despite decades of research showing men live shorter lives than women and have higher rates of serious diseases, studies show men do not take as much interest in their personal health as women.

Men’s health facts

• One in three men will die from either a heart attack or stroke.

• Exercise can reduce the risk of heart disease by half.

• Sixty percent of men do not take enough exercise to benefit their health.

• Exercise might prevent the development of one in four cases of diabetes mellitus.

• The current life expectancy of American men is an average of 72.5 years.

"I don’t think men think they will get sick," said Dayle Eldredge, director of the community health program at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital. "It’s all tied up with the feeling they have that they are responsible for other things, like work and family."

Eldredge, who is also coordinator of the Rural Health Partnership program, said there are more men taking advantage of the mobile unit now than ever before, and half of the client base is male. She thinks the convenience of the program draws more clients, especially farmers, who find it easier than scheduling a doctor’s appointment.

Men continue to have a higher death rate in every one of 10 leading causes of death, including heart disease, cancer, stroke and chronic lung disease. The current life expectancy of American men is an average of 72.5 years, while for women it is 78.9.

National health statistics show this gap in life expectancy between men and women has remained steady since the 1950s, and in the case of some illnesses, such as cancer, the gap has actually widened. In 1920, the life-expectancy gap between men and women was only about one year.

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Even though more men and their families are now aware about the need to get regular health checkups, exercise more and improve their diets, the gender gap between men and women when it comes to personal health and life expectancy continues to be a major national health problem. Health care experts know that regular checkups by a physician can be crucial to early detection and treatment of diseases, such as prostate cancer in men. A study by the American Academy of Family Physicians showed women visited their family physicians more than twice as often as men.

"In general, men know they should go to the doctor, but they don’t always do it. In the
past, not very much attention has been paid to men’s health issues. It’s just as important
for men to get tested for prostate and testicular cancer as it is for women to be tested for
ovarian cancer," Eldredge said.

Medical experts cite several reasons why men do not have the same level of interest in
their health as women. Men simply do not see themselves as vulnerable to serious illness
and are not as comfortable going to the doctor. Because of birth control and pregnancy
issues, as well as increased public awareness of breast cancer issues, women generally are more attuned to the need for regular health checkups and preventive health care.

As a general rule, men between the ages of 18 and 75 should be encouraged to have
periodic blood pressure, height, weight, dental, vision and hearing checks. Men between
35 and 65 years of age should have cholesterol checks every five years, and men between
50 and 75 should have yearly colorectal cancer tests. It's also advisable that men have
yearly influenza vaccinations and tetanus-diphtheria vaccinations every 10 years.

(To be continued)

[Penny Zimmerman-Wills]

[JUNE 25, 2001]  One out of every five American men will develop prostate cancer in his lifetime, and local health officials say it can strike men of all ages. Local and state health officials are working to get the word out about this disease this month during Men’s Health Month.

The best protection against the cancer is to have regular medical checkups that include a thorough prostate exam. Screening procedures can detect prostate cancer in its early stages.

Most cases of early prostate cancer carry no symptoms and are detected only by a screening exam. The best way to find prostate cancer is to have a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and a digital rectal exam (DRE) performed. Some prostate cancers may be detected during evaluation of symptoms, which include a slow or weakened urinary stream or need to urinate more often. Symptoms of advanced prostate cancer include impotence, blood in the urine, swollen lymph nodes in the groin area and pain in the pelvis, spine, hips or ribs. However, these symptoms can be present with other diseases also.

The IDPH advises men 50 years of age and older to ask their doctors about having the PSA and DRE test every year. Black American men and men with close family members who have had prostate cancer should consider starting screenings at a younger age. A national study shows that while the adult male population is very aware of prostate cancer and knows the risk factors involved, doctors are talking to only one out of two male patients about the disease. At the same time, adult males are not taking the necessary steps to reduce their risk. Health experts advise all men to take care of their health by seeing a doctor regularly, reporting symptoms and taking part in a healthy lifestyle.

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According to the American Cancer Society, the survival rate for all stages of prostate cancer combined has increased from 50 to 87 percent over the last 30 years. Due to early detection and better screening methods, nearly 60 percent of the tumors are diagnosed while they are still confined to the prostate gland. The five-year survival rate for early-stage cancers is almost 99 percent. Sixty-three percent of the patients survive 10 years, and 51 percent survive 15 years after initial diagnosis.

Because the cause of the cancer is not known, there is no definite way to prevent prostate cancer. However, the ACS recommends that all men over age 40 have an annual rectal exam and that men have an annual PSA test beginning at age 50. Those who have a higher-than-average risk, including black American men and men with a family history of prostate cancer, should begin annual PSA testing even earlier, starting at age 45. A diet low in fat may slow the progression of prostate cancer. To reduce the risk of prostrate cancer, the ACS recommends a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and dietary fiber, and low in red meat and saturated fats.

[Penny Zimmerman-Wills]

[JUNE 23, 2001]  One out of every five American men will develop prostate cancer in his lifetime, and local health officials say it can strike men of all ages. Local and state health officials are working to get the word out about this disease this month during Men’s Health Month.

Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer diagnosed in American men, excluding skin cancer. In Illinois, an estimated 8,300 new cases were diagnosed in 1998, and more than 80 percent of those were in men 65 years of age and older, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Dayle Eldredge, program director of the Rural Health Partnership, said that although the disease usually strikes older men, it can affect men of all ages. "I think prostate and testicular cancer and illnesses are very common in men, especially those of middle age and older. Women have a high instance of breast cancer, and men have problems with those two areas. It’s a gender thing," Eldredge said.

"I would say it crosses age lines. There’s evidence that men in their 30s and even younger men can have problems with these two areas, but it usually occurs later, in men aged 35 and up. Once men reach their mid to late 70s and early 80s, instances are often greater, but the necessity for invasive treatments are often less."

Eldredge, whose own father suffered from prostate cancer, said it’s a health issue men of all ages should be aware of. Prostate cancer is now the second leading cause of cancer death in men, exceeded only by lung cancer. Statistics show that 3 percent of men who develop the disease will die from it — an estimated 1,800 men in Illinois in 1998.

In the early stages, the disease stays localized and does not endanger life. Without treatment, however, the cancer can spread to other tissues and eventually cause death. Most of the time, prostate cancer grows very slowly but sometimes can grow quickly and spread to other parts of the body — a factor more common in younger men.

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Prostate cancer is a disease in which the cells of the prostate become abnormal and start to grow uncontrollably, forming tumors. Tumors that can spread to other parts of the body are called malignant tumors or cancers. Tumors that incapable of spreading are said to be benign.

The American Cancer Society estimates that in 1998 at least 185,000 new cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed nationwide and were the cause of at least 40,000 deaths. Because it may take many years for the cancer to develop, many men with the disease will probably die of other causes rather than from the cancer itself.

Prostate cancer affects black American men twice as often as it does Caucasian men, and the mortality rate among black Americans is also two times higher. Black Americans have the highest rate of prostate cancer in the world.

While the cause of this disease is not known, according to the public health officials, there may be a genetic link that causes some men to develop the disease. Certain risk factors are linked to the disease, including smoking, a person’s age or race, and a high-fat diet. While only one in 100,000 men will get prostate cancer under the age of 40, the frequency rise to 1,326 cases for men between 70 and 74 years of age. Workers in the electroplating and welding industries who are exposed to the metal cadmium, as well as rubber industry workers, appear to have a higher than average risk. 

(To be continued)

[Penny Zimmerman-Wills]

[Click here for Part 2]

[JUNE 1, 2001]  By August the average age of doctors practicing at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital will be dramatically lower and the new maternity suites and women’s health center will be in use.

Woody Hester, ALMH president and chief executive officer, said that when the women’s health center opens in July every clinical space in the hospital will have been renovated since 1993. After three new doctors begin practice in August, the average age of the medical staff will drop more than 10 years to 40. The change is so dramatic as almost to constitute a "changing of the guard," he said.

Two new doctors, Kristen Green and Melissa Hardiek, will be affiliated with Lincoln Health Care Specialists, located in the hospital, and one, Richard Bivin, at Family Medical Center, 515 N. College St. Green’s specialties are obstetrics and gynecology, Hardiek emphasizes internal medicine and pediatrics, and Bivin’s medical interests include geriatrics, pediatrics, preventative medicine, sports medicine, and obstetrics and gynecology.

All three new doctors are board certified or board eligible in their specialties, as are nearly all members of the ALMH medical staff. Board eligible means all training is complete, but the doctor must practice for a specified period of time before taking the certification exam. "Board certification is the new gold standard in medical care," Hester said at one of several breakfasts held for community members. Not only must specialists pass intensive exams to earn board certification, but they must take additional exams periodically throughout their practice. In addition, Hester emphasized that ALMH seeks certified nursing assistants instead of those who are uncertified.

The new maternity suites are called LDRP rooms, meaning that labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum care all take place in the same homelike room. The third-floor women’s health center will handle inpatient and outpatient women’s services, including gynecological surgery. Hester said both areas will be ready for state inspection by June 4; the state then has 30 days to decide on approval. The hospital will host an open house to showcase the new facilities.

[The new hallway leading into surgery at ALMH is more inviting than the old green walls and black flooring.]

Recent renovations, completed in July 1999, include the surgical area, rehabilitation facility and intensive care unit. In the sterile surgical area on the second floor, three large operating rooms connect to a hallway. Along the same hall outside the sterile area is a fourth operating room for endoscopy. Hester said that 120 to 170 surgeries are performed at ALMH every month. The rehabilitation facility, now located on the first floor for easier access, has about 90 percent new equipment.

[Ground-floor placement of the new rehabilitation facility at ALMH brightens the area with natural light as well as about 90 percent new equipment.]

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The medical manpower plan developed by the ALMH board of trustees calls for one more primary-care doctor, one full-time surgeon and one full-time orthopedic surgeon. Hester said these are being recruited in conjunction with the two medical groups. Although excellent surgeons now provide services at ALMH three days a week, a full-time surgeon would be nearby for emergency surgery, such as an appendectomy. While the full-time medical staff will return to its 1995 level of 18 when the three new doctors arrive, the list of consulting specialists has grown from 28 to 51 during the same period of time.

Nearly as much has been spent on improved technology as on building renovation, according to Hester. "We can’t wear equipment out," he said. Instead, improved technology is developed and the hospital acquires it, trading in the old equipment for use in Third World countries. Sometimes the technologically advanced replacement costs less than the earlier equipment. For example, a CT scanner will be replaced this year. The old one cost $1.2 million slightly over five years ago; the new one costs $400,000.

Hester said ALMH is committed to providing the same care and the same technology a patient would receive at a hospital in surrounding cities such as Peoria or Bloomington. In addition, it offers the personal care of a small hospital. One example is the privacy afforded by registering behind a closed door. Hester is proud of the 1-5 nurse-to-patient ratio offered in Lincoln, as opposed to the 1-8 ratio common in larger hospitals.

ALMH operates on a paper-thin profit margin, Hester said. Several factors combine to lower income. First, ALMH never denies or modifies care based on ability to pay, so in some cases services are provided free.

In addition, Medicaid and Medicare take money out of hospitals. The state reimburses only 48 cents on the dollar for hospital costs of Medicaid patients, so ALMH experiences a 52 percent loss on services provided to these patients. Medicare pays a set fee for each diagnosis, resulting in a loss on some patients and a gain on others. Since the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, however, hospitals lose on most Medicare patients, Hester said. And ALMH has a larger percentage of Medicare patients than do large urban hospitals — 8 to 10 percent more. About 65 percent of patients receive either Medicare or Medicaid.

Hester used a pie chart to show the results of a study of how many Logan County patients get their hospital care locally. In 1999, 49.8 percent of patients from ZIP code 62656 were treated at ALMH. Of the remaining 50.2 percent, 84.3 percent were treated in Springfield. About 15 to 20 percent of the total patients have conditions that ALMH is not equipped to treat, such as cardiac bypass surgery, organ transplants and burn therapy, so the ideal percentage of admissions the hospital could attain is 80. Springfield receives a larger share of out-of-county admissions than it did 10 years ago; Hester attributes the shift to the September1994 affiliation of ALMH, and of its medical staff, with Memorial Health System in Springfield. He emphasized that, despite the connection between the two hospitals, all dollars made or donated in Lincoln stay in Lincoln.

According to Hester, more than 75 percent of local hospital care is now provided on an outpatient basis, reversing the concentration of two decades ago. Small hospitals that have not been able to adapt have had to close. He said 12 small hospitals in Illinois have closed in the last 11 years.

[Lynn Spellman]

[JUNE 1, 2001]  The Illinois WIC Program provides monthly services through 95 local agency providers statewide, including the Logan County Health Department, to more than 240,000 pregnant, portpartum and breastfeeding women and to infants and children up to the age of 5 years. Eligibility is based on health or nutrition risks and income guidelines. Even if you are working, you may be on WIC. Nearly one of every three births in Illinois receives WIC services.  

WIC is the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. It is administered in Illinois by the Department of Human Services.

WIC provides nutrition education and counseling, breastfeeding support, and food vouchers to help new mothers, babies and children get the right foods that they need for proper growth and development. WIC also provides referrals and coordinates services with other community maternal, prenatal and child health care services for a targeted high-risk population. It is a prevention program designed to influence lifetime nutrition and health behaviors.

WIC is NOT welfare. 

WIC will NOT cut down on your food stamps or keep your child out of Head Start.

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How can you find out if you qualify?

You are eligible if you are:

• Pregnant.
• Breastfeeding.
• An infant.

• A child 1 to 5 years old.

You also must:

• Live in Logan County.

• Meet the required income guidelines.

WIC gives you FREE foods such as milk, eggs, cheese, juice, dried peas or beans, and iron-fortified infant formula.

The WIC program provides foods that contain nutrients you and your child need to stay healthy.

Call the Logan County Health Department at (217) 735-2317 to schedule an appointment. To get more information on this and other exciting programs, you can also visit the website at www.logancountyhealth.org.

[News release]

Honors & Awards

Announcements

[JUNE 7, 2001]  In conjunction with Men’s Health Month, the Rural Health Partnership is providing prostate and testicular cancer education and awareness information during the month of June.

Through a grant from the Illinois Department of Public Health Office of Health Promotion, informational and educational packets on prostate and testicular cancer screening will be available during the month at locations throughout Logan County, including area pharmacies, physician offices, barbershops and the Logan County Health Department. Information packets are also available on the Rural Health Partnership’s Mobile Health Unit in outlying areas of the county.

For additional information, contact Program Director Dayle Eldredge at (217) 732-2161, Ext. 409.

[News release]

[JUNE 1, 2001]   

Senior Sunday — June 3, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Reservations required. Call 732-2161, Ext. 195.

Free Blood Pressure Screenings — June 5, 7, 12, 14, 19, 21, 26 and 28, 9 a.m. to noon, first floor waiting area. No appointment necessary.

Pain Management Service — June 11 and 25, on fourth floor. Physician referral required. Call (217) 732-2161, Ext.403 or 444 for more information.

Laser Clinic — Thursday, June 14, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., on fourth floor. Call (217) 732-2161, Ext. 444 for more information.

Pediatric Cardiology Clinic — Friday, June 15, on fourth floor. Call (217) 732-2161, Ext. 444 for more information.

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Congestive Heart Failure/Diabetes Support Group — Monday, June 18, 7 p.m., Conference Room A. Call 217-732-2161, Ext. 443 for more information.

Breast Cancer Awareness — Tuesday, June 19, 7 p.m., Conference Room A. Call 217-732-2161, Ext. 443 for more information.

Parkinson’s Support Group — Monday, June 25, 7 p.m., Conference Room A. Call (217) 732-2161, Ext. 427 for more information

"Always In Our Hearts" Bereavement Support Group — Thursday, June 28, 1-3 p.m., in fifth floor Physician’s Lounge. Call (217) 732-2161, Ext. 405 for more information.

[ALMH news release]

The Rural Health Partnership has announced the schedule for its mobile health unit. Effective Feb. 1, 2001, the unit will run as follows:

For more information on the mobile health unit schedule and services, contact Dayle Eldredge at (217) 732-2161, Ext. 409.

This family resource list to save and use is provided by the Healthy Communities Partnership (732-2161, Ext. 409) and the Healthy Families Task Force.         

Resources for Logan County families

Agency	Phone number	Address
911	911 (Emergencies) 732-3911 (Office -- non-emergency)	911 Pekin St. Lincoln, IL 62656
Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital	732-2161	315 Eighth St. Lincoln, IL 62656
Aging (Department of)	785-3356	421 E. Capitol, #100 Springfield, IL 62701-1789
American Cancer Society	546-7586 (24 hour)	1305 Wabash, Ste. J Springfield, IL 62704
American Red Cross	732-2134 1-800-412-0100	125 S. Kickapoo Lincoln, IL 62656
Catholic Social Services	732-3771	310 S. Logan Lincoln, IL 62656
Chamber of Commerce	735-2385	303 S. Kickapoo St. Lincoln, IL 62656
Community Action (CIEDC)	732-2159	1800 Fifth St. Lincoln, IL 62656
Community Child Care Connection	525-2805 1-800-676-2805	1004 N. Milton Ave. Springfield, IL 62702-443
Crisis Pregnancy Center	735-4838	513 Pulaski St. Lincoln, IL 62656
DCFS (Department of Children & Family Services)	735-4402 1-800-252-2873 (crisis hotline)	1100 Keokuk St. Lincoln, IL 62656
Heartland Community College GED Program	735-1731	620 Broadway St. Lincoln, IL 62656
Hospice Care of Illinois	1-800-342-4862 (24 hour) 732-2161, Ext. 444	720 N. Bond Springfield, IL 62702
Housing Authority	732-7776 732-6312 (24 hour)	1028 N. College St. Lincoln, IL 62656
Illinois Breast & Cervical Cancer Program	735-2317 1-800-269-4019	LCHD - 109 Third St. Lincoln, IL 62656
Illinois Department of Public Health	782-4977	535 W. Jefferson Springfield, IL 62761
Illinois Employment & Training Center (JTPA)	735-5441	812 Lincoln Ave. Lincoln, IL 62656
Legal Assistance Foundation	(217) 753-3300 1-800-252-8629	730 E. Vine St., Ste. 214 Springfield, IL 62703
Library - Atlanta	(217) 648-2112	100 Race St. Atlanta, IL 61723
Library - Elkhart	(217) 947-2313	121 E. Bohan Elkhart, IL 62634
Library - Lincoln	732-8878	725 Pekin St. Lincoln, IL 62656
Library - Mount Pulaski	792-5919	320 N. Washington Mount Pulaski, IL 62548
Lincoln Area YMCA	735-3915	319 W. Kickapoo St. Lincoln, IL 62656
Lincoln/Logan Food Pantry	732-2204	P.O. Box 773 Lincoln, IL 62656
Lincoln Parents’ Center	735-4192	100 S. Maple Lincoln, IL 62656
Lincoln Park District	732-8770	1400 Primm Rd. Lincoln, IL 62656
Logan County Department of Human Services (Public Aid)	735-2306	1550 Fourth St., P.O. Box 310 Lincoln, IL 62656
Logan County Health Department	735-2317	109 Third St., P.O. Box 508 Lincoln, IL 62656
Logan Mason Mental Health	735-2272 1-888-832-3600 (crisis line)	304 Eighth St. Lincoln, IL 62656
Logan-Mason Rehabilitation Center	735-1413	760 S. Postville Dr. Lincoln, IL 62656
Oasis (Senior Citizens of Logan County)	732-6132	501 Pulaski St. Lincoln, IL 62656
Project READ	735-1731	620 Broadway St. Lincoln, IL 62656
Salvation Army	732-7890	1501 N. Kickapoo Lincoln, IL 62656
Senior Services of Central Illinois	732-6213 1-800-252-8966 (crisis line)	109 Third St. Lincoln, IL 62656
Sojourn Shelter & Service Inc.	732-8988 (217) 726-5200 (24-hour hotline)	1800 Westchester Blvd. Springfield, IL 62704
U. of I. Division of Specialized Care for Children	524-2000 1-800-946-8468	421 S. Grand Ave. West, 2nd Floor Springfield, IL 62704
U. of I. Extension Service	732-8289	122 S. McLean St. Lincoln, IL 62656

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