DES MOINES - Today, AFSCME Iowa Council 61 President Danny Homan issued the following statement about the issuing of layoff notices yesterday at Mt. Pleasant Mental Health Institute:

"These layoffs show the governor is not interested in working with the mental health provider community, legislators, patients and their families, or employees. The governor is proceeding alone, with no real plan for how to provide these needed services once these facilities close.

"This week, legislation (Senate File 402) passed an Iowa Senate committee on a bipartisan basis that, if enacted, would halt the governor's unilateral actions. The governor should change course and work together with the legislature to put those who need these services first."

--Free bra fittings to help women look good, and do good--

WHAT: Join Wacoal in its mission to help end breast cancer with Fit for the Cure^®! Participate in a Fit for the Cure event and receive a complimentary bra fitting from a Wacoal fit specialist. For every woman that participates, Wacoal will donate $2 to Susan G. Komen® for breast cancer research and community health programs. Wacoal will also donate an additional $2 for every Wacoal bra, shapewear piece or b.tempt'd bra purchased at these events.

For 15 years, Wacoal has swept the nation educating and fitting more than 713,000 women across 411 cities about the importance of bra fit, foundation and overall breast health. To date, through Fit for the Cure, Wacoal has donated over $4 million to Susan G. Komen® and hosts more than 1200 events across America throughout the year.

WHY:   Giving back is a major component of Wacoal's business philosophy, and an important factor in the growth of the brand.  In 2015, Wacoal will reach two major milestones- 30 years of making women look and feel good and 15 years of raising awareness through Fit for the Cure.

Research shows that 8 out of 10 women are wearing the wrong sized bra. Wearing a bra should not have to be even slightly uncomfortable.  Women should be professionally fitted for a bra once a year to ensure their bra size has not changed as a result of natural fluctuations in their body.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American women and accounts for just under 30% of all cancers among women.  Conducting monthly breast self-examination is an important way to detect abnormalities at an early stage. Take 15 minutes to meet with a Wacoal fit expert while contributing to an important cause and sign up for a monthly reminder e-mail that could ultimately save your life.

WHEN: Friday, March 6, 2015

10am - 8pm

Dillards  - Northpark Mall

320 W Kimberly Rd

Davenport, IA

563 - 388 -7354

IOWA CITY ? The Iowa City VA Health Care System will soon join six other VA Hospitals in a program that interviews veterans about their life stories and makes the transcribed oral histories part of the patients' medical record.

The program, called My Life, My Story, was started by the VA Hospital in Madison, Wis., in 2013 and is expanding to six other VA hospitals around the country beginning in March. The new sites, in addition to Iowa City, are Asheville, N.C.; Bronx, N.Y.; Reno, Nev.; Topeka, Kan.; and White River Junction, Vt.

Madison VA therapist and My Life, My Story coordinator Thor Ringler has been with the project since it began.
"I think it's about people having a voice," Ringler said. "The story is really a way to connect providers with veterans and have them connect over something that's real and meaningful. I think there's something missing in healthcare and this project is just one way to bring the spark back and remind us why we're here - who we're here for."

Marine Corps veteran Michael Gundlach was recently interviewed at the Madison VA.

"Being able to talk about my experience was a morale builder, first of all, for the acknowledgement of [my] service," Gundlach said. "And second of all?and more long-term?it gave me the chance to review my life. The way the interview was conducted felt very stress-free. I think the program is absolutely something that should be expanded."

After conducting an interview, which typically takes about one hour, project staff and volunteers write up a story about the veteran's life. They then review it with the veteran and, with veteran approval, add the story to the veteran's medical record. They also alert the veteran's primary care and inpatient care providers when the story is added.

Polly Boynton is a nurse practitioner at the Madison VA who consults the stories frequently.

"I have taken the time to read each "My Story" I have encountered in my patients' charts and am grateful to have the additional dimension and background," Boynton said. "It is a true pleasure to read these stories; I feel I gain such valuable insight into the humanity of my patients."

Until recently, the Madison VA was the only facility offering this service to veterans. A grant from the VA Office of Patient Centered Care allowed the project to expand to the six new sites.

Gundlach knows that for many veterans, it is not an easy thing to tell your story, but he encourages their participation.

"I would highly recommend this to any veteran who is at a point in his emotional status where he can talk about it," Gundlach said. "If you think that you don't want to talk to people?say your friends and family?this is another way to release and talk about something that is so important. There's absolutely no downside to participating in this."

The program in Wisconsin has interviewed more than 500 veterans and trained more than 25 community and student volunteers to gather their stories since it began in 2013.

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Davenport, IA: Stop Stressing & Start Living: A 6-Week Series will be presented at Lamrim Kadampa Buddhist Center in Davenport, Iowa, on Thursday evenings from 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., beginning March 12th and running through April 16th.

Overtime stress can seriously affect our mental and physical wellbeing.  The wear and tear of our everyday responsibilities can put such a strain on our mind that even when we do get a break we cannot enjoy it because we know the next wave of challenges is coming soon.   Thankfully stress is entirely created from within our mind, not from without.   In this course will examine meditation as a powerful tool we can use to overcome the stress and tension that normally fills our mind.  We can learn to change how we react to our normal daily pressures with a peaceful creative and clear mind all the time. We can even learn to enjoy challenges and responsibilities that previously were the source of great anxiety.

"Many people are looking for a quick fix when it comes to dealing with stress," states Joe Gauthier, Buddhism & Meditation teacher at Lamrim Kadampa Buddhist Center in Davenport, Iowa, "but you have to go to the source of it-our unrealistic ways of looking at our life.  There are many factors that contribute to our daily stress that we are completely unaware of; just by knowing these we can start to protect our mind from the daily strain that robs us of our happiness and wellbeing."

(563)322-1600

info@meditateiniowa.org