Features,
Health Matters, Red Cross,
Calendar,
West Nile Virus,
Honors
& Awards, Announcements
Health & Fitness News Elsewhere
(fresh daily from the Web)
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Features
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State-of-the-art technology to
provide mental health services for deaf
[SEPT.
19, 2002]
Illinois Department of Human
Services Secretary Linda Reneé Baker recently announced a
technological partnership that improves mental health services for
deaf and hard of hearing people in Illinois. The collaborative
effort involving the Illinois Department of Human Services Office of
Mental Health and mental health providers in Chicago and Springfield
will allow doctors and patients to communicate via videoconference.
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"Today’s technological advances are
making it possible for the state to reach more people with expanded
and improved services," said Baker. "The telepsychiatry services for
deaf and hard of hearing persons can bring a doctor in Chicago
together with a client in central Illinois. It’s another example of
using available resources to maximize state services."
The announcement was made Sept. 9
during a "digital ribbon-cutting" at McFarland Mental Health Center
in Springfield. It marked the first time a doctor specializing in
services for deaf and hard of hearing people communicated with a
patient in another location. Joining the DHS Office of Mental Health
in the demonstration were the Illinois Masonic Medical Center’s Deaf
and Hard of Hearing Program and the Mental Health Centers of
Illinois.
"This is exciting because it marks the
first in a succession of advancements in making human services
accessible to all Illinoisans," said Baker. "Illinois is one of the
first states in the nation to provide sophisticated mental health
services for deaf and hard of hearing persons in areas where they
otherwise would not be available."
[to top of second
column in this article]
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There are an estimated 214,000 deaf or
hard of hearing people in Illinois who suffer from mental illness.
DHS has worked closely with advocate groups to expand services for
this population.
Under the
new program, patients will receive a psychiatric evaluation and
consultation from Dorothea L. De Gutis, M.D., who has many years of
experience in providing treatment to people who are deaf or hard of
hearing. From her office in Chicago, Dr. De Gutis will use sign
language to consult with patients in central Illinois using
telepsychiatry. Telepsychiatry is the use of videoconference
technology to provide psychiatric services from a distance.
Telepsychiatry service has already proven to be successful for deaf
consumers in the metropolitan Chicago area. Although the downstate
services will initially be provided in the Springfield area, plans
are under way to duplicate those services throughout the state.
[Department of Human Services
press release] |
Heartland Community College
Your pathway to lifelong learning!
Community
Education Class through the Lincoln Center of HCC
For more
information or to register,
call 735-1731,
stop by HCC at 620 Broadway,
or go online at
hcc.cc.il.us/CCE |
Classes currently
available:
Intermediate MS Word
8:30-11:30 am, 9/21 & 9/28, HCC
Herbaceous Perennials
7:00-9:00 pm,
9/24, U of I
Ext.
Intro to MS Excel
6:00-9:00 pm, 9/30 & 10/7, HCC
Vachel Lindsay
7:00-9:00 pm, 10/2, 9 & 16,
Oasis |
Lincolndailynews.com
is the place to
advertise
Call (217) 732-7443
or e-mail
ads@lincolndailynews.com |
|
|
Berries benefit health
[SEPT.
12, 2002]
URBANA — For decades,
mothers and grandmothers have said that drinking cranberry juice
would help prevent urinary tract infections. Anecdotal evidence said
that it worked, but why it worked and at what dosage, Grandma
couldn’t say. Researchers finally know the answer.
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A team of researchers working in labs
across the continent have been studying a variety of medicinal
properties of cranberries and blueberries and have found some
remarkable answers to age-old mysteries about the health benefits
from eating berries.
According to "the Berry Group" as they
are often called, berries can protect against a wide variety of
ailments, including urinary tract infections, cardiovascular
disease, cancer, attention-deficit disorder and diabetes. Berries
are also the No. 1 antidote for aging.
One member of the berry group at
Rutgers, led by Amy Howell, has shown that the unique ability of
cranberry and blueberry juices to combat urinary tract infections is
not, as earlier suspected, an acidity effect, but an anti-adherence.
Mary Ann Lila, a plant scientist at the
University of Illinois and a member of the berry group, explained,
"The berries actually interfere with the bacterial-landing
mechanism, preventing them from taking hold on the rough walls of
the bladder and preventing colonization that can lead to infections.
And, as a direct result of this conclusive research, for the first
time, we are able to establish effective dosage recommendations for
patients."
Interestingly, Lila’s lab recently
discovered that the same berry components (called proanthocyanidins)
responsible for the anti-adherence also have potent
anti-carcinogenic properties. "Natural ingredients found in high
concentrations in the berries are capable of inhibiting the
initiation of carcinogenesis, as well as inhibiting tumor formation.
It’s remarkable that the berries have exhibited such far-ranging and
diverse roles in human health protection," Lila said.
The team has also begun referring to
blueberries as "brainberries," due to another berry research project
that looks at brain functions. Researchers Jim Joseph and Barbara
Shukitt-Hale at Tufts in Boston fed blueberry chow to lab rats and
found a slowing and actual reversal of age-related loss in cognitive
as well as motor and neurological functions. Rat memory improved as
measured by their ability to complete a maze.
[to top of second column in this
article]
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Diets rich in berries enhance dopamine
release in the brain as well, which improves the brain cells’
ability to communicate. This brain function is reduced with age, but
research has shown that eating blueberries can reverse the
age-related decline in brain signals.
Lila cautions that the health benefits
derived from eating berries may not be the same if taken as a
dietary supplement from a bottle. "Dietary supplements are
frequently produced and marketed based on one recognized bioactive
component," said Lila. "They fail to look at the contribution of
other components from the whole plant food."
There appears to be a relationship
between all the components that make up a plant food. When one
component is separated out, the maximum effect is not seen. "So, a
dietary supplement containing only one isolated extract of a
blueberry or cranberry," said Lila, "cannot be expected to provide
full benefits and will not mimic the same results if someone were to
eat the whole berry."
Finding whole, fresh blueberries in the
local grocery store, however, can be tricky, particularly for areas
where blueberries are not grown year-round. Lila has a couple of
suggestions. "Convince your local grocery store to stock them. Or if
they won’t, there are frozen blueberries available in most places.
There are also sources for mail order blueberries that come packed
in dry ice, which are often comparable or cheaper than fresh berries
that you’d buy in a grocery store. For those of us in the Midwest
who can’t always get fresh berries, the quick frozen mail order
berries are a good alternative."
Lila said that canned blueberries are
another option. Although the heating process for canning may take
some of what she called "the good stuff" out of the berries, what’s
left in the canned variety can be more easily absorbed into the
body.
Funding for
Lila’s research is provided by the National Institute for Health —
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the
USDA Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems.
[U of I news release] |
|
Health
Matters A
monthly feature from Logan County Health Department
|
The flu and
you
[SEPT.
3, 2002]
As the fall weather
approaches, flu season begins. Influenza is a serious and widespread
illness that is the cause of as many as 4,000 deaths each year in
Illinois. Influenza is caused by a virus that spreads from infected
people to the nose or throat of others and can cause fever, cough,
chills, sore throat, headache and muscle aches in people of any age.
Influenza should not be confused with intestinal illness.
|
People considered at high risk should
get a flu shot every year. The optimal time for these individuals to
receive influenza vaccine is during October and November.
High-risk categories include:
• People 65 years of age
or older.
• People with chronic
medical conditions.
• People with immune
system problems.
• Women who will be in the
second or third trimester of pregnancy during flu season.
• Children receiving
long-term aspirin therapy.
• Employees of nursing
homes or other chronic care facilities.
• Health-care workers.
• Household contacts of
people at increased risk for influenza-related complications.
[to top of
second column in this article]
|
All others should begin their flu shots
in November and later, for as long as vaccine is available.
Beginning in October, Logan County
Health Department will have flu and pneumonia immunizations
available at the Health Department, 109 Third St., and on the Rural
Health Van.
Flu shots and pneumonia shots cost $16
each. Medicare will pay for flu and pneumonia shots; clients must
bring their Medicare card with them. Medicaid will pay for only flu
shots; clients must bring their Medicaid card with them.
Watch the
newspapers for upcoming schedules of flu clinics or call Logan
County Health Department at (217) 735-2317 for more information.
[News
release]
|
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Red
Cross
|
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West Nile Virus
|
West Nile virus links
|
LDN articles
Federal websites
|
State websites
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Honors
& Awards
|
|
Announcements
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ALMH offers prenatal classes
[SEPT.
18, 2002]
The next series of prenatal
classes at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital will be in October. The
series consists of four Wednesday evening classes, Oct. 2, 9, 16 and
23. Sessions are from 7 to 9 p.m.
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Classes will be in conference rooms A
and B on the lower level at ALMH. The cost of the series for
expectant mothers and their significant others is $30. Participants
will receive information on topics including warning signs during
pregnancy; labor; breathing and relaxation techniques; delivery;
infant care; and breast-feeding. A tour of the ALMH Family Maternity
Suites will also be given.
For more
information or to register for the prenatal classes, call ALMH’s
Family Maternity Suites at (217) 732-2161, Ext. 235.
[News
release] |
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Mobile
health unit schedule
The
Rural Health Partnership has announced the schedule for its mobile
health unit for 2002.
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Morning:
9-11 a.m. |
|
Afternoon:
1-3:30 p.m. |
Monday |
1st and 3rd |
Hartsburg |
1st and 3rd |
Emden |
|
2nd and 4th |
San Jose |
2nd and 4th |
Greenview |
Tuesday |
Weekly |
Chestnut |
Weekly |
Mount Pulaski |
Wednesday |
Weekly |
New Holland |
Weekly |
Middletown |
Thursday |
1st and 3rd |
Elkhart |
Weekly |
Atlanta |
|
2nd and 4th |
Friendship
Manor-Lincoln |
|
|
Friday |
1st, 2nd,
4th |
Village Hall-Latham |
1st |
Beason |
|
|
|
2nd and 4th |
Broadwell |
|
3rd |
Maintenance/ special
events |
3rd |
Maintenance/
special events
|
The
mobile health unit does not operate on the following dates for
holidays
during 2002: Jan. 21 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day), Feb. 18 (Presidents’ Day),
March 29 (Good
Friday), May 27 (Memorial Day), July 4 (Independence Day), Sept. 2 (Labor Day), Oct.
14 (Columbus Day), Nov. 11 (Veterans Day), Nov. 28-29
(Thanksgiving break) and Dec. 24-25 (Christmas break).
For more
information on the mobile health unit schedule and services, contact
Dayle Eldredge at (217) 732-2161, Ext. 409.
|
|
Community
resource list
This
family resource list to save and use is provided by the Healthy
Communities Partnership and the Healthy
Families Task Force, 732-2161, Ext. 409.
Agency |
Phone number |
Address |
Lincoln
agencies |
911 |
911 (emergency)
732-3911 (office -- non-emergency)
|
911 Pekin St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Abraham Lincoln
Memorial Hospital
|
732-2161
|
315 Eighth St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
American Red Cross
www.il-redcross.org |
732-2134 or
1 (800) 412-0100
|
125 S. Kickapoo
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Catholic Social
Services
www.cdop.org |
732-3771 |
310 S. Logan
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Lincoln/Logan County Chamber
of Commerce
www.lincolnillinois.com |
735-2385 |
303 S. Kickapoo St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Community Action (CIEDC) |
732-2159
|
1800 Fifth St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Crisis Pregnancy Center/
Living Alternatives |
735-4838 |
408 A Pulaski St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
DCFS (Department of
Children
& Family Services) |
735-4402 or
1 (800) 252-2873
(crisis hotline)
|
1120 Keokuk St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Heartland Community
College
- GED program |
735-1731 |
620 Broadway St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Housing Authority |
732-7776
|
1028 N. College St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Illinois Breast &
Cervical Cancer Program (IBCCP)
www.logancountyhealth.org |
735-2317 or
1 (800) 269-4019
|
109 Third St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Illinois Employment and Training Center (replaces JTPA office) |
735-5441 |
120
S. McLean St., Suite B
Farm
Bureau Building
Lincoln,
IL 62656
|
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)
www.state.il.us/agency/dhs |
735-2306 |
1500 Fourth St.
P.O.
Box 310
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Logan County Health
Department
www.logancountyhealth.org |
735-2317 |
109 Third St.
P.O. Box
508
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Logan-Mason Mental
Health |
735-2272 or
735-3600
(crisis line)
|
304 Eighth St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Logan-Mason
Rehabilitation Center |
735-1413 |
760 S. Postville Drive
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
The 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 or
1 (800) 252-8966
(crisis line)
|
109 Third St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
U. of I. Extension
Service
www.ag.uiuc.edu |
732-8289 |
980 N. Postville Drive
Lincoln, IL 62656
|
Springfield
agencies |
Department of Aging
www.state.il.us/aging |
785-3356 |
421 E. Capitol, #100
Springfield, IL 62701-1789
|
American Cancer Society
www.cancer.org |
546-7586
(24 hour) |
1305 Wabash, Suite J
Springfield, IL 62704
|
Community Child Care
Connection
www.childcaresolutions.org |
(217) 525-2805 or
1 (800) 676-2805
|
1004 N. Milton Ave.
Springfield, IL 62702-4430
|
Hospice Care of
Illinois |
1 (800) 342-4862
(24 hour) or
732-2161, Ext. 444
|
720 N. Bond
Springfield, IL 62702
|
Illinois Department of
Public Health
www.idph.state.il.us |
(217) 782-4977
|
535 W. Jefferson
Springfield, IL 62761
|
Legal Assistance
Foundation |
(217) 753-3300 or
1 (800) 252-8629
|
730 E. Vine St., Suite
214
Springfield, IL 62703
|
Sojourn Shelter &
Services Inc.
http://www.sojournshelter.org/
|
732-8988 or
1 (866) HELP4DV
(24-hour hotline)
|
1800 Westchester Blvd.
Springfield, IL 62704
|
U. of I. Division of
Specialized Care for Children
www.uic.edu |
524-2000 or
1 (800) 946-8468
|
421 South Grand Ave.
West
Second Floor
Springfield, IL 62704
|
Logan County
libraries |
Atlanta Library |
(217) 648-2112 |
100 Race St.
Atlanta, IL 61723 |
Elkhart Library |
(217) 947-2313 |
121 E. Bohan
Elkhart, IL 62634 |
Lincoln Public Library
www.lincolnpubliclibrary.org |
732-8878 |
725 Pekin St.
Lincoln, IL 62656 |
Mount Pulaski Library |
792-5919
|
320 N. Washington
Mount Pulaski, IL 62548
|
|
(updated
2-15-02) |
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