Peoria is Corrupt

The New England Journal of Medicine had an article this week regarding employing paramedics with advanced life support techniques for out-of-hospital patients suffering from respiratory distress.

The conclusion was that the rate of death among all patients (over 8,000 studied) decreased significantly from the basic-life-support phase to the advanced-life-support phase.

The study was performed in Canada and is part of the OPALS large multicenter clinical trial. The study was conducted in 15 cities in Ontario.

The advanced life support was given by primary care Paramedics who were trained to perform endotracheal intubation, insert IV lines, and administer IV medications.

Even though the Peoria Fire Department has Paramedics and Intermediates that are trained to do advanced life support, they are not allowed to use their skills unless Advanced Medical Transport in Peoria asks them for their help.

The study discusses the cost of training primary Paramedics to give advanced life support for patients in respiratory distress. In Peoria, we have Peoria Fire Department Paramedics that already are trained in these techniques.

An important issue in Peoria is the cost of pre hospital services versus the value of a human life. The study discusses the cost of training primary paramedics in Canada to give advanced life support for patients in respiratory distress. In Peoria, we have Peoria Fire Department Paramedics who are already trained in these techniques and, most of the time, are not allowed to use their skills.

With the conflict of interest in Peoria that gives the nod to Advanced Medical Transport, it is difficult for policy makers and physicians who control Emergency Medical Services to look at this issue objectively.

It is a shame that the Peoria Fire Department is not giving advanced life support to patients that call 9-1-1 with shortness of breath. The OPALS study indicates that advanced support for these patients may save their lives.

Mauricio

Dear Bishop Jenky and Sister Judith Ann,

Mauricio is a six month old Haitian baby with Tetrology of Fallot. I examined him two days ago in Port-au-Prince. He was born with four abnormalities of his heart which make it difficult for him to pump blood to his lungs. Most children in the developing world do not reach age 20 years with this congential problem.

Please contact as many medical centers that you can to help save his life. He needs surgery which can be done at a good pediatric children's hospital that performs cardiac surgery.

Haitian Hearts will bring him to the United States and back to Haiti when his recovery is complete. His Haitian parents will be very grateful.

Sincerely,

John

Hard to Believe

Health services eye Marshall County
Medically underserved area could receive clinic

Friday, May 11, 2007

BY GARY L. SMITH
OF THE JOURNAL STAR

LACON - Because Marshall County has been designated a medically underserved area, two organizations are looking into the possibility of establishing a community health clinic in the area, the County Board was told Thursday.

A Chicago-area organization and another from southern Illinois are thinking of trying to open a federally qualified health-care center that could serve uninsured and low-income people as well as other residents, said Gene Huber, director of finance for the Peoria City/County Health Department. Marshall County's department is also administered by the Peoria agency.

An operation of that type in the Peoria area, Heartland Health Care, has decided not to pursue one here because of "political reasons" arising from the January opening of a new Methodist Medical Group Family Practice clinic in Lacon, Huber said. That facility, which has a full-time physician and nurse practitioner, replaced one that had closed a year earlier in rented space.

"Methodist was not in favor" of a community clinic in Marshall County, Huber told the board.

The interested Chicago-area group is Aunt Martha's Healthcare Network, a not-for-profit organization providing health care and social services in eight collar counties. The identity of the other organization was not available.

The Peoria clinic "thought it was kind of stepping on toes" in Marshall County, Huber said, "whereas these outside entities are not worried about that."

The county's status as underserved, which is shared by many others, was last updated in September, according to a Web site of the Illinois Department of Public Health's Center for Rural Health. Brian Tun, director of health promotion for the Peoria Health Department, said later that it's not certain whether that could be affected by the Methodist clinic.

But Tun said the designation arises from consideration of many factors besides the number of physicians or other providers, including the population and geographic size of an area, and the distance people have to travel for care.


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Haitians Don't Throw Fastballs

Since the beginning of this year, hundreds of Haitians have left Haiti in rickety boats. No one knows how many have drowned or have been eaten by sharks.

In April, 704 Haitian migrants were stopped by the Coast Guard and hundreds have been returned to Port-au-Prince.

Unlike their Cuban neighbors, Haitians don't usually vote Republican and Haitian fastballs are not near as accurate as Cuban baseball players throw.

The U.S. does not want Haitians here.

Addressing 1,200 mourners in an emotional and politically charged service in south Florida, the Rev. Reginald Jean-Mary eulogized Lifaite Lully, 24, who drowned trying to reach the U.S. in a boat carrying 102 Haitian refugees:

"We have come to mourn the death of hope. This young man was....in search of security and freedom and meaning in his life."

Bishop Jenky's Five Years

The Peoria Journal Star recently published an article on Bishop Daniel Jenky’s first five years as Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Peoria. Bishop Jenky declined to be interviewed for the article and would not allow other Diocesan officials to be interviewed. Fr. Mike Bliss, OSF chaplain, was picked by the Diocese to be quoted regarding the Bishop’s first five years.

Bishop Jenky is spiritual head of almost 200,000 Catholics in the Diocese of Peoria.

In his first five years the Journal listed Bishop Jenky's number one accomplishment was leading a successful capital campaign. 37 million dollars was raised by the Diocese. The majority of these funds are going to Catholic school scholarships and other educational efforts.

The Journal also stated that he has spearheaded plans for a new diocesan center near downtown Peoria. Bishop Jenky also refurbished the Cathedral and a photo shows the Bishop in the Chancery showing "Victorian steps, curving French Renaissance stairways and historic pieces".

Unfortunately, in 2003, Bishop Jenky gave into OSF, as OSF withdrew all support for Haitian children dying of heart disease. Haitian Hearts patients, that were treated at OSF in the past, have not been able to return to OSF, and some have died. Bishop Jenky could have helped find other medical centers to care for sick Haitian kids, but he did not. Based on my conversation with him, I think he is afraid of the power and wealth at OSF. It would be interesting to know how much OSF contributed to the Diocesan capital campaign.

I am sure Bishop Jenky has accomplished good things in his first five years in Peoria. However, advocating and supporting Haitian kids dying of heart disease is not one of them.