During the summer months, blood donations often drop to low levels.The American Red Cross encourages donors to rev up their engines and head out to a nearby blood drive or donation center.

From May 25 through Sept. 14, presenting donors (age 18 and older) can register online at redcrossracing.com to enter the Red Cross Racing “Summer Drive Sweepstakes.” Enter for a chance to win a new, fuel-efficient 2012 Ford Fiesta SE. One winner will be selected by random drawing no later than Sept. 19.

Red Cross Racing participants also get points for activities like giving blood and recruiting blood donors. Points can be redeemed at any time for fun racing-themed prizes or donated to support the Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces.

The American Red Cross is celebrating the fourth year of its Red Cross Racing partnership with 3M and Roush Fenway Racing. For more information, or to schedule your summer blood donation appointment, please visit redcrossracing.com or call 1-800-RED CROSS.

How to Donate Blood
Simply call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visitredcrossblood.org to make an appointment or for more information.

All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license, or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental permission in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are generally in good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

About the American Red Cross
Governed by volunteers and supported by giving individuals and communities, the American Red Cross is the single largest supplier of blood products to hospitals throughout the United States. While local hospital needs are always met first, the Red Cross also helps ensure no patient goes without blood no matter where or when they need it. In addition to providing nearly half of the nation’s blood supply, the Red Cross provides relief to victims of disaster, trains millions in lifesaving skills, serves as a communication link between U.S. military members and their families, and assists victims of international disasters or conflicts.

Fast Facts
Approximately every two seconds someone in the U.S.needs blood.
More than 38,000 blood donations are needed every day.
Only 38% of the U.S.population is eligible to donate blood.
Just 8% of those eligible actually donate.
One out of every 10 people admitted to the hospital needs blood.
One donation can help save the lives of up to three people.
The number one reason donors say they give blood is because they "want to help others."
The American Red Cross supplies approximately 40% of the nation's blood supply.

Blood Donation Opportunities June 16-30, 2011
WHITESIDE COUNTY
6/21/11
1:00 pm- 5:15 pm
Old Fulton Fire
912 4th Street
Fulton

6/22/11
10:00 am- 2:00 pm
Rock Falls Blood Donation Center
112 W. Second St.
Rock Falls

6/23/11
4:00 pm- 7:00 pm
Rock Falls Blood Donation Center
112 W. Second St.
Rock Falls

6/28/11 
1:00 pm-5:15 pm
Old Fulton Fire Station
912 4th Street
Fulton
Get a chance to win a portable GPS unit when you present to donate between June 27th & July 6th, 2011!

6/29/11
2:00 pm-6:00 pm
Rock Falls Blood Donation Center
112 W. Second St.
Rock Falls
Get a chance to win a portable GPS unit when you present to donate between June 27th & July 6th, 2011!

CLINTON COUNTY
6/16/11
10:00 am- 4:00 pm
Lyondell Chemical Company
3400 Anamosa Road
Clinton

6/19/11
8:00 am-12:00 pm
Assumption Catholic Church
147 Broadway Street
Charlotte

CARROLL COUNTY
6/16/11
1:00 pm-6:00 pm
Milledgeville First Brethren Church
521 N. Main Ave
Milledgeville
All presenting donors will be eligible to win a set of 2 free Chicago White Sox regular season home game tickets.

6/17/11
12:00 pm-6:00 pm
United Methodist Church
405 E.Locust
Lanark
All presenting donors will be eligible to win a set of 2 free Chicago White Sox regular season home game tickets.

6/22/11
12:00 pm-6:00 pm
Big Meadows Nursing Home
1000 Longmoor Ave
Savanna
All presenting donors will be eligible to win a set of 2 free Chicago White Sox regular season home game tickets.

by U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley

Family members in Iowa are among the legions of caregivers across the country who sacrifice time, careers and money to provide care for loved ones who no longer are able to live independently or care for themselves.

The family safety net for generations has helped loved ones stay longer in their own homes and helped to enhance the quality of life for aging parents and grandparents.

Sometimes, it becomes impossible for these laborers of love to provide the 24-hour care and medical attention that America’s most vulnerable population requires.

In communities across Iowa, trusted long-term care facilities provide a valuable service close to home for families who are no longer able to provide the level of care an aging or disabled loved one requires.

To be sure, America’s aging population is creating increased demand for long-term care services. Nearly 1.7 million elderly and disabled Americans live in 17,000 nursing home facilities. The percentage of the U.S. population living in a nursing home is on the rise as Americans continue to defy life expectancy estimates from even a generation ago.

The two giant government health programs, Medicare and Medicaid, spend an estimated $70 billion each year for nursing home services. As a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Medicare and Medicaid programs, I’ve conducted extensive oversight of these programs to strengthen patient safety, track accountability within the U.S. health care system, and protect the integrity of tax dollars.

A recent federal report I requested to analyze how anti-psychotic drugs are being prescribed in nursing homes raises important questions in these areas. The audit shows an increase in the use of anti-psychotic drugs, such as Risperdal, Seroquel and Zyprexa, for so-called “off-label” use for patients suffering from dementia. The Food and Drug Administration requires makers of this class of drugs to put a “black box” warning on the product label (the FDA’s strongest patient safety warning) about using these drugs for patients with dementia. In this way, the FDA warns that elderly patients with dementia who take these drugs have an increased risk of death.

Most Americans have grown accustomed to the risk of side effects when taking medication. Do nursing home residents, who are receiving powerful drugs not intended for their underlying condition, understand the risks? Are these drugs being prescribed in the best interest of the patient?  Also, to what extent are Medicare and Medicaid paying for drugs that may not be in the best interest of the patient?  Separately, I’ve examined the link between payments that pharmaceutical companies make to physicians. Some reports suggest some health care practitioners might be unduly influenced by drug companies to prescribe drugs “off label.”

As more elderly patients are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, policymakers, patient safety advocates and health care professionals have a responsibility to protect this vulnerable population. The rising use of anti-psychotic medicines –  which are FDA-approved to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder – may not be the best treatment for a nursing home patient exhibiting symptoms of age-onset dementia.

My list of credentials does not include a medical license. I’m not telling physicians what to prescribe to their patients. However, we all have a moral obligation to try to make sure the most vulnerable among us, the frail elderly, are not victims of medication misuse.  And, as I serve Iowans in the U.S. Senate, I have a legislative license to hold to account those who receive payments from taxpayer-financed public health programs.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Congress Urged to Include Legislation as Part of Elementary & Secondary Education Act (ESEA)

(Silver Spring – June 1, 2011) – The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) applauds U.S. Representative David Loebsack (D-IA) on the reintroduction of the Reducing Barriers to Learning Act. This legislation would provide the leadership to ensure every student receives the critical supports necessary for school success.

“We have to give every student the opportunity to succeed, and for some children that means providing services to address their safety, health, and wellbeing in addition to meeting academic needs. This legislation will help schools and teachers better serve their students and comprehensively address their needs," said bill sponsor Loebsack.

The bill (H.R. 1995) will enable the U.S. Department of Education to establish the Office of Specialized Instructional Support to provide leadership, guidance, and technical assistance to State education agencies and local school districts in providing specialized instructional support services in schools. This effort will also improve cross-agency coordination of services and programs supporting students who face barriers to learning.

"School nurses see firsthand the need for state agencies to have a vehicle which can build their capacity to recruit and retain coordinators of specialized instructional supports at the local and state levels," said NASN President Sandra Delack.  “In addition, leadership at the federal level would greatly assist state and local levels enhance and streamline health and other services needed to help students meet academic and behavioral challenges."

NASN
The National Association of School Nurses is a non-profit specialty nursing organization, organized in 1968 and incorporated in 1977, representing school nurses exclusively. NASN has over 15,000 members and 51 affiliates, including the District of Columbia and overseas.  The mission of the NASN is to improve the health and educational success of children and youth by developing and providing leadership to advance the school nursing practice.  To learn more about NASN, please visit us on the Web at www.nasn.org or call 866-627-6767.

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New MLS Laser Treatment offers instant pain relief and promotes healing.

May 12, 2011 (Moline, IL) – Dr. Kevin Smith, D.P.M. has become the first podiatrist in the Quad-Cities to offer MLS laser therapy to his patients.  The FDA-approved treatment is quick, painless and offers quick instant relief of pain, swelling and inflammation without side effects.   The treatment has been used successfully to treat patients with heel pain, sprains and strains as well as relieving pain from arthritis of the foot, and helping to speed healing after foot surgery.

MLS Laser Therapy will compliment the broad array of treatments and therapies available at Dr. Smith’s practice.  Dr. Smith calls the MLS system “the most promising treatment I have seen in years for relieving pain and promoting healing,” said Dr. Smith, who purchased the device for his practice in April.  He added, “I was impressed not only by the results the MLS Laser produced, but also the broad range of problems it can treat.”   MLS Laser Therapy has become a very popular pain relief option in the clinical practices where it is offered, with 90% of patients experiencing significant improvement of their symptoms in as few as one to two treatments.

Though lasers have been used by doctors for some 35 years, MLS Laser Therapy is a state-of-the-art breakthrough in restoring patient mobility. This innovative therapy works at a cellular level using a synchronized combination of laser emissions, simultaneously addressing swelling, pain and the loss of joint motion. The result is a significant leap forward and a huge departure from traditional treatments.

Dr. Smith explains, “Using the MLS Laser, the cells of the tendons, ligaments and muscles, even the skin repairs itself faster. As the inflammation is reduced, the pain subsides, helping the body achieve a speedy recovery.”  Unlike some pharmacological solutions or invasive treatments, MLS Laser Therapy has no known negative side effects. Chronic conditions can be successfully controlled with one phase of 10 short treatments followed by an occasional maintenance treatment.

Treatments last 4 - 8 minutes each.   Benefit from these treatments generally last 48-72 hours.  A standard series of 6-7 treatments is recommended to achieve optimal, sometimes permanent results.  Because tissues can only absorb a limited amount of energy at a time, treatments must be separated by at least 15 hours.   “We’re so pleased to be able to offer this remarkable treatment to our patients, especially those whose pain has been difficult to manage,” said Dr. Smith.