• The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) in its National Report Card on the State of Emergency Medicine gave Iowa an overall C-plus grade, ranking it 19th in the nation for its support of the state's emergency-medical-care system. Illinois got a grade of C, ranking it 22nd. The report praised Iowa for having the facilities in place for a first-rate emergency-medical-care system, as well as providing services that promote patient safety and quality of care for emergency patients. Illinois was lauded for its access to emergency care. All 50 states and the District of Columbia received an overall grade on an A-through-F scale, plus separate weighted grades in four categories: access to emergency care (40 percent), quality of care and patient safety (25 percent), public health and injury prevention (10 percent), and medical liability environment (25 percent). A task force developed 50 objective and quantifiable criteria to measure the performance of each state and the District of Columbia. Grades were then assigned based on a comparison to the best states' performance. To see the complete report cards, look at (http://www.acep.org).
• Myron Scheibe, president of the board of trustees for Davenport's Putnam Museum & IMAX Theatre, announced on Monday that the museum-director/CEO position being vacated by Christopher J. Reich will be filled by two individuals from within the organization. Mark Bawden, who previously served as the museum's board president and president of the IMAX committee, will assume the role of the Putnam/IMAX's chief executive officer, responsible for such financial activities as development and marketing. Sally Hinz, who was appointed curator of natural science in 1997, will oversee the museum's day-to-day operations as chief operating officer. Both Bawden and Hinz were raised in the area - Bawden graduated from Davenport Central High School, while Hinz is a North Scott High School and Coe College alumna - leading Scheibe to describe them as the Putnam/IMAX's "home-grown management team." Scheibe also expressed pleasure that Reich's replacements "have a passion for the institute," and that they will continue to champion the Putnam/IMAX as a means "to educate through entertainment." Bawden said that one of his primary goals as CEO is to alleviate the $3-million debt still owed for the construction of the museum's IMAX Theatre. He revealed that, although the museum was "covering interest expenses" and "not under the gun" financially, the Putnam/IMAX needed "a few unexpected angels in the Quad Cities that we haven't found yet." Bawden added that the board of directors was soliciting outside funds for the debt's erasure and that, in 2005, museum attendance exceeded 225,000 visitors, the most in its history. Bawden and Hinz will assume their new positions at the museum following Reich's last work day on Friday, January 20. - Mike Schulz
• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, or AAA, is a killer of more than 9,000 Americans each year. Without any previously displayed symptoms, death from the ruptured main artery running from the heart to the legs can come suddenly. Genesis Medical Center has scheduled four AAA screenings using brief, non-invasive ultrasound exams for National Heart Month in February at YMCA facilities in Davenport and Bettendorf. Valentine's Day gift cards, redeemable for the $35 cost of a screening, are available from the gift shops of Genesis Medical Center and from Genesis On Call at (563)421-2000. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms are relatively easy to detect using ultrasound equipment, but screening is not frequently done in the United States. AAA screening is performed by an ultrasound technician who examines the abdomen. Participants should wear comfortable, loose, two-piece clothing. No fasting is necessary. An appointment is required for the $35 screenings. To schedule a screening, call the Genesis scheduling department at (563)421-1020.
• On March 31, the Wellness Champions of the Quad City Health Initiative (QCHI) will launch a community "walk to the moon and back" in a race to accumulate a community total of 477,400 miles before competitor communities in Peoria and Rockford, Illinois. The "moon walk" started in Peoria in 2003. In 2004 and 2005, Rockford and Peoria raced to see which community could reach that number of miles the fastest. This year, the Quad Cities are joining the race. Peoria has won the past two years; last year it finished the race with 4,000 walkers in just 10 weeks. This year's race will officially end June 30. Registration for the moon walk is free. Organizations and businesses that are interested in forming a moon-walk team should call (563)421-2826 by January 31. The organization also welcomes organizations willing to become a moon-walk sponsor by making in-kind contributions to the effort. For more information, visit (http://www.qchealthinitiative.org).
• The fiscal year 2006-7 budget proposal from Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack includes $3.75 million for the new Davenport Community Based Corrections Center. The budget proposal, released last week, would use money from a tobacco-settlement fund for construction of the 120-bed residential facility. The facility is operated by the Iowa Department of Corrections.
• Three Central High students - Leslie Farland, Paul Barasel, and Amber Loerzel - have been selected as the Iowa State Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division "2006 Know Your Constitution" winners from Davenport. Students from across the state of Iowa competed by familiarizing themselves with the U.S. Constitution and then answering a 50-question test and writing an essay involving religious displays in the public sector. One hundred finalists were chosen and honored with their teachers at a banquet in Des Moines on January 6. Each student received a certificate and medal recognizing their achievement.
• The Scott County Family Y and Genesis Health System are holding a free Community Health Fair on Saturday, January 21, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Bettendorf Family YMCA and Genesis Wellness Center, 3800 Tanglefoot Lane in Bettendorf. Activities include a body-fat analysis, massage therapy, pulmonary and blood-pressure screenings, sleep-disorder assessment, and programs on cancer and heart-disease prevention. For more information, call (563)359-9622 or (563)421-2000.
• Myron Scheibe, president of the board of trustees for Davenport's Putnam Museum & IMAX Theatre, announced on Monday that the museum-director/CEO position being vacated by Christopher J. Reich will be filled by two individuals from within the organization. Mark Bawden, who previously served as the museum's board president and president of the IMAX committee, will assume the role of the Putnam/IMAX's chief executive officer, responsible for such financial activities as development and marketing. Sally Hinz, who was appointed curator of natural science in 1997, will oversee the museum's day-to-day operations as chief operating officer. Both Bawden and Hinz were raised in the area - Bawden graduated from Davenport Central High School, while Hinz is a North Scott High School and Coe College alumna - leading Scheibe to describe them as the Putnam/IMAX's "home-grown management team." Scheibe also expressed pleasure that Reich's replacements "have a passion for the institute," and that they will continue to champion the Putnam/IMAX as a means "to educate through entertainment." Bawden said that one of his primary goals as CEO is to alleviate the $3-million debt still owed for the construction of the museum's IMAX Theatre. He revealed that, although the museum was "covering interest expenses" and "not under the gun" financially, the Putnam/IMAX needed "a few unexpected angels in the Quad Cities that we haven't found yet." Bawden added that the board of directors was soliciting outside funds for the debt's erasure and that, in 2005, museum attendance exceeded 225,000 visitors, the most in its history. Bawden and Hinz will assume their new positions at the museum following Reich's last work day on Friday, January 20. - Mike Schulz
• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, or AAA, is a killer of more than 9,000 Americans each year. Without any previously displayed symptoms, death from the ruptured main artery running from the heart to the legs can come suddenly. Genesis Medical Center has scheduled four AAA screenings using brief, non-invasive ultrasound exams for National Heart Month in February at YMCA facilities in Davenport and Bettendorf. Valentine's Day gift cards, redeemable for the $35 cost of a screening, are available from the gift shops of Genesis Medical Center and from Genesis On Call at (563)421-2000. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms are relatively easy to detect using ultrasound equipment, but screening is not frequently done in the United States. AAA screening is performed by an ultrasound technician who examines the abdomen. Participants should wear comfortable, loose, two-piece clothing. No fasting is necessary. An appointment is required for the $35 screenings. To schedule a screening, call the Genesis scheduling department at (563)421-1020.
• On March 31, the Wellness Champions of the Quad City Health Initiative (QCHI) will launch a community "walk to the moon and back" in a race to accumulate a community total of 477,400 miles before competitor communities in Peoria and Rockford, Illinois. The "moon walk" started in Peoria in 2003. In 2004 and 2005, Rockford and Peoria raced to see which community could reach that number of miles the fastest. This year, the Quad Cities are joining the race. Peoria has won the past two years; last year it finished the race with 4,000 walkers in just 10 weeks. This year's race will officially end June 30. Registration for the moon walk is free. Organizations and businesses that are interested in forming a moon-walk team should call (563)421-2826 by January 31. The organization also welcomes organizations willing to become a moon-walk sponsor by making in-kind contributions to the effort. For more information, visit (http://www.qchealthinitiative.org).
• The fiscal year 2006-7 budget proposal from Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack includes $3.75 million for the new Davenport Community Based Corrections Center. The budget proposal, released last week, would use money from a tobacco-settlement fund for construction of the 120-bed residential facility. The facility is operated by the Iowa Department of Corrections.
• Three Central High students - Leslie Farland, Paul Barasel, and Amber Loerzel - have been selected as the Iowa State Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division "2006 Know Your Constitution" winners from Davenport. Students from across the state of Iowa competed by familiarizing themselves with the U.S. Constitution and then answering a 50-question test and writing an essay involving religious displays in the public sector. One hundred finalists were chosen and honored with their teachers at a banquet in Des Moines on January 6. Each student received a certificate and medal recognizing their achievement.
• The Scott County Family Y and Genesis Health System are holding a free Community Health Fair on Saturday, January 21, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Bettendorf Family YMCA and Genesis Wellness Center, 3800 Tanglefoot Lane in Bettendorf. Activities include a body-fat analysis, massage therapy, pulmonary and blood-pressure screenings, sleep-disorder assessment, and programs on cancer and heart-disease prevention. For more information, call (563)359-9622 or (563)421-2000.
