Lt. Governor Simon: Protect Women`s Access to Health Care  

AURORA – Lt. Governor Sheila Simon will tour a health clinic in Aurora on Wednesday and advocate for full access to birth control coverage and preventive care.

"A woman`s decision to use birth control is a personal one, and her boss should not be able to interfere with it," Simon said.

Simon`s visit comes after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 30 that some corporate employers can use religious objections to deny access to birth control coverage. Legislation to override the decision is expected to move on Wednesday, and Illinois voters will be asked to weigh in on an advisory referendum in November asking whether any health insurance plan in Illinois that provides prescription drug coverage should be required to include prescription birth control.

TIME: 2:15 p.m.

DATE: July 16

LOCATION: Aurora Health Center, 3051 E. New York St., Aurora

NOTE: Simon`s tour will be private due to patient confidentiality. The media availability will take place in the clinic waiting room.

Scott County Administration Building

First Floor Boardroom

July 21, 2014

2:00 PM to 5:00 PM

1. Roll Call

2. Approval of Minutes

2. Approval of the Revised Annual Service and Budget Plan

2. Transition Plan

2. Discussion/Approval of the Baker Tilly Report

2. Approval of Service Agreements from Each County

2. HIPAA- ISAC Calling In

2. Approval of FY15 Service Contracts:

a. Handicapped Development Center (HDC)

b. Vera French CMHC

c. Compassion Counseling

d. Crossroads

e. Senior Resources

f. Optimae Life Solutions

g. Consumer Design Services

h. Cornerstone Wellness

i. Mediapolis Care Facility

j. Pathway Living Center, Inc.

k. Wagner Pharmacy

l. Bridgeview CMHC

m. Mercy Medical Center- Clinton

n. Skyline, Inc.

o. DHS Targeted Case Management

p. Family Counseling and Psychology Center, P.C.

q. Liberty Counseling

r. Lutheran Services in Iowa

2. Regional Board Designation of Targeted Case Management Entities

2. CEO Report

2. Financial Report

2. Other Items

2. Public Comment

2. Adjournment

Say No to Soda, Yes to Healthy Drinks

Learn five reasons why soda is bad for you and five healthy drinks that are better for quenching your thirst.

Sodas are sweet, sparkling and tasty ? but don't confuse them with a healthy drink. Doctors have discovered a ton of health risks connected with drinking soda pop. Worse, you're robbing yourself of a healthy drink alternative brimming with needed vitamins and minerals every time you chug down a soft drink.

"If you're choosing a soda, chances are you aren't choosing a healthy beverage," says Keri M. Gans, a nutrition consultant in New York City and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. There are a number of healthy drink choices you can make instead.

Why Say No to Soda?

• Soda is truly worthless to your body. "In my opinion, there's really one major reason to not drink soda," Gans says. "It has absolutely no nutritional value. Soda is filled with sugar and calories and nothing else." Even diet sodas ? low to no calories and sugar ? don't have any redeeming virtues, nutritionally. Healthy drinks, on the other hand, have vitamins and minerals the body can use. Even plain water can rehydrate your body without adding extra calories to your diet.
• Sugary sodas contribute to obesity and diabetes. Soda is loaded with high-fructose corn syrup, a sweetener that has been linked to obesity. Soda consumption also has been linked to the development of type 2 diabetes, both due to its sugar content and its effects on the body's hormones. And diet soda? It may not be any better. At least one study has linked artificial sweeteners, such as those used in diet sodas, to increased appetite, greater difficulty losing weight, and a harder time maintaining weight loss.
• Soda damages your teeth. The sugar in soda coats your teeth, combining with bacteria in your mouth to form acid. Both regular and diet soda also contain carbolic acid through carbonation. These acids work to weaken tooth enamel, causing cavities and tooth decay.
• Drinking soda can weaken your bones. Most sodas contain phosphorous and caffeine, agents that are believed to contribute to osteoporosis. Experts also worry that people consume soda in place of milk or other healthy drinks, depriving the bones of calcium.
• Soda can harm your major organs. Research has demonstrated that increased soft drink consumption may be linked to chronic kidney disease, development of metabolic syndrome (a group of symptoms that add up to increased heart risk), and fatty liver, a chronic liver disease.

Healthy Drink Alternatives

Luckily, there are limitless options when choosing a healthy drink over a soda pop. Some soda alternatives include :

• Water. It is the ultimate healthy drink. "It's free in every sense of the word," Gans says. "It has no calories and it comes straight from your tap."
• Fruit juice. Gans urges you not to drink straight fruit juice, which contains a lot of sugar. "Drink some seltzer with a splash of juice for a little flavoring," she says. "Rather than drinking juice, eat a piece of whole fruit. You're also getting the fiber in the fruit."
• Milk. This is another essential healthy drink, particularly for kids. "An 8-ounce glass of nonfat milk has 80 calories and nine essential nutrients," Gans says. "You get a lot of bang for your buck."
• Tea. Whatever teas you prefer ? green, black, herbal ? they all have been shown to contain high levels of antioxidants, which are believed to protect the body from damage.
• Powdered drink mixes. They contain no tooth-rotting carbonation, and come in sugar-free varieties. They give your sweet tooth a fix without harming your overall nutrition.

And remember that you can always cut up some fresh fruit and pop a little into a tall glass of water for an extra flavor kick. Choosing healthy drinks over soda: Give it a try. Your body will thank you.

'A Robot Operated on My Hernia'
Tarpon Springs Surgeon Debunks This & Other Myths
About Robots in the O.R.

Robotics-assisted surgery has become enormously popular, with physicians around the world performing 1.5 million procedures - from hysterectomies to heart valve repairs - in 2011.

"But myths and misconceptions about robots in the operating room still abound," says physician Dr. Keith Chisholm, MD, a Board Certified General Surgeon on staff at Florida Hospital North Pinellas, (www.fhnorthpinellas.com).

"One is that the robot performs the surgery - 'a robot operated on my hernia,' " says Dr. Chisholm. "Technically, it's not a robot because it can't perform surgery without someone controlling it - it's actually computer-assisted surgery. The surgeon guides all of the movements using finger-manipulated controls."

He and other robotics surgeons use the da Vinci Surgical System, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved for minimally invasive surgeries in 2000. Nine years later, the da Vinci was being used in 80 percent of surgeries to remove cancerous prostates, according to its maker, Intuitive Surgical, Inc.

"The benefits of robotics-assisted surgery are numerous", says Dr. Chisholm, who performs several different procedures using da Vinci and became the first Pinellas-Pasco physician to use it for a single-incision cholecystectomy (gall bladder removal).

"The robotic arms hold miniaturized surgical instruments, so we can get in through very small incisions," he says. "That means there's less chance of infection, less pain, much less scarring and a quicker recovery time. Because the arms have 'wrists' that can rotate more than 360 degrees, we have far more maneuverability than we do with laparoscopic surgery, and we can get into hard-to-reach areas."

"One of the robotic arms holds a magnified 3D high-definition camera, which gives us a much better view of the surgical site than we would have with just our own two eyes."

In a 2013 FDA survey, surgeons experienced with da Vinci said their patients have less bleeding, fewer complications, much quicker recovery times and less time in the hospital - 24 hours on average. Interestingly, those who used da Vinci to remove advanced cancer in the tonsils region of the throat said half of their patients were able to avoid chemotherapy.

What are some other myths and misconceptions?

•  Myth: Robotics-assisted surgery costs much more than traditional surgery.
A study published in July 2013 found that half of the minimally invasive procedures reviewed, including robotics-assisted and laparoscopic surgeries, cost insurance providers less than the same surgeries performed in the traditional manner. Four of the six minimally invasive surgeries also resulted in fewer lost work days - sometimes several weeks fewer.

"The robotics technology is expensive and the whole surgical team has to be trained, which can add to the cost," says Dr. Chisholm. "But there's also a tremendous savings compared with traditional surgery because the patient is out of the hospital more quickly and there are fewer complications."

(Study conducted by University of Pennsylvania health economist Andrew J. Epstein and published in JAMA Surgery.)

•  Myth: Robotics-assisted surgery is riskier than traditional surgeries.
Any surgery has certain risks, but in many ways, robotics-assisted surgeries have fewer overall, Dr. Chisholm says.

"Many times, the robotics-assisted procedures can be done much more quickly, so there's less risk simply because the duration of the procedure is shorter," he says. "You also have the smaller incisions, less bleeding, etc. that reduce the risks."

In addition, the Tampa Bay area is fortunate to have the cutting-edge 2-year-old Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS) operated by the University of South Florida.

"Our surgical teams have easy access to training, practice with simulators and continuing education, so we're extremely well-prepared," Dr. Chisholm says.

About Dr. Keith Chisholm

Dr. Keith Chisholm graduated from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Medical School and went on to residency training at the University of Florida, becoming an assistant adjunct professor and attending surgeon at the Malcolm Randall VA Medical Center in Gainesville, Fla. He's believed to have performed the first laparoscopic colon resection in the UF surgical department. From laparoscopy to robotics-assisted surgery was a natural advance for Chisholm, who has a private practice in Trinity, Fla., and is among the robotics-certified surgeons with privileges at Florida Hospital North Pinellas, (www.fhnorthpinellas.com).