(Kansas City, Kan., May 25, 2012) - The sunny days of spring and summer represent an entirely different dynamic for people in the Midwest.  While large numbers of people are heading for camp sites, parks and beaches that flourish throughout our region, it also means that the agriculture community - our farmers and ranchers - are hard at work in the fields and on rangeland. This means that the risk will increase for those spending more time in the sun.

Several agencies have designated Friday, May 25, 2012, as "Don't Fry Day" as a way to highlight sun safety. EPA has joined the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and National Park Service (NPS) to emphasize the dangers of skin cancer and has provided simple steps Americans can take to protect themselves. The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention designated the Friday before Memorial Day "Don't Fry Day" as a way to highlight sun safety.

Farmers and ranchers face a range of occupational hazards--from machinery accidents to chemical exposures from fertilizers and pesticides, to injuries from working with animals. A less-visible danger comes from the sun's ultraviolet rays, which can damage skin, leading to skin cancer, premature aging of the skin, and suppression of the immune system.

"Ultraviolet radiation is a serious threat to our health and especially to the health of those who make a living outside in the fields and on the rangeland in our region," EPA Region 7 Administrator Karl Brooks said. "The increased threat faced during the long and hot summer days of the heartland makes it imperative that we remember sun safety this summer."

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S. and the most common cancer among 20 to 30 year-olds. It's estimated that one American dies every hour from melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Approximately 76,000 new cases of melanoma will occur this year.

To help protect people's health, EPA's SunWise program, one of the nation's largest environmental and health education programs, encourages kids and their caregivers to practice safe sun habits and raises awareness about UV sunlight that penetrates the Earth's ozone layer.

Here are some tips to help Americans continue to exercise, get outside and be SunWise this Memorial Day weekend and throughout the summer:

Check the UV Index app: Check the ultraviolet (UV) index anytime by downloading EPA's app (epa.gov/enviro/mobile) to help plan outdoor activities in ways that prevent overexposure to the sun. UV rays from the sun (and from artificial light sources such as tanning beds) can lead to skin cancer.

Apply sunscreen and wear protective clothing: Apply a palm-full of sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher that provides broad-spectrum protection from both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays to exposed skin about 15 minutes before heading outdoors. Reapply every two hours. Wearing protective clothing, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses also prevents sun damage.

Seek shade, not sun: The sun's UV rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., so seek shade during this time.

Although less common in individuals with darker complexions, skin cancer does not discriminate and is more often fatal for individuals with darker skin. Overexposure to the sun also causes immune suppression and up to 90 percent of wrinkles, brown spots, leathering of the skin and sagging.

EPA's SunWise program offers factsheets online that have state-specific information (epa.gov/sunwise/statefacts.html ).

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SPRINGFIELD - May 24, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today released a statement regarding the Illinois General Assembly passing Senate Bill 2840, a key part of his proposal for Medicaid restructuring.

"I salute Speaker Michael Madigan, House Minority Leader Tom Cross, Senate President John Cullerton, Minority Leader Christine Radogno, Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, Rep. Patti Bellock, Sen. Heather Steans, Sen. Dale Righter, members of the General Assembly and everyone who joined the working group for making significant progress today towards rescuing our Medicaid system.

This is the first step toward saving Medicaid for those that rely upon it. The status quo would have led to Medicaid's collapse, and I am pleased to see the General Assembly take strong action to put our Medicaid system and our state on the path to sound fiscal footing.

And there is more work to do.

The General Assembly must move quickly to pass legislation to add a dollar a pack to the cost of cigarettes, which - combined with today's legislation - will achieve the necessary $2.7 billion in savings to rescue Medicaid.

Raising the price of cigarettes is also sound health policy; smoking-related conditions are a significant burden on our Medicaid system, and this measure will improve the health of our people and reduce future Medicaid costs. Members of the General Assembly should not delay in taking action to reduce our Medicaid burden and access dollar-for-dollar federal matching funds by increasing the price of cigarettes.

Fourth Annual Continuing Education Conference, to be held in Philadelphia on July 19-21, 2012, will feature nationally recognized lecturers in the field of obesity treatment.

MOUNT LAUREL, NJ – The 4th Annual Continuing Education (CME/CEU) Conference, The Science and Business of Weight Management for the New or Experienced Practitioner, beginning on July 19, 2012, in Philadelphia, will focus on the operational and treatment skills, techniques, and strategies healthcare professionals need to successfully open a new weight loss facility or enhance a current weight management program.

According to a May 2012 report in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, about 42% of the U.S. population will be obese by 2030. Eric Finkelstein, lead author of the report, and co-authors estimate that 11% of the population will be severely obese by 2030.

Healthcare professionals are in the optimal position to improve the quality of life for individuals who are obese and overweight by reducing their weight and co-morbid conditions. As the obesity epidemic progresses, healthcare professionals should look toward educational forums to learn about the latest research advances, operational and treatment skills, techniques and strategies needed to successfully open a new weight management facility or enhance an existing program. To that end, the Annual Continuing Education Conference is pushing for education and providing an opportunity for networking and the exchange of essential knowledge.

Featured speakers at this year`s conference include : Dr. Robert F. Kushner; Judith S. Beck, PhD and Deborah Beck Busis, LSW; Thomas Wadden, PhD; John Baker, MD; John Hernried, MD; Susan Baker, MHA; and John Foreyt, MD, among others.

For more information about the 4th Annual Continuing Education (CME/CEU) Conference, The Science and Business of Weight Management for the New or Experienced Practitioner, visit www.WeightConference.com, or call Jennifer Eisenhofer at 888.519.1192, ext. 3012.

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May 22, 2012

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Herb Kohl, D-Wis., Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., today filed an amendment seeking to combat the costly, widespread and inappropriate use of antipsychotics in nursing homes.

"The overuse of antipsychotics is a common and well-recognized problem that puts frail elders at risk and costs taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars each year," Kohl said. "We need a new policy that helps to ensure that these drugs are being appropriately used to treat people with mental illnesses, not used to curb behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer's or other dementias."

"This amendment responds to alarming reports about the use of antipsychotic drugs with nursing home residents," Grassley said. "It's intended to empower these residents and their loved ones in the decisions about the drugs prescribed for them."

"This measure is responsive to mounting evidence that antipsychotics are being misused and overused in the nursing homes we trust to care for our loved ones," Blumenthal said. "The amendment will do what is necessary to curb this deeply concerning practice, putting the power to make key health care decisions back into the appropriate hands and eliminating unnecessary costs to taxpayers."

The amendment to S. 3187, the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act would require the Health and Human Services Secretary to issue standardized protocols for obtaining informed consent, or authorization from patients or their designated health care agents or legal representatives, acknowledging possible risks and side effects associated with the antipsychotic, as well as alternative treatment options, before administering the drug for off-label use.

While the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved antipsychotic drugs to treat an array of psychiatric conditions, numerous studies conducted during the last decade have concluded that these medications can be harmful when used by frail elders with dementia who do not have a diagnosis of serious mental illness. In fact, the FDA issued two "black box" warnings citing increased risk of death when these drugs are used to treat elderly patients with dementia.

Last year, the Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS OIG) issued a report showing that over a six-month period, 305,000, or 14 percent, of the nation's 2.1 million elderly nursing home residents had at least one Medicare or Medicaid claim for atypical antipsychotics.

The HHS OIG also found that 83 percent of Medicare claims for atypical antipsychotic drugs for elderly nursing home residents were associated with off-label conditions and that 88 percent were associated with a condition specified in the FDA box warning. Further, it showed that more than half of the 1.4 million claims for atypical antipsychotic drugs, totaling $116.5 million, failed to comply with Medicare reimbursement criteria.

The amendment also calls for a new prescriber education program to promote high-quality, evidence-based treatments, including non-pharmacological interventions. The prescriber education programs would be funded through settlements, penalties and damages recovered in cases related to off-label marketing of prescription drugs.