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Health & Fitness News Elsewhere
(fresh daily from the Web)
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Features
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FDA takes measures to ensure
safety of nation's blood supply
[APRIL
15, 2003]
The
Food and Drug
Administration announced Friday that the
American Red Cross will be
undergoing substantial changes in its blood management. The new
measures will help ensure the safety of the nation's blood supply.
The FDA made it clear that this announcement should not create
concern among people receiving or donating blood: "As always, FDA
encourages donors to come forward to give blood, which is perishable
and often in short supply."
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The Red Cross does not supply the blood
for our local hospitals.
Central Illinois Community Blood Center provides all of the
blood and blood products for 12 area hospitals, including those in
Lincoln, Hopedale and Springfield. No other organization provides
blood in these hospitals.
CICBC is a community-based blood center
whose mission is to provide a safe and adequate blood supply for
patients in local hospitals in a cost-effective manner. When you
donate blood through CICBC, you help to keep a safe and adequate
blood supply for your community. You also help keep local medical
costs under control.
American Red Cross agrees to revised
consent decree to improve blood safety
The Food and Drug Administration
announced Friday that the American Red Cross has agreed to
substantial revisions in its consent decree with the FDA. The
revised consent decree includes financial penalties if, in the
future, ARC fails to comply with FDA laws and regulations that are
aimed at ensuring the safety of the nation's blood supply.
In the original 1993 consent decree,
ARC agreed to establish clear lines of managerial control over a
newly established comprehensive quality assurance system in all
regions; to enhance training programs; and to improve computer
systems, records management, and policies for investigating and
reporting problems, including adverse reactions.
The revised consent decree includes
many of the same substantive provisions, updated to provide a series
of clear deadlines for completing specific requirements of the
decree and addressing additional types of violations observed since
the original consent decree was signed in 1993. It also includes a
comprehensive penalty scheme to address potential future violations.
If ARC fails to comply with blood
safety rules and revised decree requirements, FDA can assess
penalties up to the following maximum amounts:
--$10,000 per event (and $10,000 per
day) for any violation of an ARC standard operating procedure, the
law, or consent decree requirement and timeline. Standard operating
procedures are written procedures that are designed to help ensure
product quality.
--$50,000 for the preventable release
of each unit of blood for which FDA determines that there is a
reasonable probability that the product may cause serious adverse
health consequences or death, as well as $5,000 for the release of
each unit that may cause temporary problems, up to a maximum of
$500,000 per event.
--$50,000 for the improper re-release
of each unsuitable blood unit that was returned to ARC inventory.
--$10,000 for each donor
inappropriately omitted from the National Donor Deferral Registry, a
list of all unsuitable donors.
During the first year of the decree,
penalties will be capped at 1 percent of the gross annual revenues
generated by ARC's Biomedical Products and Services (ARC's blood
operation). These gross annual revenues are currently $1.924
billion. The cap increases to 2 percent in the second year, 3
percent in the third year and reaches the maximum of 4 percent in
the following years.
As in the original 1993 consent decree,
ARC has agreed to retain the services of outside consultants to
assure quality control. In addition, ARC must reimburse FDA for the
costs of all FDA inspections that FDA considers necessary to
evaluate ARC's compliance with the decree.
"The new financial penalties in the
consent decree create an important new incentive for ARC to improve
the processes and controls necessary for making safer blood
products," said FDA Commissioner Mark B. McClellan, M.D., Ph.D. "I
am hopeful that the acceptance of this agreement by ARC's new
leadership reflects a new willingness to implement a management
culture that expects and achieves good blood safety practices."
[to top of second column in this
article]
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ARC is responsible for approximately 45
percent of the nation's blood supply; other independent
community-based blood centers together provide another 45 percent,
and hospitals collect most of the remaining 10 percent. Since
entering into a consent decree with ARC in 1993, FDA has also
reached similar agreements in 1996 with other major blood centers
such as the New York Blood Center and United Blood Systems. Those
organizations have been able to avoid the chronic recurrence of
problems that has characterized the ARC's performance under its 1993
agreement with FDA. In addition, FDA inspections of many other
independent blood centers result in fewer significant findings of
safety problems, consistent with management practices that
consistently support safe blood practices.
This agreement between FDA and ARC
[check] today stems from FDA concerns arising from inspections over
the past 17 years revealing persistent and serious violations of
blood safety rules. One such inspection that raised substantial
concerns occurred at ARC headquarters in the spring of 2000.
FDA and ARC began negotiations to amend
the consent decree in August 2000. In December 2001, when it
appeared that a settlement could not be reached, the government
filed a motion to hold ARC in civil contempt for violating the 1993
decree and to amend the 1993 decree.
The court has not ruled on the motion
the government filed in 2001. The court strongly encouraged both
parties to continue negotiations and to reach a settlement if
possible. To that end, both FDA and ARC agreed suspend court
proceedings and continue talking. Friday’s agreement resolves the
dispute.
FDA has reviewed the results of the
most recent inspection of ARC headquarters, which ended in December
2002. The inspection revealed numerous and troubling problems in
producing blood products -- including systemic problems such as a
lack of management control and quality assurance oversight that
could lead to a patient receiving potentially unsafe blood.
For example, ARC failed to correct
deviations from the previous inspection; ARC's lack of quality
assurance oversight led to the release of unsuitable products; and
the lack of ARC's inventory control led to the unknown disposition
of blood products. FDA is detailing these concerns under the terms
of the 1993 consent decree in a formal letter April 14 to ARC. The
letter highlights the need for management changes to promote a
culture of safety at ARC.
With the legal issues now resolved and
when the revised decree has been entered by the court, FDA expects
that ARC will be able to concentrate fully on responding to the
agency's concerns about blood safety. FDA, for its part, will have
enhanced tools to encourage ARC to promptly correct problems when
they are discovered and, more importantly, to take action
proactively to prevent further violations from occurring.
Because receiving blood products always
carries a degree of risk, it is important that the blood industry
complies with the full set of safeguards in FDA laws and regulations
to minimize that risk. However, any particular breach of the
safeguards does not necessarily translate into unsafe blood
products, because the safeguards designed to protect the blood
supply are to some extent overlapping.
"Patients who need a blood transfusion
should not hesitate to get one," Dr. McClellan emphasized, "The risk
of failing to get a needed blood transfusion far outweighs the risks
of transfusion."
The revised
consent decree between FDA and the ARC has been submitted to the
court for approval and will not be enforceable until it has been
approved.
[LDN,
FDA,
CICBC] |
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Power outages and food
safety
[APRIL
10, 2003]
Logan County has just had its first major spring storm,
and it brought a power outage, as some storms do. To prepare for
a power outage, whether it comes from a spring storm or a winter
storm, here are some guidelines that can be used:
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Do not open
refrigerator or freezer doors. Keep them closed!!
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Normal freezer
temperatures should be at 0 F, and refrigerator temperatures should
be about 40 F.
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If frozen food rises
above 40 F, it should be thrown out. If the food is colder than 40
F, it should still be safe to eat. Frozen food that has been thawed
should be used as soon as possible. Food that has thawed and will be
refrozen is safe to eat, but the quality may not be the best.
-
Food that reaches
above 40 F for more than two hours should be discarded.
-
Examples of food
that should be thrown out if the temperature rises above 40 F are
meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, eggs and containers of open
product where the manufacturer states "refrigerate after opening."
Normally foods such as fruits and vegetables are safe to keep.
[to top of second column in this
article]
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Refrigerators and
freezers that are full may hold temperatures longer than empty ones.
Bags or blocks of ice put in the refrigerator may also help lower
the temperature.
-
Thermometers for
checking refrigerator and freezer temperatures and those used to
check actual food temperatures may be purchased at most department
stores or retail grocery stores.
If you're not sure whether the food is
safe or not, don't take any chances. IF IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT!!!!
If you have questions, please contact the Logan County Health
Department at (217) 735-2317.
[News
release provided by Kathy Waldo,
Logan County Health Department] |
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Health Matters
A monthly feature from
Logan County Health Department
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April is Child Abuse Prevention Month
[APRIL 1, 2003]
Since
1983, when April was designed Child Abuse Prevention Month,
communities across the country have used this monthlong observance
to increase awareness of child abuse and its prevention. It is a
time when individuals, schools, businesses, hospitals, religious
organizations, and social service agencies join forces in the battle
against child abuse.
|
Child abuse is a
serious social and public health issue. More than a million children
are abused each year in the United States. In Illinois, last year
100,000 children were reported as abused or neglected. Recognizing
that everyone can participate in efforts to eliminate this serious
threat to children, communities across the country are stepping
forward to promote the message that child abuse can and must be
prevented.
Prevent Child Abuse
Illinois offers the following suggestions about ways to help prevent
child abuse in your community.
Be a
better parent
--Recognize that you
are the most important person in your children's lives. What you say
to them and how you treat them determines how they feel about
themselves. Offer positive words and praise every chance you get.
--When you're feeling
troubled or lonely, and when pressures build up, don't lash out at
your child. Stop and take a deep breath. Remember you are the adult.
Close your eyes and pretend you're hearing what your child is about
to hear.
--If you think you
need help, you're not alone. Being a parent isn't easy for anyone,
and sometimes it's very hard. Take the first step. Reach out for
help. Check your community's phone directory for a child abuse or
crisis hot line, parent group or family service agency.
Help and
support other parents
--If you know a
parent under stress, offer him or her a break. Take care of the
children for a while so the parent can relax.
--Establish a parent
support group, or volunteer to work with an existing program.
--Support home
visitation programs and other community resources available to
parents.
[to top of second column in this
article]
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Raise
public awareness and public concern
--Get involved with
Child Abuse Prevention Month to raise public awareness about child
abuse prevention. April activities include blue-ribbon campaigns,
media conferences, displays and special events focusing on the needs
of children and families.
Report suspected abuse or neglect
--Children count on the adults in their
lives. Report suspected incidents of child abuse and neglect. In
Illinois, call 1 (800) 25-ABUSE [1-800-252-7328] and in emergency
situations call 911.
Prevent Child Abuse Illinois was
founded in 1990 to address the issues of child abuse and neglect
prevention throughout Illinois. Prevent Child Abuse Illinois
accomplishes its mission through public awareness campaigns, parent
education and support programs, professional training and technical
assistance, and community prevention programs. For more information
about Prevent Child Abuse Illinois, call (217) 522-1129 or visit
www.preventchildabuseillinois.org.
Prevent
Child Abuse Illinois has offices in Bloomington, Chicago, DeKalb,
East St. Louis, Glen Ellyn, Harvey, Joliet, Marion, Peoria, Rock
Island and Springfield. The address for the home office is 528 S.
Fifth St., Suite 211, Springfield, IL 62701.
[Provided by
Logan County Health
Department]
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Red Cross
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West Nile Virus
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West Nile virus links
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LDN articles
Federal websites
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State websites
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Honors & Awards
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Announcements
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Logan County
Breast Cancer Support Group
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[APRIL
9, 2003]
The Logan County Breast Cancer Support Group will meet on
Tuesday, April 15, at 7 p.m. in Conference Room A at Abraham Lincoln
Memorial Hospital.
Chris Agee from Lincoln Medical Equipment
will speak on new post-surgery devices available.
[ALMH] |
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CICBC
blood drives monthly at paramedics' building
Blood supplies across the
nation are critical. In some areas, there is less than a one-day
supply. Fortunately, thanks to the dedicated donors in central
Illinois, these tremendous shortages have not yet touched our
hospitals. However, the blood supply is a resource that must be
renewed. Every three seconds someone needs a blood transfusion of
some kind. To accommodate this constant usage, community members
must continually help replenish the supply. Since a donor can donate
whole blood only every eight weeks, Central Illinois Community Blood
Center needs community members to come forward and help with this
lifesaving effort.
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Central Illinois Community Blood Center
provides all of the blood and blood products for 12 area hospitals,
including those in Lincoln, Hopedale and Springfield. No other
organization provides blood in these hospitals. CICBC is a
community-based blood center whose mission is to provide a safe and
adequate blood supply for patients in local hospitals in a
cost-effective manner.
When you donate blood through CICBC,
you help to keep a safe and adequate blood supply for your
community. You also help keep local medical costs under control.
|
Regularly scheduled blood drives are on
the first Monday of each month (except Labor Day) at the Logan
County Paramedic Association
building, 1300 N. Postville Road. (See
schedule.) Please help by donating blood.
CICBC also provides other services for
the communities served, such as therapeutic phlebotomy at no charge
for patients with hereditary hemochromatosis.
For more
information, call Terry Bell at 753-1530.
[CICBC press release]
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CICBC blood drive schedule |
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April 11,
at Lincoln Community High School
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May 5,
noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building
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May 14,
hours and location to be announced
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June 2,
noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building
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July 7,
noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building
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July 15,
hours and location to be announced
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Aug. 4,
noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building
[to top of second
column in this section]
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Sept. 8,
noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building
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Sept. 24,
hours and location to be announced
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Oct. 6,
noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building
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Nov. 3,
noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building
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Nov. 12,
hours and location to be announced
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Dec. 1,
noon-6 p.m., at Logan County Paramedic Association building
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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. |
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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 |
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|
|
2nd and 4th |
Broadwell |
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3rd |
Maintenance/ special
events |
3rd |
Maintenance/
special events
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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.
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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
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Housing Authority |
732-7776
|
1028 N. College St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
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Illinois Breast &
Cervical Cancer Program (IBCCP)
www.logancountyhealth.org |
735-2317 or
1 (800) 269-4019
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109 Third St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
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Illinois Employment and Training Center (replaces JTPA office) |
735-5441 |
120 S. McLean St., Suite B
Farm Bureau Building
Lincoln, IL 62656
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Lincoln Area YMCA
|
735-3915 |
319 W. Kickapoo St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
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Lincoln/Logan Food
Pantry |
732-2204
|
P.O. Box 773
Lincoln, IL 62656
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Lincoln Parents' Center |
735-4192 |
100 S. Maple
Lincoln, IL 62656
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Lincoln Park District |
732-8770 |
1400 Primm Rd.
Lincoln, IL 62656
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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
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Logan County Health
Department
www.logancountyhealth.org |
735-2317 |
109 Third St.
P.O. Box 508
Lincoln, IL 62656
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Logan-Mason Mental
Health |
735-2272 or
732-3600 (crisis line)
|
304 Eighth St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
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Logan-Mason
Rehabilitation Center |
735-1413 |
760 S. Postville Drive
Lincoln, IL 62656
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The Oasis
(Senior Citizens of Logan County) |
732-6132 |
501 Pulaski St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
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Project READ
|
735-1731 |
620 Broadway St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
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Salvation Army |
732-7890
|
1501 N. Kickapoo
Lincoln, IL 62656
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Senior Services of
Central Illinois |
732-6213 or
1 (800) 252-8966
(crisis line)
|
109 Third St.
Lincoln, IL 62656
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U. of I. Extension
Service
www.ag.uiuc.edu |
732-8289 |
980 N. Postville Drive
Lincoln, IL 62656
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Springfield
agencies |
Department of Aging
www.state.il.us/aging |
785-3356 |
421 E. Capitol, #100
Springfield, IL 62701-1789
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American Cancer Society
www.cancer.org |
546-7586
(24 hour) |
1305 Wabash, Suite J
Springfield, IL 62704
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Community Child Care
Connection
www.childcaresolutions.org |
(217) 525-2805 or
1 (800) 676-2805
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1004 N. Milton Ave.
Springfield, IL 62702-4430
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Hospice Care of
Illinois |
1 (800) 342-4862
(24 hour) or
732-2161, Ext. 444
|
720 N. Bond
Springfield, IL 62702
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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
|
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(updated
2-15-02) |
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