Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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NEW THIS WEEK: Police Save Over 350 Lives State-wide with Anti-Overdose Drug;
Most Are in Area Counties
Over 350 lives have been saved to date in this
area by police officers administering Naloxone to
reverse opioid overdoses among drug users, with
most of the saves state-wide occurring in our
extended reporting area.
The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol
Programs is reporting that nearly 40 percent of the
state drug overdose reversals have occurred in
Delaware, Lancaster, Montgomery and Chester
counties. All but Montgomery County are reported
to have all county police departments having
Naloxone available to administer.
Delaware County is tops in the state, with 184 saves, followed by York with 170,
Philadelphia with 117, Bucks 84, Lancaster 61, Montgomery 57 and Chester 46. Berks
County, which has had three saves is described as only having partial coverage or is
preparing to launch.
Naloxone, a drug administered by nasal spray or injection, reverses opioid overdoses,
including heroin. As previously reported, it now is available to any individual through a
state-wide prescription from the state physician general, although all drug stores don't
currently dispense.
Earlier this month, Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan announced that Acme
Markets now is stocking the drug at all county supermarket pharmacies and will be
continuing to roll it out in other areas. Some drugstore chains started dispensing the drug
last year.
Information in regard to Naloxone use, including background, data for emergency services
personnel, a Friends and Family Guidance Toolkit, a list of pharmacies dispensing the drug
in each county, and more is available at
www.ddap.pa.gov/overdose/Pages/Naloxone_Reversal.aspx#.VzYaZ-QaL-s.
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The total number of individuals sentenced as sexual offenders between January 1, 2013,
and December 31, 2015, was 4,225, charged with 16,987 offenses, AOPC reports.
Of sexual offenders sentenced, 51 percent were between the ages of 19 and 35, with 44
percent being charged with sexual abuse of children.
The number of cases has increased dramatically state-wide in the three-year period with
new mandated reporting laws going into effect. Cases state-wide rose from 1,124 in 2013,
to 1,703 in 2013 and 1,929 last year, or a more than 70% increase during the period.
In this reporting area:
Lancaster County (July 1, 2015), estimated Census Bureau population of 536,624),
there were 76 cases in 2013, 71 in 2015 and 110 last year for a total of 257 or 5.4
percent of the state-wide total.
Delaware County (563,894): 38, 79 and 98 for a total of 215 or 4.52 percent of the
total.
Montgomery (819,264): 33, 60, 82 - 175 (3.68 percent).
Berks (415,271): 54, 46, 64 - 164 (3.45 percent).
Chester (515,939): 29, 31, 48 - 108 (2.27 percent).
Further information and demographics are available at www.pacourts.us/news-andstatistics/news?Article=899.
NEW THIS WEEK: Police Ramp Up Click It or Ticket Seatbelt Use Efforts
Dozens of municipal police departments state
police across southeast Pennsylvania are
engaged in a statewide Click It Or Ticket
seatbelt enforcement mobilization through June
5, including Memorial Day weekend.
Police will focus on roadways with high unbelted
crashes, injuries and deaths by initiating a
combination of enforcement and public
awareness activities, according to the
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT).
All vehicle occupants under 18 years of age must wear a seat belt, officials said, with drivers
and front-seat passengers over 18 years old who are cited for another traffic violation
receiving a second ticket if they are unbuckled.
Pennsylvania recorded another decrease in seat belt use in 2015 with an observed rate of
83.6%, the lowest since 2005, PennDOT reports, with officials saying that proper use of a
seat belt can increase chances of surviving a crash by up to 60 percent.
According to PennDOT data there were 3,440 crashes in Bucks, Chester, Delaware,
Montgomery and Philadelphia counties in 2015 in which people were not wearing seat belts,
with 64 people dying in those incidents.
Further information about PennDOTs seat belt efforts is available at JustDrivePA.com.
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NEW THIS WEEK: State Focusing on 2018 Managed Long-Term Care Changes
A new managed long term services and supports system, to take effect in January 2018,
already is drawing attention in Southeastern Pennsylvania with significant changes in the
way older residents and those with disabilities receive care.
Community Health Choices, to be rolled out first in Southwestern Pennsylvania next year,
will be directed toward keeping individuals in their communities instead of nursing homes
and other assisted living facilities.
The Brandywine and Phoenixville Community health foundations hosted an information
session in West Chester for Chester County providers and others interested in
improvements to the healthcare system, with others being held in the five-county 2018
implementation area.
Jennifer Burnett, deputy secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services
Office of Long-term Living, said the general population is underprepared for long-term care,
most get into it due to a medical emergency, and information currently is very confusing
and the system very difficult to navigate.
She said that just over half of individuals in long term care now are being cared for in
community settings versus nursing homes, but local care is the desire of 95 percent of the
population.
Successful implementation of the new system, described several times at the meeting as
having potential to be either being a major improvement or a disaster, will depend on
proper education of the public and providers along with other factors, speakers said.
Further information on Community Health Choices is available at
www.dhs.pa.gov/citizens/communityhealthchoices/#.Vzp8aeQaL-s.
NEW THIS WEEK: Pottstown Area Churches Coming Together for Regional Unity
A growing number of churches in the Pottstown
area are coming together to focus on unifying the
church regionally, with pastors and leaders
gathering twice a month and hundreds of
Christians participating on Pentecost Sunday for a
combined Night of Praise.
The May 15 gathering at The Hill School in
Pottstown, the second held by the group,
observed the post-Easter descent of the Holy
Spirit on the apostles of Jesus Christ. Additional
prayer and praise gatherings are being planned for
at least three times a year.
The Netzer movement, derived from the Hebrew word for shoot or branch, is designed to
assist churches and members to grow in combining a shared faith in the Trinity and
equipping for work of ministry, rather than highlighting theological differences.
Further information is available at www.netzer.org. and
www.facebook.com/TransformationIni/photos/pcb.1053512131380704/1053511344714116
/?type=3&theater or (484) 222-0125.
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NEW THIS WEEK: Frozen Food Recalls Grow Due to Listeria Potentials
Tons of frozen foods, originally starting with frozen vegetables and fruits and now meats,
are involved in expanding recalls from multiple sources due to listeria concerns.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the disease primarily affects
older adults, pregnant women, newborns, and adults with weakened immune systems,
although others can be affected. It is caused by eating food contaminated with the
bacterium Listeria monocytogenes and is considered an important public health problem in
the United States.
A current list of recalls is available at www.foodsafety.gov/recalls/index.html, where one
also can sign up for automatic alerts.
Further information on listeria is available at www.cdc.gov/listeria/index.html.
NEW THIS WEEK: Social Security Administration Reveals Top 2015 Baby Names
Noah, Liam and Mason are the top boy names for 2015,
says the federal Social Security Administration, with
Emma, Olivia and Sophia being the most popular for
girls.
In Pennsylvania, the rankings are a bit different. A
complete list of the top 10 names nationwide, by state,
the top five in each of the last 100 years, and more are
available at www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames.
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The phases range from the current situation of a moderate level of travel-associated cases
to potential widespread local transmission by mosquitos.
The agencies noted the only confirmed cases in Pennsylvania of Zika, which is identified as
being of danger to unborn children, are in individuals who contracted the virus while visiting
one of the areas where the virus is actively spreading.
They say, however, that "once warmer temperatures arrive in the commonwealth and
remain in place throughout the summer months, the risk of limited local transmission of
Zika virus by the type of mosquitos that potentially carry it will increase."
Additional information, including the response plan, is available at
www.media.pa.gov/Pages/Health-Details.aspx?newsid=307.
NEW LAST WEEK: Free Income Tax Service Nets $9.6 Million in Lanco Refunds
United Way of Lancaster County is reporting that its free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
(VITA) initiative garnered a major jump in help to individuals this year, assisting over 7,300
individuals in obtaining $9.6 million in refunds.
More than 200 community members, students, and retirees volunteered more than 15,000
hours at 15 VITA tax sites across the county during the tax season to prepare free tax
returns for income eligible families.
The result was 7,369 no-cost tax returns, up 21 percent from 2015, with filings resulting in
$9.6 million in refunds to local residents, $1.9 million or 24 percent more, than last year.
The agency estimates it saved clients approximately $1.5 million in taxpayer fees.
Further information on the results is available at www.uwlanc.org/united-way-lancastercounty%E2%80%99s-vita-program-brings-96-million-tax-refunds-local-taxpayers.
NEW LAST WEEK: Acme Markets to Offer NARCAN for Opioid Overdose Mitigation
Acme Markets has moved to broaden availability of NARCAN, a nasal spray to counteract
overdoses from opioids, including heroin, that have led to a significant increase in deaths
throughout both Pennsylvania and the United States.
The supermarket chain, in cooperation with the Delaware County District Attorneys Office
has rolled out availability of the drug in its in-store pharmacies in that county under a
Pennsylvania Physician General standing order that allows dissemination to the general
public without an individual prescription and will be expanding availability to all its
Pennsylvania stores. Some other drug stores have made it available since last fall.
Further information is available at www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/delaware-countyand-acme-work-together-to-improve-community-access-to-naloxone-300261854.html.
NEW LAST WEEK: Some Addicts Now Using Diarrhea Drug for Legal High That Can be Fatal
A new study says that some addicts now are turning to the diarrhea drug Imodium for a high, with it
becoming a growing problem in the United States.
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There has been a 71 percent increase between 2011 and 2014 in calls to poison control centers in
regard to abuse and misuse of loperamide, the key ingredient, in the drug.
Further information is available at www.healthfinder.gov/News/Article.aspx?id=710652.
NEW LAST WEEK: FDA Extends Regulations to All Tobacco Products, Including E-Cigarettes
Effective Monday, August 8
Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has finalized
a rule, effective August 8, that extends the agencys
authority to include regulation of electronic nicotine
delivery systems such as e-cigarettes and vape pens, all
cigars, hookah (waterpipe) tobacco, pipe tobacco and
nicotine gels, among others.
Under the rule, FDA says it will review new tobacco
products not yet on the market, evaluate ingredients of products and how they are made, help
prevent misleading claims by tobacco product manufacturers, and communicate potential risks of
tobacco products.
Further information is available at
www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/Labeling/RulesRegulationsGuidance/ucm388395.htm.
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negative youth health and behavior issues that may include substance abuse, delinquency,
teen pregnancy, school drop-out, and violence.
West Chester CTC meets from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., on the second Thursday of each
month of the school year at the West Chester Area School District Spellman
Administrative Building, 829 Paoli Pike, West Chester. Lunch is provided by reserving at
rsvp@wcctc.org or (610) 359-5817.
Downingtown Area CTC meets from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. the third Tuesday of the
month from September through May. Further information and registration are available
at dtownctc@umly.org or (610) 458-9090 x2827.
Coatesville CTC Community Prevention Board, a body coterminous with the Coatesville
Youth Initiative Steering Committee, meets periodically in the fourth floor Community
Room, Brandywine Health Foundation, 744 East Lincoln Highway, Coatesville. Further
information and requested lunch reservations are available from Jarvis Berry, CTC
community mobilizer, at Jarvis@coatesvilleyouthinitiative.org or (610) 380-0200.
UPDATED THIS WEEK: Support Groups for Unemployed and Underemployed Ongoing
Several networking/support groups (open to everyone) are available at area churches for
persons who are unemployed or unemployed, with each providing its own variety of specific
services in support of those who attend:
Malvern Penn State Great Valleys Alumni Association and My Career Transitions
(MCT), an all-volunteer job counseling group, meets from 9:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
the second Saturday of the month, except August and December, in 130 Main
Building, Penn State Great Valley, 30 East Swedesford Road, Malvern, preceded by a
new member orientation at 8:30 a.m. On June 11, author Hank Boyer, a senior
management advisor, will discuss Current & Emerging Job Search Tactics for the
Experienced Professional. Further information and required registration are available
at http://mycareertransitions.com/new/?q=upcoming-meetings.
West Chester Unemployment support group meets bi-weekly from 5:45 p.m. to
7:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 130 West Miner Street, West Chester, to
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learn tips and techniques related to job searches. Further information is available
from Elisabeth Hartwell at ehartwell@firstpreswc.com, at (610) 696-0554.
West Chester BarnabasWC group meets from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. Mondays,
except holidays, in the Community Room, Providence Church, 430 Hannum Avenue,
West Chester. Further information is available at www.barnabaswc.org or
info@barnabaswc.org.
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Pennsylvania Department of Labor CareerLink at its Exton offices in Suite 500, 479 Thomas
Jones Way in the Oaklands Corporate Center.
These trainings include an orientation presentation as to services offered by the office.
A calendar of PA CareerLink-Chester County workshops for the current month, including onsite job recruitment opportunities, is available at
http://www.chesco.org/DocumentCenter/View/33278.
Daily job opening updates are available through www.cwds.state.pa.us.
Websites for additional county PA CareerLink offices in the area, at which many services are
available to out-of-county residents, include:
Berks: www.co.berks.pa.us/Dept/CareerLink/Pages/default.aspx
Delaware: www.delcoworks.org
Lancaster: www.jobs4lancaster.com
Montgomery: www.montcopa.org/index.aspx?NID=1024
Free Online Training Available for Health Care Professionals Aiding Veterans
Health care professionals now have a free online course developed by the federal
Departments of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Defense (DoD) to help serve veterans and service
members.
The eight-hour Military Culture: Core Competencies for Health Care Professionals training
covers a variety of topics through interactive features, video vignettes, case examples and
treatment planning scenarios.
Each of the four modules within the course was developed using research, surveys and
extensive interviews with service members and veterans.
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Information and registration for the training, along with other military culture-related
materials, are available at www.deploymentpsych.org/Military-Culture.
Major Jobs Growth Forecast for Chester, Montgomery and Bucks Counties To
Levels Not Seen in Decade and Half
Moody's Analytics, in a report via Philly.com, says construction, health care, and
professional services employment should create major job growth in Chester, Montgomery
and Bucks counties this year.
The analysis suggests that pharmaceutical investment and more health-related,
pharmaceutical-related start-up activity will help generate the increase that would surpass a
jobs peak of 1.034 million in 2008, when the recession hit and wiped out nearly 50,000 jobs
in two years.
Last year's total was just slightly lower, at 1.033 million, Moody's is quoted as saying, with
Philadelphia and Delaware Counties, in contrast, surpassed their 2008 jobs peak in 2013.
The story is available at
www.philly.com/philly/business/20160501_Philly_suburbs_poised_for_big_job_growth.html
#XdIm7shqivwrucOs.01.
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Further information on the report is available at www.hospitalsafetyscore.org/aboutus/newsroom/display/442022, with a searchable database of hospitals and other
information, including score components, at www.hospitalsafetyscore.org.
Area Has Some of Most Polluted Air in United States Says New National Report
Chester and adjoining counties have some of the most polluted air in the United States,
according to the American Lung Association.
In its annual State of the Air report, the organization gives an "F" for high ozone days
exposure to Berks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, and Montgomery counties and lists the
area among the top 18 in the U.S. for various types of pollution categories.
The Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD, population center scored 12th worst for
year-around particle pollution and 18th for short-term, with Lancaster County, rated
separately, at 16th for year-around and 11th for short-term. The New York-Newark, NY-NJCT-PA population area was 14th worst for ozone, with Lancaster not in the top 25.
For particle pollution, only Delaware received an annual failing grade, with Berks and
Lancaster rated a single grade of F, but were listed as passing on an annual basis, with
Delaware and Montgomery a C and Chester a B.
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The association says that although gains are being made in air quality in many areas, "more
than half of all Americans - 166 million people - live in counties where they are exposed to
unhealthful levels of pollutants."
It claims that despite a "continued need and the nation's progress, some people seek to
weaken the Clean Air Act, the public health law that has driven the cuts in pollution since
1970, and to undermine the ability of the nation to fight for healthy air."
The full report, including definitions, comparison charting, and highest impacted
populations, is available at www.lung.org/our-initiatives/healthy-air/sota, with specific
information on Pennsylvania counties at www.lung.org/our-initiatives/healthy-air/sota/cityrankings/states/pennsylvania.
From 1999 through 2014, the age-adjusted suicide rate in the United States
increased 24%, from 10.5 to 13.0 per 100,000 population, with the pace of increase
greater after 2006.
Suicide rates increased from 1999 through 2014 for both males and females and for
all ages 1074.
The percent increase in suicide rates for females was greatest for those aged 1014,
and for males, those aged 4564.
The most frequent suicide method in 2014 for males involved the use of firearms
(55.4%), while poisoning was the most frequent method for females (34.1%).
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The annual initiative is designed to reduce nuisance of black flies so Pennsylvanians can
enjoy the states waterways, officials said.
The said the department uses Bti, a naturally occurring bacterium, to treat the larval stage
of four specific human pest black fly species, saying it degrades quickly in the environment
and does not harm the aquatic ecosystem, birds, or other insects.
Further information is available at
www.ahs.dep.pa.gov/NewsRoomPublic/articleviewer.aspx?id=20965&typeid=1, with a story
from Lancaster Online on how Lancaster County is benefitting without having to share in the
cost at www.lancasteronline.com/news/local/enjoy-a-gnat-reduced-summer-thanks-toyork-and-other/article_3054c664-0347-11e6-b986-4b6cc082ada1.html.
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Zika Virus from Mosquitoes Drawing Increasing Concern for Both Women and Men
The Zika virus is drawing increasing focus, particularly for
women who could become pregnant and men who can
transmit the disease, from the federal Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), with new guidance and
information to prevent transmission and health effects.
The CDC says there is "mounting evidence" that supports a
link between Zika, transmitted initially by mosquitoes, and
microcephaly, a birth defect that is a sign of incomplete
brain development, and possibly other problems such as miscarriage and stillbirth.
The new guidance is available at www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/s0325-zika-virusrecommendations.html, with further information on the disease at www.cdc.gov/zika.
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Pennsylvanians can use the IRT anonymously to input information about themselves, a
loved one, or client. The online program will guide individuals through a series of questions,
then provide a list of resources that are based on the clients specific needs in areas such as
intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities, aging, addiction, mental illness, veteran
needs and help paying for prescriptions.
Further information on the changeover is available at
www.media.pa.gov/Pages/DHS_details.aspx?newsid=196, with information about current
Link service areas available at www.adrc-tae.acl.gov/tikiindex.php?page=PAProfile&stabrev=PA.
FTC Unveils New Website for Reporting and Recovery from Identity Theft
U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has debuted a new website that is said to make it
easier to report and recover from identify theft.
The initiative, at www.IdentityTheft.gov provides a personal recovery plan that walks one
through each recovery step, tracks progress and adapts to changing situations and pre-fills
letters and forms for easier reporting.
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Please Note: New and Updated tags refer only to the time of appearance of information
in these E-Updates. Some on-going activities may have been in existence for some time
and are being listed for awareness.
Blessings
Casey
Casey Jones
Transformation Initiative
Building Healthy Communities Through Healthy Families
(610) 707-1494 / bps461@msn.com
2009-2016 Casey Jones, Transformation Initiative for Building Healthy Communities Through Healthy Families.
Permission is granted to reproduce for personal or non-commercial uses only.
Information provided is designed to highlight activities within the broader community that can help
enhance Christian principles relative to development of healthy children, individual and family
relationships.
Recipients are encouraged to print and post this Calendar to employee and public bulletin boards
for benefit of others.
Activities included in this publication are gathered from various submissions and other sources. No
representation is made as to their accuracy or value.
Persons wishing to be included in future e-mailings of updates, should request inclusion by sending
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