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NEW THIS WEEK: Nickel Mines School House Shooting 10 Years Later
Foregiveness frees us to move forward, but it doesn't take away all the pain resonates
throughout a LancasterOnline series that commemorates the 10th anniversary of the Nickel
Mines School House shootings in Bart, Eastern Lancaster County.
Reflections, including video interviews, of the impact on the children, survivors now being
teenagers and young adults, their families, the shooter's wife and mother, first responders,
the Amish community and more are available at
http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/years-after-nickel-mines-forgiveness-frees-us-tomove-forward/article_7e896608-873d-11e6-9ff3cfbfbcc825b6.html#utm_source=lancasteronline.com&utm_campaign=%2Fnewsletters
%2Fnews%2F&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline.
NEW THIS WEEK: Pennsylvania Nursing Home Use Above National Average
Older Pennsylvanians are using nursing home and residential care, at both 65 years and
85 years and above, at a significantly higher rates than the national average.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has provided the information in a new
report, Providers and Users of Long-Term Care Services in Pennsylvania, by Sector and
Selected Characteristics, 2013 2014.
It is available at www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nsltcp/2014_nsltcp_state_tables.pdf, with graphics
starting at Page 4 and data on at Page 187.
NEW THIS WEEK: Some Pennsylvania School Test Scores Are Better; Others Need
Improvement
School-level results of the 2016 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) and the
Keystone Exams have been released by the state education department.
The 2016 PSSA data indicates that more students are scoring proficient or advanced than in
2015 in nearly all categories of English language arts and math, according to the
department but "statewide results also show there is more work to do to help the students
scoring in the basic or below basic levels."
PSSA is administered in grades three through eight in English language arts (ELA) and
mathematics. The spring administration of the assessment was the second year that the
test was aligned to the more rigorous Pennsylvania Core Standards. The PSSA science
assessments administered in grades four and eight were unchanged.
Downloadable results for school districts are available at
www.education.pa.gov/Pages/PSSA-Information.aspx#tab-1, with state comments at
www.media.pa.gov/Pages/education-Details.aspx?newsid=256.
NEW LAST WEEK: Two Eastern Lancaster County Faith-Based Agencies to Merge
Two nonprofit ministries in Eastern Lancaster County will merge in January to help avoid
duplication, eliminate confusion, streamline operations, increase impact and "serve the
community in a greater capacity.
LancasterOnline reports that Elanco Social Services Network and Cross Connection Ministries
(CCM) of New Holland will become CrossNet Ministries in an effort to provide a more
streamlined approach to serving economically challenged individuals.
Bryan Naranjo, chairman of the CCM board of directors is quoted as saying the merger
means two healthy organizations, (that) are already complementing each other in many
ways, now get the opportunity to serve the community in a greater capacity."
Further information on the organizations, which already provide extensive services to
individuals and families, is available at
www.lancasteronline.com/features/faith_values/elanco-social-services-network-and-crossconnection-ministries-to-become/article_9386ef1e-8100-11e6-9679-930db070e030.html.
NEW LAST WEEK: Annual Fall Foliage Tracking Report Now Available
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) has published
its first weekly Fall Foliage Map and Report, along with other fall color information, with
updates available weekly at www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/stateforests/fallfoliage.
Opioid Crisis Hitting White, Middle-Class in Non-Urban Settings, with Health Care
Costs Skyrocketing
The epidemic of opioid abuse, including prescription pain relievers and heroin is
disproportionately affecting white, middle-class individuals in non-urban settings, with
charges for opioid-related diagnoses and allowed amounts for such diagnoses jumping over
1,000 percent in four years.
FAIR Health, a national, independent, nonprofit organization focused on transparency in
healthcare costs and health insurance information has issued two reports as to impacts of
addictions on individuals and insurance providers.
In its latest analysis for the four-year period through last year, the organization also says
that private payor average costs for a patient diagnosed with opioid abuse or dependence
were more than 550 percent higher, nearly $16,000 more per patient, than the per-patient
average cost of all patient claims in 2015.
In an earlier report, the organization found that although opioid dependence appears more
common in men, although the gap narrows in the 46-55 age group, the less severe
condition of opioid abuse was diagnosed more often in women than men in 2014.
Further information is available at www.fairhealth.org/servlet/servlet.FileDownload?
file=01532000001g4i3 and www.fairhealth.org/servlet/servlet.FileDownload?
file=01532000001nwD2.
Phoenixville Area Resource Network (PARN) meets from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on the
fourth Tuesday of the month, except December, at the First United Methodist Church (north
entrance), 865 South Main Street, Phoenixville. Representatives of community organizations
exchange information about current and upcoming activities and hProear presentations from
various services providers. Additional information about the group is available from Debbie
Dundon at Open Hearth, Spring City, at debbie.openhearth@verizon.net or (610) 792-9282
x201.
Kennett Area Bridging the Community meets at 7 p.m. on the second Wednesdays of
January, March, May, July, September and November at various community locations with
any interested individual or organization welcome to attend and share information on
resources and needs that can build "bridges" toward a more integrated Kennett area
community. Additional information is available from Joan Holliday at dochollisv@aol.com or
(610) 717-2180. Minutes from prior meetings are available at
www.bridgingcommunity.com/bridging.php.
Communities That Care (CTC) groups in several Chester County school districts provide
networking opportunities for community organizations and individuals that use a planning
and mobilization model to promote healthy youth development and prevent and reduce
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.
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 October 8, Lynne Williams will present
Strategic Research-based Approaches for LinkedIn. Further information and required
registration are available at http://mycareertransitions.com/new/?q=upcomingmeetings.
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
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.
West Grove 6:45 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of the month from September to
June in the new Parish Life Center, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church,
300 State Road, West Grove. Further information is available from John Colgan at
johnfcolgan@gmail.com.
Additional information on all St. Josephs People chapters is available at
www.josephspeople.org.
%20Health/Diseases%20and%20Conditions/UZ/Zikavirus/Pages/ZikaVirusHomePage.aspx#.V7SG361Yzv_.
Zika Virus Now Draws Travel Advisory in U.S.; Free Zika Virus Prevention Kits
Being Distributed in Area
The Zika virus, that can result in birth deformities, has now drawn nine travel, testing and
other recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for
both men and women who traveled to or lived in parts of the Miami area since June 15.
The alert currently centers on a Miami neighborhood where several Zika infections were
recently confirmed, the first identified from mosquitoes in the United States. Previous U.S.
cases were identified as emanating from virus contacts outside the country.
Further information is available at www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/p0801-zika-travelguidance.html.
As previously reported, Zika Prevention Kits for pregnant women are being distributed by
the Pennsylvania Department Health through 10 locations in our reporting area, included in
the region of the state identified as the most susceptible for transmissions of the virus.
In announcing the initiative, state Health Secretary Dr. Karen Murphy said that while Zika
is spread primarily by mosquitoes that are infected with the virus, it also can spread
through sexual contact with individuals who have the disease.
Because Zika poses serious health risks for babies born to women who contracted the virus
during pregnancy, the kits include health education materials and prevention tools to avoid
mosquito bites and sexual transmission of the disease to pregnant women. Using the
products in the Zika Prevention Kit can help protect you and your loved ones from the
virus," she said.
Additional information is available at
www.ahs.dep.pa.gov/NewsRoomPublic/articleviewer.aspx?id=21007&typeid=1, with a list of
distribution centers at www.health.pa.gov/My%20Health/Diseases%20and
%20Conditions/U-Z/Zikavirus/Pages/ZikaPreventionKits.aspx#.V4fq-6JYxLM.
An earlier report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that
shows counties in Pennsylvania that are most susceptible to having mosquitoes carrying the
disease, along with other Zika information, is available at
www.cdc.gov/chikungunya/resources/vector-control.html., with Pennsylvania's response
plan to the virus iat www.media.pa.gov/Pages/Health-Details.aspx?newsid=307.
Discussion is underway with additional entities such as the Office of Open Records, colleges
and universities, and cities to identify future datasets for publication.
The new site is at https://data.pa.gov.
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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.
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