(DES MOINES) - Governor Terry E. Branstad and Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds are pleased to honor six police officers with the 2012 Sullivan Brothers' Award of Valor.  Every day men and women in uniform quietly serve, sacrificing their safety to keep Iowa communities secure.  It is only appropriate the state take time to honor the officers and firefighters who go above and beyond the call of duty.  This year, Governor Branstad will honor professionals who risked their own personal safety to rescue passengers from the burning wreckage of a car crash.

WHAT:                  Sullivan Brothers' Award of Valor Presentation

WHEN:                  Thursday, November 8, 2012

3:00 PM

WHERE:                State Capitol Rotunda

Des Moines, Iowa

WHO:                    Award Recipients: Iowa Peace Officers

Governor Terry E. Branstad

Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds

Commissioner K. Brian London, Department of Public Safety

Established in 1977, the Sullivan Brothers' Award of Valor is awarded to peace officers and firefighters who, while serving in an official capacity, distinguished themselves by the performance of an heroic act in excess of normal demands of service where the person was fully aware of the threat to his/her personal safety.

To learn more about the heroic acts performed by this year's recipients, see below/visit this link: http://www.dps.state.ia.us/commis/pib/Awards/valor.shtml

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On August 28, 2011, Sergeant Michael McTaggart, Officers Colin Boone, Aaron Cawthorne, Jeremy Sprague and Robin Swank; along with Reserve Officer John Carter, responded to a crash at the intersection of Southeast 14^th and Hartford streets.

Upon their arrival, officers observed a Ford Explorer had turned on its side and was fully ablaze.  The officers immediately assessed and secured the scene and began to take action to rescue the occupants of the vehicle.

Working in close proximity to the fire and knowing the vehicle could explode at any moment, the officers broke out a back window of the vehicle to rescue one of the victims.  Meanwhile, other officers climbed on top of the vehicle to pull the second victim out a side window.  Still others used fire extinguishers in an attempted to squelch the fire, repeatedly returning to fight the fire after retrieving additional extinguishers from the patrol cars on the scene.

After moving both victims clear of the intense flames, the officers continued to render aid until fire medics arrived on the scene.  Without their brave efforts, the two victims who were rescued could have sustained significant injuries or been fatally injured.  Unfortunately, one young woman perished in this incident.

The driver of the other vehicle involved in the collision was subsequently convicted of Vehicular Homicide and sentenced to 25 years in prison.  In addition, he was convicted of four counts of Serious Injury by a Motor Vehicle and sentenced to five years for each count.

During the intense and dangerous incident, each officer's daring efforts contributed to freeing the victims from the blazing vehicle.  Without regard for their personal safety, each officer put themselves in harm's way and worked with each other as a team.

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I would like to introduce you to two women who are making a beautiful difference in Iowa...

Dr. Ida Johnson of Davenport, IA is the Founder of United Neighbors, Inc., an organization that helps others help themselves while building self-worth, and includes youth, education, housing, financial literacy and multicultural healthcare programs.  Sarah Cronk of Bettendorf, IA is the Founder of The Sparkle Effect, a student-run program that empowers teens nationwide to include students with disabilities in school-based cheerleading and dance programs.

Ida and Sarah are two of ten women chosen out of thousands of nominations to become Women of Worth honorees. The amazing Women of Worth program, which honors women making a difference in their communities, is launching their voting phase today to gain recognition for their incredibly inspiring honorees. This is the program's 7^th year, with each of the below 10 women being chosen out of thousands of nominations - they each get $10K for their organizations and whoever gets the most votes (starting today through the 21^st) from the public gets an additional $25K and is named the Women of Worth National Honoree.

When Dr. Ida Johnson moved to Iowa 38 years ago as a newly divorced mother, leaving behind an abusive ex-husband in search of a better life for her five children, she found a home in a low-income, inner city neighborhood and employment in a kitchen at St. Ambrose University. Fighting to keep her family safe, intact and fed, Ida began bringing neighborhood children into her home for games and learning activities.

Now, nearly 40 years later, with the mission of helping others help themselves while building self-worth, United Neighbors has helped to take children off the streets and into a safe place, with an after-school program bringing in tutors to assist with homework and teach computer skills. Kids in the program receive a home-cooked meal and participate in creative activities, then are safely driven home each evening. Additional programs include first-time homebuyer education, down payment assistance, a minimum code home repair program in partnership with the City of Davenport and a multicultural health initiative to provide health education seminars to nearly 400 underserved people in the area each year.

Sarah Cronk grew up watching her older brother, Charlie, struggle to make friends due to his disability and noticed that it wasn't until the popular swim team captain invited Charlie to sit at his lunch table that things began to turn around. He encouraged Charlie to join the team and Sarah watched her brother's confidence soar.

In 2008, Sarah created and coached the nation's first inclusive cheerleading squad at her high school. A year later, she established her nonprofit, The Sparkle Effect (TSE), a student-run program that empowers teens nationwide to include students with disabilities in school-based cheerleading and dance programs.

More than five million students with disabilities attend public schools in the United States, yet most school sports and activities are not designed to accommodate these students. As a result, students with disabilities are left sidelined - excluded from high school sports and the social opportunities they offer. Students participating on TSE teams are breaking down social barriers, replacing insecurity with confidence and joy, and demonstrating that when we open our minds and our hearts to people of all abilities, everyone benefits. Within the past year, TSE has grown from 25 to over 70 teams nationwide, directly including more than 1,200 students.

WOMEN OF WORTH PROGRAM

The Women of Worth initiative, now in its seventh year, is inspired by L'Oréal Paris' iconic brand philosophy, "Because You're Worth It." Since its inception, the program has recognized 70 women for their outstanding devotion to their causes, with honorees embodying the spirit of the L'Oréal Paris brand through their commitment to their communities, their selflessness and their drive to make a difference in the world.

Now in its seventh year, the Women of Worth program has recognized 70 incredible women to date for their amazing accomplishments, and this year's ten honorees continue to inspire through their dedication to philanthropy and their passion for improving the world. From young women who pioneered programs while still in high school to women who have been changing lives for decades, 2012's Women of Worth honorees are making an extraordinary difference in their communities.

RECOGNITION

Each of the incredible honorees has received $10,000 for her charitable cause and will be recognized at an awards ceremony and dinner hosted by L'Oréal Paris and Hearst Magazines on December 6^th in New York City. At the event, one National Honoree, chosen via a public online vote, will be announced, and she will receive an additional $25,000 for her charity.

VOTING

Public online voting for the Women of Worth National Honoree is open from today through November 21^st on WomenofWorth.com. Visitors to the site can vote once per day for their favorite Woman of Worth, and the honoree with the most votes will be named National Honoree.

HONOREES

Setting the bar for extraordinary philanthropic efforts, this year's honorees support a wealth of important causes, from healthcare to education and everything in between.

·         Amy Paterson - Portland, OR; Co-founder of My Little Waiting Room, an organization that promotes the health and well-being of families by bringing drop-in child care to hospitals so that children can thrive as families heal.

·         Catherine Meek - Los Angeles, CA; Executive Director of School on Wheels, an organization that enhances educational opportunities for homeless children by providing homeless students with one-on-one volunteer tutors.

·         Dr. Ida Johnson - Davenport, IA; Founder of United Neighbors, Inc., an organization that helps others help themselves while building self-worth, and includes youth, education, housing, financial literacy and multicultural healthcare programs.

·         Kate Bialo - Larchmont, NY; Founder and Executive Director of Furniture Sharehouse, an organization that empowers underprivileged families by providing basic furniture to turn their house into a home.

·         Lorraine Kerwood - Eugene, OR; Founder of NextStep, an organization that focuses on people, the planet and education by providing community members with disabilities the tools they need to succeed academically and in the workplace.

·         Olivia Stinson - Charlotte, NC; Founder of Pen Pals Book Club and Support Group, an organization that strives to promote literacy and provide cultural and social activities for children with incarcerated parents.

·         Risa Vetri Ferman - Abington, PA; Co-founder of Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center, a non-profit that gives child abuse victims a voice and helps them heal.

·         Sandy Puc' - Littleton, CO; Co-founder of Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep, an organization that provides the gift of remembrance photography for parents suffering the loss of a baby. 

·         Sarah Cronk - Bettendorf, IA; Founder of The Sparkle Effect, a student-run program that empowers teens nationwide to include students with disabilities in school-based cheerleading and dance programs.

More than 45 percent of physicians are experiencing at least one symptom of burnout, according to the first national study on the topic, and that concerns noted physician and professor of medicine emeritus Dr. Paul Griner, (www.DrPaulGriner.com), author of "The Power of Patient Stories: Learning Moments in Medicine." 

"Burnout can lead to misdiagnoses," Griner says. "As I emphasize in my book, it's vital to spend time talking to and listening to patients - thorough patient histories and observation and a good physical exam are often the difference between an accurate diagnosis and a wasted battery of unnecessary diagnostic tests."

Burnout can be characterized by, detachment, diminishing empathy and emotional exhaustion - all of which can impede a physician's ability to thoroughly and accurately assess patients, Griner says.

The Archives of Internal Medicine study, published in August, surveyed 7,288 physicians, and assessed them using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Nearly half, 46 percent, reported at least one symptom of burnout. Specialties that were most at-risk were family medicine, general internal medicine and emergency medicine -- those that benefit most from taking time to listen to patients because they are often the first point of patient contact, Griner says.

He notes that strategies to address this problem must recognize that burnout begins early in one's medical career, during medical school and throughout residency training.

With 59 years in medicine, as a practicing hematologist and internist, professor of medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, and senior lecturer at Harvard Medical School, Griner offers these suggestions for overwhelmed physicians:

• First, take care of yourself. It sounds simple, but it's something doctors repeat so often to patients, they've often ceased hearing the words: Eat well, get adequate rest and exercise regularly. Taking care of yourself physically is fundamental for coping with stress and the negative emotions, such as frustration and anger, that can come with working in any field.

• Take time to nurture relationships. Having meaningful relationships with colleagues and co-workers can make your work more gratifying. Take some time - even a few minutes a day - to get to know them. They can provide a sounding board, a sympathetic ear, or ideas for solving problems. And you can do the same for them. Devote more time (at meetings and lunch) to the rewarding aspects of medicine, sharing patient stories and humorous anecdotes, and less time on frustrations.

• Actively listen to your patients and pay attention to what's going on in their lives. It will not only help you give them better care, you'll find it makes your work more interesting and satisfying.

• Do what's necessary to achieve a work-life balance. If you are not spending relaxed time with your loved ones, having some fun outside of work, or enjoying interpersonal relationships, you are at a greater risk for burnout. Just as taking care of yourself physically is vital, so is taking care of yourself emotionally. If necessary, identify a colleague who seems to have achieved this balance and spend some time with him or her.

• Participate actively in health reforms that will return a greater level of control to physicians and their patients. These include payment for value and greater patient participation in decision-making about care. Reorganizing primary care practices to allow more time for complex patients and recognition by insurers that excessive hassle is bad for patients and physician are also vital. These changes should lead to more satisfied patients and physicians and less burnout.

Preventing burnout needs to start early, Griner says. Teachers must give medical students and residents the tools to cope with and reduce the stresses that cause it.

"This is not the first survey that's found a heightened level of burnout among physicians. We know it's a problem," Griner says.

"Doctors need to be in tune with their patients, asking, listening and connecting the dots. They can't do that effectively if they're burned out."

About Paul Griner, M.D.

Hematologist/internist Paul Griner has had a 59-year career in medicine. He is a professor of medicine emeritus at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and was a consultant at the Massachusetts General Hospital, senior lecturer at Harvard Medical School, and consultant to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) in Cambridge, Mass. He has written or co-written 130 journal articles, book chapters, and books on clinical medicine, medical education, and health policy. He is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and was president of a number of national medical organizations, including the American College of Physicians.

Davenport, IA (November 2012) Join PhD Margaret Morse, Assistant Professor of Art History at Augustana College, at the Figge Art Museum this Thursday, November 8 at 7pm for the art talk "The Renaissance Portrait". This talk kicks off the first of a three part art history series about the history of portraiture. The Moline High School Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Zackary Morton, will also perform at 6pm in the museum lobby.

The second lecture in the art history series will take place on Thursday, November 15 at 7pm where recent Augustana graduate Veronica Smith will present about "Two Baroque Portraits: The Seventeenth Century Woman." The series will wrap up on Thursday, November 29 at 7pm with a talk about "The Good, the Bad and the Mundane: Western Portraiture in the Late Twentieth-Century" featuring Alycia Reed, PhD Candidate at the University of Iowa.

Each talk will explore the ideas and approaches of the artists from the Baroque period to present day. This lecture series is offered in conjunction with the Figge's exhibitions Portrait of Maquoketa: The Dimensional View and Picturing Identity: The Allure of Portraiture.  All talks are free with membership or paid admission.

About the Figge Art Museum

The Figge Art Museum is located on the riverfront in downtown Davenport at 225 West Second Street. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and Sundays 12-5 p.m.  Thursdays the museum is open until 9pm. Admission to the museum and tour is $7. Admission is free to Figge members and institutional members. To contact the museum, please call 563.326.7804, or visit our website, www.figgeartmuseum.org.