Calendar of Events

Screenings
Vital signs screening, Mt. Vernon

For a good cause
SIRSS Rally for Recovery, Carbondale

Conferences, seminars and workshops
Health chat, Carbondale

Health News

Budget cuts slam social services
As part of his effort to balance a budget that he says is about $1.4 billion out of balance, Gov. Rod Blagojevich has cut funding that will directly impact local social services like Southern Illinois Regional Social Services, Franklin-Williamson Human Services Inc. and Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities.

New dialysis unit provides options for care
Western Baptist Hospital in Paducah has a new, spacious, inpatient dialysis center that provides regular dialysis treatments for patients hospitalized for other medical needs.

St. Mary's Good Samaritan now a teaching Hospital
A partnership between St. Mary's Good Samaritan and the University Of Illinois School Of Medicine at Rockford will allow medical students to make a commitment to practice medicine in a rural setting when they complete their training to get experience working in a small-town hospital.

Southern Illinois Health News

Robbins named executive director of physicians' surgery center
Don Robbins, MHA, is the new executive director of the Physicians' Surgery Center at 2601 W. Main Street in Carbondale.   

New doctors arriving under DRA program
Two new doctors, specializing in internal medicine, will be coming to Marion under the Delta Doctors program, part of the Delta Regional Authority.

Women's Health Conference fast approaching
The 22nd Annual Women's Health Conference is coming up fast on Sept. 20 at John A. Logan College in Carterville. Presented by Women for Health and Wellness, Inc. the conference will include exhibits, breakout sessions and health screenings.

Senior Health

Eating fish may prevent memory loss and stroke in old age
Eating tuna and other types of fish may help lower the risk of cognitive decline and stroke in healthy older adults, reports a study in Neurology.

Older runners have survival advantage
Running throughout middle and older ages may be associated with reduced disability in later life as well as a survival advantage.

His Health

The benefits of no-nose bicycle saddles
Bicycling on the traditional saddle with a protruding nose extension has been associated with erectile dysfunction and groin numbness.

Psychological distress can bring on diabetes
Older men undergoing psychological distress including anxiety, insomnia, depression, apathy and fatigue have double the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, reports a study in Diabetic Medicine. The same is not true for women.

Did you know?
Men over age 60 who have low blood testosterone levels may be at a higher risk for fractures, according to a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine

Pet Health

Flea control
The pesky little flea can cause a lot of grief.

Kids!
Get schooled in animal protection. Humane High School is a new online program for middle and high school students. Enrolment includes: a free course on how to speak up on behalf of animals to lawmakers; videos on a range of issues facing animals; and service-learning ideas, career advice and more.