Illinois Jobs Now! Project Supported 200 Jobs; Will Strengthen Healthcare for Vulnerable, Low-Income and Medicaid Patients at Mount Sinai

CHICAGO - November 13, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today joined with community and healthcare leaders to announce the newly renovated Mount Sinai Hospital Health Clinic. This $7 million Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction project created or supported almost 200 jobs and will allow Mount Sinai Hospital to relocate its specialty clinics into one space.

"As a result of this project, more people will get the medical care they need and we will strengthen the local community," Governor Quinn said. "Building this new clinic at Mount Sinai creates jobs, paves the way for more economic growth and improves healthcare services that will help tens of thousands of people every year."

The $7 million Illinois Jobs Now! project was used to move all of Mount Sinai Hospital's specialty clinics out of a 60-year facility that was once used as a dormitory and into a newly-renovated space. These clinics include cardiology, gastroenterology, infectious disease, nephrology, general surgery, vascular surgery and several pediatric subspecialties. Construction on the first phase of this project will be completed in the next four to six months.

These clinics served more than 65,000 patient visits last year. The new space was designed to accommodate more patients that will be covered by the Medicaid expansion as part of the federal Affordable Care Act. Medicaid covers 60% of Sinai Health System's patients and 15% are uninsured. The efficiencies created by bringing these clinics under one roof will mean increased care for vulnerable populations that have limited options in receiving specialty medical treatment.

The new clinics will be located on the third floor of the Sinai Community Institute Building, which serves as a central location where those in need can go for help. The first floor of the building houses many of the programs of Sinai Community Institute which offers a wide range of programs to serve the community. Programs include one of the largest Women, Infant and Children (WIC) programs in Illinois, parenting education, elder abuse services, workforce development, case management, youth programming, case management for the Juvenile Intervention Support Center, after school education programs and a community computer lab.

Governor Quinn's $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction program is the largest in Illinois history, supporting an estimated 439,000 construction jobs over six years. The program, which aims to modernize Illinois' infrastructure, began in 2009.

With all the talk about health-care coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, it seems few people know coverage is available in every state as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, says Dr. Dixie Swanson, a former television health reporter and physician, and a lupus patient.

"People can apply for the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan, which will not deny you coverage because you have asthma, diabetes or some other condition, and will not charge you more simply because of it," says Swanson, the author of "The Accidental President Trilogy," (www.dixieswanson.com). "In Washington D.C. and 23 states - including Florida, Massachusetts and Texas - it's run by the federal government. Twenty-seven states run their own PCIP program."

Policies vary from state to state and premiums may vary, but coverage can cost less than $200 a month. But a shockingly low number of people know about the coverage, Swanson says. As of July 31, there were 82,000 people enrolled. Maine had only 42 enrollees; California had the most, 11,118.

"Getting and keeping health insurance is Job One for many patients with chronic illness. This is a real step forward," Swanson says.

Here are some important things to know about PCIP:

• You are eligible for PCIP coverage ONLY if you have been without insurance coverage for the past six months. If you have coverage - even if it does not cover your condition - you are not eligible, and if you're in a state high-risk pool, you're not eligible.

• Rules vary depending on who administers the plan. In states with the federally administered program, you must submit one of the following with your application: 1) An insurance company's letter denying you coverage from within the past 12 months, 2) An offer of insurance with a rider disallowing your condition, provided you didn't accept a policy, 3) If you're under 19 or you live in Vermont or Massachusetts, a letter from a doctor, physician's assistant or nurse practitioner stating your condition, and 4) If you're under 19 or you live in Vermont or Massachusetts, an offer of insurance that you didn't accept because the premium was too high (provided it's at least double the cost of a standard option PCIP premium),

• In states with the federally administered program, if you're application is accepted, you'll receive a letter within two to three weeks. If you submitted your application and all documentation before the 15th of the month, your coverage can start by the 1st of the following month (i.e. by Nov. 15, coverage starts Dec. 1). If you apply after the 15th, it will start by the first of the month after that (i.e. Jan. 1).

• PCIP is designed to be temporary. The Affordable Health Care Act calls for private insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions beginning in 2014, at which time PCIP will not be necessary.

• To find out more, visit the plan's official website, www.pcip.gov

About Dixie Swanson

Dixie Swanson was a pediatrician for 10 years and the Family Health Reporter for NBC's Houston affiliate. She also spent time working for a Washington lobbyist with access to the White House.  Dixie is the author of "The Accidental President Trilogy - a Political Fable for Our Time."

The summit will be held on Nov. 27, at Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines. Iowans are encouraged to register at: https://preventbullying.iowa.gov/

The agenda for the Governor Bullying Prevention Summit is as follows:

8:30 a.m.- 10 a.m. Registration

10 a.m.- 10:05 a.m. Welcome - The Honorable Kim Reynolds, Lieutenant Governor of Iowa

10:05-10:15 a.m. Opening Remarks – The Honorable Terry Branstad, Governor of Iowa

10:15 a.m.-10:45 a.m.     "It Takes a Community" Paul Gausman, Superintendent of the Sioux City School District

11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Breakout Sessions

Breakout Session One

"24/7 Bullying in the Digital Age"

Marsali Hancock, CEO and president of the Internet Keep Safe Coalition, will speak and moderate a panel discussion, followed by questions from the audience

Panelists:

• Ben Barry, Guidance Counselor at Carlisle Middle School
• Elizabeth Englander, Director of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center at Bridgewater State University
• Matt Shankles, Student at Linn-Mar High School, Marion
• · Jenny Pfeifer, College student from Simpson College, Indianola 

Breakout Session Two

"Schools in the Legal Twilight Zone"

Tom Wheeler, Member of Frost Brown Todd LLC, Indianapolis, IN, and Past Chair of the National School Boards Association Council of School Attorneys, will speak and moderate a panel discussion, followed by questions from the audience

Panelists:

• Drew Bracken, Attorney at Ahlers & Cooney PC, Des Moines
• Judy Bradshaw, Des Moines Chief of Police
• Matt Carver, Legal Services Director for School Administrators of Iowa
• Frank LoMonte, Executive Director of the Student Press Law Center, Arlington, VA
• Beth Townsend, Director of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission

12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. Box lunch available

12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. "Queen Bees and Wannabes: Teaching Social Competency" Rosalind Wiseman, Parenting and Bullying Expert whose book became the basis for the movie "Mean Girls"

1:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. Breakout Sessions

Breakout Session One

"Sick from Bullying"

Diana Schroeder, Director of Bullying Prevention Initiatives for the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at Windber Research Institute in Windber, PA, will speak and moderate a panel discussion, followed by questions from the audience

Panelists:

• Cheryll Jones, Health Services Coordinator and Director of Policy and Advocacy for Child Health Specialty Clinics, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
• Dr. Jennifer Groos, pediatrician at Blank Children's Hospital, Des Moines, and vice president of the Iowa Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics
• Laura Jackson, Executive Vice President, Health Care Strategy and Policy, Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Des Moines
• Sharon Guthrie, Executive Director of the Iowa School Nurse Organization
• Michael Peters, Great Prairie Area Education Agency school social worker, Ottuwma

Breakout Session Two

"The Culture of Mean"

Barbara Coloroso, author of "The Bullied, the Bully and the Bystander," will speak and moderate a panel discussion, followed by questions from the audience

Panelists:

• Ella Daft, Student at Newton Senior High School
• Lori Eastwood, Counselor with Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, Decorah Office
• Dave Kramer, Executive Director of the Iowa Pupil Transportation Association
• Michelle Lane, Parent Advocate for Youngsters with Disabilities, Waterloo
• Mike Schlesinger, Publisher of the Marshalltown Times-Republican

2:45 to 3:45 p.m. "Leadership Makes the Difference"

Conference-wide discussion moderated by Iowa Public Television's Dean Borg, followed by questions from the audience

Panelists:

• Penny Bisignano, Consultant for Bullying Prevention and Intervention, Iowa Department of Education
• Arthur Tate, Superintendent of the Davenport School District
• Joel Pedersen, Superintendent of the Cardinal School District, Eldon
• Emily Domayer, Student at Morningside College, Sioux City
• Timothy Minard, Senior Vice President, U.S. Distribution, the Principal Financial Group, Des Moines
• Nate Monson, Executive Director of Iowa Safe Schools, Des Moines
• Nishan Singh, Student at Iowa State University, Ames

3:45 to 4 p.m. Final remarks by Jason Glass, Iowa Department of Education Director

There's plenty of information about women's physical and health-care needs. Unfortunately, some of it is incomplete, or based on opinion and conjecture, or it's just plain bad information, says registered nurse Iyalode Edwards.

"Women tend to be more vigilant about their bodies than men, and there is a huge marketplace of literature, products, studies, politics and other opinions on women's health," says Edwards, author of "Multiple Orgasms Made Simple: 'How to Do It' Sex Secrets All Women Should Know!" (www.multipleOmadesimple.com).

"Not all of it makes sense."

It's only natural that women are more focused on their bodies than men because women have the more complex anatomy, she says. But old ideas from a society based in patriarchy, along with today's health market issues, can create confusion. Edwards, who has more than 35 years experience as a registered nurse, clarifies three points about which she sees the most misunderstanding among her patients:

• Untested therapies: Several years ago hormone replacement therapy was all the rage, used almost as a cure-all for post-menopausal women suffering a variety of symptoms. After a few decades, however, a large percentage of those women started suffering ovarian and breast cancer, in addition to other complications. More recently, vaccines for the human papillomavirus have been touted to girls and young women as the new preventative measure against cervical cancer. But thousands of girls have experienced a wide range of side effects, including seizures, strokes, dizziness, fatigue, weakness, headaches, vomiting, weakness, joint pain, auto-immune problems, chest pains, hair loss, appetite loss, personality changes, insomnia, tremors and menstrual cycle changes. Be wary of new cure-alls. Adverse effects are sometimes not revealed until they've been in use for a significant amount of time.

• Health through pleasure: A 2011 survey by Jane Magazine found that, while more than 87 percent of men aged 18 to 26 years old experienced orgasm "most or all of the time" during sex, only 46.8 percent of women could say the same thing. Not only could that percentage be much higher for women, it could be more meaningful, too. "The truth is, if you have all your sex organs intact and can achieve the first level of climax, then you can achieve it multiple times during the same encounter," Edwards says. "You just need information, and there has been too much misinformation disseminated." Sexual satisfaction comes with several health benefits, including improved cardiovascular functioning, sounder sleep and a deeper bond with a partner.

• The politics of women's health: As imperative as it is to know more and listen closely to one's body, it is also important to stay connected to current events since women's health care has become a political football, she says. Comments from multiple elected officials seem to be narrowing the definition of rape, and there are many who support limiting women's care in insurance plans, to name a few public debates. "I want women to be more aware of their bodies," Edwards says. "Unfortunately, the rhetoric of many politicians seems to be pointing backward regarding our health."

About Iyalode Edwards, R.N.

Iyalode Edwards is the author of "Multiple Orgasms Made Simple," a straightforward, step-by-step how-to guide that includes physiological explanations for sensations women experience. Edwards is a registered nurse with more than 35 years of experience. She informally interviewed a number of women and physicians as part of her research.