A farewell post

Add comment July 3rd, 2008

It’s hard to say good-bye, but here goes: This is my last day with HealthyRockford.com and at the Rockford Register Star.  I am departing and putting my career on “hold” for awhile to spend more time on some family concerns.

I have enjoyed interacting with people in the medical community (while learning a lot) — and hearing from readers.

Stay healthy, and keep coming back to HealthyRockford.com! 

Fireworks and eyes: Keep it safe this Independence Day

Add comment July 2nd, 2008

Sixty-nine percent of fireworks injuries happen in the month around Independence Day. Forty-three percent of fireworks injuries affect children under the age of 15.  One-third of the fireworks-related eye injuries result in a permanently blind eye. 

And don’t assume kids are safe with sparklers; they can reach nearly 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit at their burning tips.

Not meaning to cramp your style on July 4, but those cautions come from the American Council on Science and Health. Council advisor and ophthalmologist Dr. Emil Chynn has written an essay, “Protect Your Eyes on July Fourth,” with information and guidelines on safe use of fireworks. 

Some of his tips: 

* Adult supervision and protective eyewear are necessary.

* Keep a bucket of water nearby.

* Never give a firecracker or sparkler to a child.

* Don’t light a firecracker bigger than your pinkie finger, don’t light them indoors, and don’t try to relight duds.

Have a safe and happy Fourth of July!

Health coverage info organized to make sense

Add comment July 1st, 2008

If you don’t have health insurance, and are lost in the quagmire of trying to research your options, a program called “Coverage for All” could help.

“Coverage For All” is a program of the Foundation for Health Education Coverage, a nonprofit organization that helps uninsured people navigate health care coverage options state by state.

The “Coverage for All” Web site includes:

* A free U.S. Uninsured Help Line at 1-800-234-1317 which gives callers live one-on-one help in basic screening for public and private health coverage, and assistance in pinpointing their options. The Help Line is staffed around the clock with specialists and interpreters for help in multiple languages.

* A 5-Question Eligibility Quiz tool, with a special resource section on finding public or low-cost health benefits.

* The Health Care Options Matrix — which outlines public and private health coverage options including type of coverage, eligibility and monthly costs for each of the 50 states.  I pulled up the matrix for Illinois.  It showed an organized chart which included summaries of publicly sponsored programs — such as CHIP, All Kids and Medicare — worded in a way that actually was understandable. The chart describes each program with information about coverage, eligibility and monthly costs.