RESULTS...SOURCE OF STRESS POLL

The results were pretty much spread evenly across the board...home, work, driving, relationships and other. The one interesting fact the small poll revealed was no one stated they had NO STRESS in their lives...a sign of the times?

Pregnant...Don't Drink Alcohol

According to a recent article in the Chicago Tribune by Bonnie Rubin about 40,000 babies (1% of all live births) are born with some alcohol -related neurological impairment, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That is more than spina bifida, Down Syndrome and muscular dystrophy combined. A new term has been coined for this disorder, FASD, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and it is 100% preventable. Just remember and do one thing.....

IF YOU ARE PREGNANT DON'T DRINK ANYTHING WITH ALCOHOL IN IT !

Simple....YES.

IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE?

As some of you may know I am retired and have been serving on the Board of Health for McHenry County for almost 10 years. We need some help. The State of Illinois requires two physicians, MDs or DOs, to sit on the Board of Health. Recently one of the two physicians retired from service on the Board. Please consider contacting me if you are interested in volunteering some time in service to the public health needs of the county. We meet once a month and occasionally for committee meetings or special meetings called. It will not take up an inordinate amount of your time and is interesting and stimulating. If you are interested in providing a needed public health service for McHenry County contact me at rgorski@embarqmail.com

I will pass on your information to the Public Health Administrator, Mr. Patrick McNulty.

HOSPITALS VIE FOR OLYMPICS

In yesterday's Chicago Tribune, Business Section is the headline noted above in the title of this article.
I contend that if people can afford to travel thousands of miles, spend thousands of dollars when they get here to have a good time they can afford to buy travel insurance to pay for their medical bills if they incur any on their trip to the U.S. Now we are supposed to pay the tab for the world's travelers so that the mayor and the state can then raise our taxes to subsidize hospitals who may loose millions of dollars. We really are stupid at times...seems lately most of the time. The state does not even pay the medical bills it owes to take care of its citizens. Just look at the job the politicians are doing in Springfield led by Governor Rod. Before these folks (foreign travelers) are allowed in the country they should have to show proof of health insurance. No foreign country has ever paid my medical bills when I visited them. In fact some health facilities won't even see you until they see cash or a travel insurance policy. When are we going to get some common sense?

HELPFUL HINT IF STUNG BY BEE

It is best to scrape a stinger away is a side-to-side motion with a straight-edged object like a credit card. Don't use tweezers because it may push more venom into the skin. After removing a stinger, wash the area with soap and water. You can apply ice or another cold compress to help reduce swelling.

BUGS AWAY!

Things you can do:

• Use structural barriers such as window screens and netting.
• Avoid wooded, brushy, grassy areas.
• Don't wear scented soaps, perfumes.
• Use caution eating outside and drinking; don't leave drinks and garbage cans uncovered.
• Don't wear bright colors, which attract bees.
• Wear long sleeves and long pants when possible.
• Tuck pant legs into socks or shoes.
• Wear a hat for extra protection.
• Get rid of containers with standing water that give mosquitoes a breeding ground.
• Use insect repellent if non chemical methods are ineffective and you spend time in tall grass and wooded areas.
• Treat camping gear, clothes, and shoes with permethrin, which repels and kills ticks, mosquitoes, and other insects. Clothing that is pre-treated with permethrin is also available commercially.
• Good luck this summer and be careful out there.

PUBLIC EMPLOYEE DISABILITY ACT (PEDA)

Your employer may not volunteer this information to you so I am quoting it word for word for your information and benefit should you need it.

GENERAL PROVISIONS

(5 ILCS 345/) Public Employee Disability Act

(5 ILCS 345/0.01) (from Ch. 70, par. 90.9)

Sec. 0.01. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Public Employee Disability Act. (Source: P.A. 86-1324.)

(5 ILCS 345/1) (from Ch. 70, par. 91)

Sec. 1. Disability benefit.

(a) For the purposes of this Section, "eligible employee" means any part-time or full time State correctional officer or any other full or part-time employee of the Department of Corrections, any full or part-time employee of the Prisoner Review Board, and full time or part-time employee of the Department of Human Services working within a penal institution or a State mental health or developmental disabilities facility operated by the Department of Human Services, and any full-time law enforcement officer or full-time firefighter who is employed by the State of Illinois, any unit of local government (including any home rule unit), any State supported college or university, or any other public entity granted the power to employ persons for such purposes by law.

(b) Whenever an eligible employee suffers any injury in the line of duty which causes him to be unable to perform his duties, he shall continue to be paid by the employing public entity on the same basis as he was paid before the injury, with no deduction from his sick leave credits, compensatory time for overtime accumulations or vacation, or service credits in a public employee pension fund during the time he is unable to perform his duties due to the result of the injury, but not longer that one year in relation to the same injury. However, no injury to an employee of the Department of Corrections or the Prisoner Review Board working within a penal institution or an employee of the Department of Human Services working within a departmental mental health or developmental disabilities facility shall qualify the employee for the benefits under this Section unless the injury is the direct or indirect result of violence by inmates of the penal institution or residents of the mental health or developmental disabilities facility.

(c) At any time during the period for which continuing compensation is required by this Act, the employing public entity may order at the expense of that entity physical or medical examinations of the injured person to determine the degree of the disability.

(d) During this period of disability, the injured person shall not be employed in any other manner, with or without monetary compensation. Any person who is employed in violation of this paragraph forfeits the continuing compensation provided by this Act from the time such employment begins. Any salary compensation due the injured person from workers' compensation or any salary due him from any type of insurance which may be carried by the employing public entity shall revert to that entity during the time for which continuing compensation is paid to him under this Act. Any disabled person receiving compensation under the provisions of this Act shall not be entitled to any benefits for which he would qualify because of his disability under the provisions of the Illinois Pension Code.

(e) Any employee of the State of Illinois, as defined in Section 14-103.05 of the Illinois Pension Code, who becomes permanently unable to perform the duties of such employment due to an injury received in the active performance of his duties as a State employee as a result of a willful act of violence by another employee of the State of Illinois, as so defined, committed during such other employee's course of employment and after January 1, 1988 shall be eligible for benefits pursuant to the provisions of this Section. For purposes of this Section, permanently disabled is defined as a diagnosis or prognosis of an inability to return to current job duties by a physician licensed to practice medicine in all of its branches.

(f) The compensation and other benefits provided to part-time employees covered by this Section shall be calculated based on the percentage of time the part-time employee was scheduled to work pursuant to his or her status as a part-time employee.

(g) Pursuant to paragraphs (h) and (i) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution, this Act specifically denies and limits the exercise by home rule units of any power which is inconsistent herewith, and all existing laws and ordinances which are inconsistent herewith are hereby superseded. This Act does not preempt the concurrent exercise by home rule units of the powers consistent herewith.

This Act does not apply to any home rule unit with a population of over 1,000,000.

(Source: P.A. 88-45; 89-504, eff. 7-1-97.)

RESULTS OF FEEL SAFE POLL

Though the poll numbers of those who responded was small (10) they were 80% for the "I feel safe in McHenry County". I will repeat the poll next summer to see if there is any change. Thanks for participating!

DID YOU KNOW ABOUT "RETALIATORY DISCHARGE"?

Injured workers have remedies provided through workers' compensation laws in all the states. These same laws also protect employers, because they tend to be the only remedy that injured employees may seek from their employers. Many employers however don't look happily on those that file workmans' compensation claims; some unlawfully discriminate against such employees. The attitude of many employers and the legal firms they retain may be "guilty until proven innocent and even if innocent figure some way to mitigate the amount of money required to settle the issue at the injured party's expense". To protect employees from employers who discriminate, unjustly try to terminate or harass injured employees these states allow employees to bring civil actions against their employers for the tort of "retaliatory discharge."

If you believe you have been discriminated against or discharged in retaliation for exercising your rights under workers' compensation laws you may have a claim against your employer. In a retaliatory discharge suit, you must convince a judge or jury that you were terminated because you exercised your rights under workmans' compensation laws.

Retaliation can also take more subtle types of discrimination: demotion, salary reduction.

So be careful out there....your employer and their legal council and insurance companies do not always look out for your best interests...only you can do that.

THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW!

This statute, TITLE 18, UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION., SECTION 241 CONSPIRACY AGAINST RIGHTS makes it unlawful for two or more persons to conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person of any state, territory or district in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him/her by the Constitution or the laws of the United States, (or because of his/her having exercised the same).

For further more detailed information go to:

www.fbi.gov

Thought you should know!

THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE

As some of you may know I have had the privilege of being a member of the McHenry County Board of Health for the last ten years. The McHenry County Department of Health and its Board of Health has been serving the citizens of McHenry County for well over 30 years.

The history of public health in this country dates back to 1798 when Congress passed a law for the relief of sick and disabled seamen with the creation of the Marine Hospital Service and hospitals in many American port cities (sites of entry of many diseases from around the world). Gradually over many years the Marine Hospital Service evolved into what we know today as the U.S. Public Health Service.

The McHenry County Department of Health carries on the traditions and essential services that were developed over the last two centuries. These ESSENTIAL SERVICES are:

1. To monitor community health status
2. To diagnose and investigate health problems
3. To inform and educate people about health
4. To mobilize community partnerships
5. To develop and enforce health and safety protection
6. To link people to needed personal health services
7. To assure a competent health workforce
8. To foster health-enhancing public policies
9. To evaluate the quality and effectiveness of services
10. To research for new insights and innovations

The entire McHenry County Department of Health is out there every day to make sure that this county is a healthy place for you and your family.

Get more information at:

http://www.co.mchenry.il.us/

Then click on Departments and H (for Health Dept)

The best of health to you!

STRESS KILLING YOU?

The causes of stress are manifold but one important one is working for someone who is super critical. No matter how hard you try to please or win over that person you never will. It usually results with you coming down hard on yourself and with a feeling of anger; anger not necessarily directed at any one in particular but a feeling deep in your gut that sits there like a lump of undigested food. In order to avoid this set up an invisible internal boundary line and don't allow the critical person within that line.

The super critical person will probably continue to behave (misbehave) for the rest of their working and non-working life and there is little you can do to change them. What you can do however with practice and internal discipline is to not let that person cross over your invisible internal boundary line. Be honest with yourself and if your internal appraisal is more accurate than theirs believe it and disagree internally. Trying to "get along" by talking things over will usually not work with a person who is predisposed to be super critical and totally self opinionated. You can try using an internal company grievance policy if it has one but it usually will not work.

Very ofter these super critical persons will self-destruct. By that I mean that they will cause so much disruption and lack of loyalty in the work place that the people or person who hired them will see the fact that they are a not a positive factor which is improving the company or department and their contract will not be renewed or they will be discharged. It may take a few years to get to this point of realization but most companies or departments will get there; after all no one wants to admit they may have made a mistake in hiring the individual in the first place.

So keep your "cool". Don't get suckered into playing their game and remember your patience will reward you in the long run.

ARE OR WERE YOU A VICTIM OF...HARASSMENT?

Harassment is a form of employment discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, (ADEA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, (ADA).

Harassment is unwelcome conduct that is based on race, color, sex, national origin, disability, and/or age. Harassment becomes unlawful where 1) enduring the offensive conduct becomes a condition of continued employment, or 2) the conduct is severe or pervasive enough to create a work environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive. Anti-discrimination laws also prohibit harassment against individuals in retaliation for filing a discrimination charge, testifying, or participating in any way in an investigation, proceeding, or lawsuit under these laws; or opposing employment practices that they reasonably believe discriminate against individuals, in violation of these laws.

Petty slights, annoyances, and isolated incidents (unless extremely serious) will not rise to the level of illegality. To be unlawful, the conduct must create a work environment that would be intimidating, hostile, or offensive to reasonable people.

Offensive conduct may include, but is not limited to, offensive jokes, slurs, epithets or name calling, physical assaults or threats, intimidation, ridicule or mockery, insults or put downs, offensive objects or pictures, and interference with work performance. Harassment can occur in a variety of circumstances, including but not limited to, the following:

• The harasser can be the victim's supervisor, a supervisor in another area, an agent of the employer, a co-worker, or a non-employee.
• The victim does not have to be the person harassed, but can be anyone affected by the offensive conduct.
• Unlawful harassment may occur without economic injury to, or discharge of, the victim.

Employees are encouraged to inform the harasser directly that the conduct is unwelcome and must stop.

EMPLOYER LIABILITY FOR HARASSMENT

The employer is automatically liable for harassment by a supervisor that results in a negative employment action such a termination, failure to promote or hire, and loss of wages.

In Fiscal Year 2006 the EEOC recovered almost $60 million in monetary benefits for charging parties and other aggrieved individuals; this does NOT include monetary benefits obtained through litigation.

SEMANTICS AND CIVILIZATION

Semantics is often defined as the branch of linguistic science which deals with the meanings of words and especially with the development and change in these meanings. Civilization is often defined as the sum of qualities of a particular civilized society and civilized as being endowed with law, order and the conditions favorable to the arts and sciences; having refined manners and tastes. In this spectrum of definitions the most fundamental and foundational word is missing and does not seem to be as important in today's society as it was in the past and maybe that's why the world situation seems to be worsening and conditions for countries, governments, families and individuals seem to be getting worse on a global scale. That single most important word on which all human interactions and understanding should be based is Truth. Truth has been defined in many ways over thousands of years by thousands of people. I believe that truth is that which conforms with the seen and unseen existence within us, and the entire cosmos. If we as a country, a world cannot see much less understand yet that which is written in the natural processes, laws that created all that exists then we are doomed as a civilization and a world.

Science tells us that statistically it is much more scientific to believe in a designed cosmos with life in it than for it to have just happened by chance. There are not enough pieces of paper in all the earth filled with a decimal point followed by zeros to tell us the chance that this was not a designed undertaking. We must understand this and act in a manner which understands that we and the cosmos are here for a purpose and that purpose someday will be fulfilled and then we hopefully all can say "Oh now I understand". If mankind fully understood the entire purpose of his/her being and that of the cosmos where would be the fun in continuing this journey of mankind in understanding himself and the universe around him?

ARE OR WERE YOU A VICTIM OF..RETALIATION?

PART TWO...DEFINITION OF TERMS

Adverse Action

An adverse action is an action taken to try to keep someone from opposing a discriminatory practice, or from participating in an employment discrimination proceeding. Examples of adverse actions include:

• employment actions such as termination, refusal to hire,and denial of promotion,
• other actions affecting employment such as threats, unjustified negative evaluations, unjustified negative references, or increased surveillance, and
• any other action such as an assault or unfounded civil or criminal charges that are likely to deter reasonable people from pursuing their rights.

Adverse actions do not include petty slights and annoyances, such as stray negative comments in an otherwise positive or neutral evaluation, "snubbing" a colleague, or negative comments that are justified by an employee's poor work performance history.

Even if the prior protected activity alleged wrongdoing by a different employer, retaliatory adverse actions are unlawful. For example, it is unlawful for a worker's current employer to retaliate against him for pursuing an EEO charge against a former employer.

Of course, employees are not excused from continuing to perform their jobs or follow their company's legitimate workplace rules just because they have filed a complaint with the EEOC or opposed discrimination.

For more information about adverse actions, see EEOC's Compliance Manual Section 8, Chapter II, Part D.

Covered Individuals

Covered individuals are people who have opposed unlawful practices, participated in proceedings, or requested accomodations related to employment discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, or disability. Individuals who have a close association with someone who has engaged in such protected activity also are covered individuals.

Protected Activity

Protected activity includes:

Opposition to a practice believed to be unlawful discrimination

Opposition is informing an employer that you believe that he/she is engaging in prohibited

discrimination. Opposition is protected from retaliation as long as it is based on a

reasonable, good-faith belief that the complaint of practice violates anti-discrimination law:

and the manner of the opposition is reasonable.

Examples of protected opposition include:

• Complaining to anyone about alleged discrimination against oneself or others;
• Threatening to file a charge of discrimination; or
• Picketing in opposition to discrimination; or
• Refusing to obey an order reasonably believed to be discriminatory.

Participation in an employment discrimination proceeding.

Participation means taking part in an employment discrimination proceeding. Participation is

protected activity even if the proceeding involved claims that ultimately were found to be invalid.

Examples of participation include:

• Filing a charge of employment discrimination;
• Cooperating with an internal investigation of alleged discriminatory practices; or
• Serving as a witness in an EEO investigation or litigation.

For more information about Protected Activities, see EEOC's Compliance Manual, Section 8,

Chapter II, Part B - Opposition and Part C - Participation.

In 2004 more that $90 million in monetary benefits were received by charging parties and other aggrieved individuals....this does not include menetary benefits obtained through litigation.

ARE OR WERE YOU A VICTIM OF ...RETALIATION?

PART ONE...WHAT IS IT?...RETALIATION

An employer may not fire, demote, harass or otherwise "retaliate" against an individual for filing a charge of discrimination, participating in a discrimination proceeding, or otherwise opposing discrimination. The same laws that prohibit discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, and disabilty, as well as wage differences between men and women performing substantially equal work, also prohibit retaliation against individuals who oppose unlawful discrimination or participate in an employment discrimination proceeding.

In addition to the protections against retaliation that are included in all the laws that are enforced by EEOC, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) also protects individuals from coercion, intimidation, threat, harassment, or interference in their exercise of their own rights or their encouragement of someone else's exercise of right granted by the ADA.

There are three main terms that are used to describe retaliation. Retaliation occurs when an employer, employment agency, or labor organization takes an adverse action against a covered individual because he or she engaged in a protected activity. We will explain and discuss these three terms tomorrow and how they may apply to you and where you can file a charge with the EEOC.

See you tomorrow.

Coffee with Chief Lowen...an expensive blend!

Well, the chief, the city attorneys and the city of Woodstock managed to stretch it out for another two months....until October 15, 2008...that is 14 months since this began. At that time Judge Maureen McIntyre will have a hearing on this matter. He, that is Sergeant Gorski has been found exonerated of the complaint filed by chief Lowen in Aug. of 2007 to the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners by a 3 to 0 decision in February 2008. They,the Board directed the city and the chief to pay him all pay due him with interest as mandated by the State. He will not have been paid in over a year by the time of the hearing. How many of you could stick it out under those kinds of alleged strategic legal financial tactics employed by the alleged triumvirate of chief, city attorneys, and city? Not many I assure you; your pockets and checkbooks would be empty and you would be going down the "you know what". But help was available and is available and Sergeant Gorski will be around a long, long time...in fact as long as it takes to get justice...I assure you of that fact. What goes around, comes around. This has gone beyond process and could be presumed and alleged by some as an alleged vend eta towards the Sergeant.

I hope the tax payers of Woodstock Illinois are keeping track of how many hundreds of thousands of dollars each ounce in that cup of coffee with chief is costing them. I am surprised that not one of them has asked yet.

Hints for when you go to the Doctor's office

1. Set up a schedule depending on your age, health and your doctor's recommendation as to at what intervals he/she wants to see you; even if you are feeling well, there may be reasons for the regular visits.
2. Write down (preferably typed) on a blank white sheet of paper all the medications you take both prescription and over the counter and the dosage and how much per day you take. Date the sheet of paper with the date of the appointment.
3. Stay focused on the one or two things that are giving you the most trouble and are the reason for the visit and have them written down along with any symptoms and a little history of when you first noted them and how they have developed. Nothing turns off a doctor as quickly as a patient who is unorganized, does not know what medications he/she is on and has no idea of exactly why they are there and start to enumerate 15 or 20 different conditions in the hope that the doctor will be able to solve them all in one 20 to 30 minute office visit. Trust me when I say that this approach in the long run and short run will not save you any money. If you have memory problems have someone you trust accompany you and assist you with the visit and the doctors recommendations for treatment.
4. Take the medications as prescribed and for as long as prescribed. Do report any side effect that may develop while on the medications.
5. Make sure you keep the follow up appointment with the doctor.
6. Don't ever play lets trade medications with another person in the hope that their medication will work on you better....it may kill you.
7. Do all things in moderation.
8. Good health to you!

VALLEY HI NURSING HOME.....BEWARE!!

This month's American Journal of Nursing contains an interesting article entitled "Care Suffers When Nursing Homes Switch to a For-Profit Status". I don't believe it is the intention of the McHenry County Board to make Valley Hi a for-profit entity but just to bring the budget under better control. However there is always the temptation to save more and more money and then at some point patient (resident) care is compromised. So one has to be very diligent in pursuing saving vs. patient welfare.

Researchers from Harvard University took a look at changes in payer mix, staffing ratios, occupancy rates, and a spectrum of quality control indicators. What they found was nursing homes that tended to deviate from the "non-profit" side of the spectrum towards to "for profit' side generally provided lower quality care.

According to Charlene Harrington, professor of sociology and nursing in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). "Literature has confirmed that nonprofit institutions are much better in general," she said. "They have higher staffing, higher wages, and lower turnover of employees. Those factors are important in ensuring that patients receive better quality care."

I hope that the Board of Directors of Valley Hi, its current administrator and the McHenry County Board keep a close eye not only on the bottom line but also the quality indicators for the sake of the health and care of the residents of Valley Hi....I am sure they will.

GIVE THE GIFT OF LIFE

Yesterday I received a letter from Jesse White, Illinois Secretary of State. It was a "kind of" thank you note regarding my decision to be part of a life-saving team.

When I renewed my Illinois drivers' license I also signed onto the States new First-Person Consent Organ/Tissue Donor Registry. Even in death you can give life to another individual; I can't think of a more precious gift.

Almost 5,000 people are waiting for organ transplants to give them a second chance at life. Sadly many will die because of the lack of donors.

If you want to give the greatest gift you will ever give to another human being call toll free:

800-210-2106

or visit

www.LifeGoesOn.com

IT WILL BE THE GREATEST GIFT YOU WILL EVER GIVE

PUBLIC EMPLOYEE DISABILITY ACT...PEDA & WOODSTOCK ILLINOIS

(5 ILCS 345/0.01) (FROM Ch. 70, par. 90.9)
Sec; 0.01. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Public Employee Disability Act.
(Source: P.A. 86-1324.)

(5 ILCS 345/1) (from Ch. 70, par. 91)

Sec. 1. Disability benefit.

(a) For the purposes of this Section, "eligible employee" means any part-time or full-time employee.............and any full-time law enforcement officer..........who is employed (by) any unit of local government.......granted the power to employ persons for such purposes by law.

(b) Whenever an eligible employee suffers any injury in the line of duty which causes him to be unable to perform his duties, he shall continue to be paid by the employing public entity on the same basis as he was paid before the injury, with no deduction from his sick leave credits, compensatory time for overtime accumulations or vacation, or service credits in a public employee pension fund during the time he is unable to perform his duties due to the result of the injury, but not longer than one year in relation to the same injury. .............

(c) At any time during the period for which continuing compensation is required by this Act, the employing public entity may order at the expense of that entity physical or medical examinations of the injured person to determine the degree of disability.

(d) During this period of disability, the injured person shall not be employed in any other manner, with or without monetary compensation. ............

(e) Does not apply in this situation.

(f) Does not apply in this situation.

(g) Pursuant to paragraphs (h) and (i) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution, this Act specifically denies and limits the exercise by home rule units of any power which is inconsistent herewith, and all existing laws and ordinances which are inconsistent herewith are hereby superseded. ........

(Source: P.A. 88-45; 89-507, eff. 7-1-97. )

As you may or may not know I am an advocate for an individual who has served the City of Woodstock for almost twenty years in a full time capacity in one of the City's Departments. He was injured in the line of duty and it was documented and has since had extensive spinal surgery and will require additional surgery in the near future. How is it that this Public Employee Disability Act has in no positive way aided him in any manner? Not only did it not help him but he was told by the City that he had to use the employee benefits, Family Medical Leave Act and credits he had accrued. This is expressly forbidden in paragraph (b) above.

I would like to know why the Public Employee Disability Act does not apply to this individual who has given 20 years of public service to the City of Woodstock. I would also like to know who made that decision that has dramatically and negatively affected this person's life and family.

The people of Woodstock should want to know why their publicly paid by tax dollars employees are treated in this manner. If I were one of them I would want to know the answers and who was the guiding force of this behavior. To date the injured party has not received one cent under PEDA (Public Employee Disability Act) and it has been over a year.

Stritch School of Medicine..REUNION 2008

PLEASE JOIN US

OCT. 24 - 26

RECONNECT...with your classmates

RE-ENGAGE...with your school

RENEW...friendships

Honoring the Classes of

1958, 1963, 1968, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003

and all classes prior to 1958

for further info contact:

Stritch School of Medicine

Office of Development & Alumni Relations

2160 S. First Ave.

Maguire Center, Room 3410

Maywood, IL 60153

CHILDREN'S HEALTH & SAFETY FAIR

Be there or be square! You can't miss it! The 18th Annual Children's Health & Safety Fair.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2008

MCHENRY COUNTY COLLEGE

9am - 4pm

• Interactive Health & Safety Fair
• Door Prizes & Intertainment
• School Physicals - By Appointment Only
• Reduced Cost Immunizations
• Dental Exams

If your child is receiving Immunizations,

you must bring as updated shot record.

Request this early.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL:

815-334-4500

To schedule an appointment for a physical

Please call 815-334-8987

BE THERE FOR YOUR CHILD'S SAKE!!!

Strange Things are Happening

At 8 A.M. this morning I received a phone call from the business office of a hospital health system in Florida. My wife and I spent some time in Florida this winter. During the stay in the land of sunshine we needed the services of an emergency room. All turned out well and no serious problems were noted.

We went through the usual process of signing in and filling out all sorts of forms and finally the hospital making a copy of your driver's license and insurance card. We finally got back to where we were staying about 4 hours later after some tests and x-rays and treatment was done.

I just recently received the bill (about 5 days ago) and it was about what I had expected it to be, but here is the interesting part; the call I received from a very polite gentleman said they were running a special for the next ten days and if I could pay the bill in that period of time they would discount it by 50%........50%. Wow...I never had an offer like that in my lifetime. Financial times must be tough down there in Florida. Oh and by the way....the check IS in the mail.