Friday’s Teleforum program has your opportunity to win a gift card from Al’s Corner in Koppel, just tell us a joke-it’s Friday Funnies. Also, Norm Mitry will make his Friday visit-the President and CEO of Heritage Valley Health Systems calls in with the lastest news from the healthcare world. Teleforum happens with host Eddy Crow every weekday on am1230, am1460 and 99.3fm presented by St. Barnabas.
Beaver, PA – Lifesteps Child Check program will provide FREE developmental and autism screenings for children birth to age five at the Lifesteps Beaver County Program Center on:
Thursday, October 7, 2021
Lifesteps Beaver County Program Center
138 Friendship Cir.
Beaver, PA 15009
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
The early years are a critical time in a child’s development. As such, Lifesteps urges families to proactively have children assessed for developmental delays. Notable milestones in a child’s development include certain aspects of hearing, talking, seeing, playing and basic social skills. By ensuring milestones are met at age appropriate benchmarks, children are far more likely to reach their potential.
Through Lifesteps Child Check program, parents are provided with knowledge on their child’s current state of development and guided to resources when delays are detected. The screening is a brief assessment using games and activities to determine a child’s current level of development.
A Child Check screening takes approximately 30 minutes to complete and the results are discussed immediately with parents/guardians. Appointments for in-person or online screenings are required and can be scheduled by calling Lifesteps at 724-283-1010 or 1-800-225-2010.
PITTSBURGH, PA (Sept. 22, 2021) – Breast surgeon Suzanne B. Coopey, MD, FACS, has joined Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Cancer Institute from Massachusetts General Hospital, where she was Breast Surgery Program Director at Mass General/North Shore Cancer Center.
Dr. Coopey will serve as Director of the Breast Program at the new AHN Wexford Hospital. AHN Wexford will offer a full spectrum of cancer care, including surgical, radiation and medical oncology, with the most advanced technologies, and in an environment designed for patient comfort. In addition to her role at AHN Wexford, Dr. Coopey will also serve as Co-Strategy and Growth Officer for AHN Cancer Institute’s Breast Program.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Suzanne Coopey to our growing cancer team. She brings to AHN Cancer Institute an outstanding combination of surgical skill, compassionate, patient-centered care and innovative leadership, and we look forward to the difference she will make in our breast program, and ultimately in the lives of our patients,” said David L. Bartlett, MD, Chair, AHN Cancer Institute.
A graduate of Penn State University, Dr. Coopey received her M.D. degree from the Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health. She completed a general surgery residency at the Cleveland Clinic and a breast surgery fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham & Women’s Hospital.
Her areas of research and clinical expertise include nipple-sparing mastectomies, the treatment of high-risk breast lesions, lumpectomy margins, patient-reported outcomes after mastectomy and reconstruction; the use of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols that allow potential same-day discharge for mastectomy patients, and axillary downstaging/targeted axillary dissection of lymph nodes, a method that improves staging accuracy and allows some patients to avoid a more invasive procedure that can produce lifelong side effects.
Dr. Coopey serves on the editorial board of the Annals of Surgical Oncology (Breast Oncology Section) and as an ad hoc reviewer for a number of other preeminent medical journals including New England Journal of Medicine, Annals of Surgery, and Breast Cancer Research and Treatment.
For more information, or to make an appointment with Dr. Coopey, call 878.332.4387.
(Ambridge, Pa.) Krisinda Bright, the mother who is accused of killing her two children inn their Maplewood Ave. home earlier this year, entered a not guilty plea to two counts of homicide in their deaths on February 22, 2021. There will be an in-chambers status conference set for November 1, 2021. The court is expected to set a specific date for a trial late next year, according to Beaver County District Attorney David J. Lozier.
WASHINGTON — The rate of unruly passenger incidents on commercial flights has dropped sharply since the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) launched its Zero Tolerance campaign but the rate remains too high, according to new data released today.
“Our work is having an impact and the trend is moving in the right direction. But we need the progress to continue. This remains a serious safety threat, and one incident is one too many,” said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson. “The FAA will continue its Zero Tolerance policy, keep its public awareness campaign going, and keep pushing and partnering with everyone in the aviation system to do more. We appreciate the tremendous work of all our partners in the airline, airport, labor, and law enforcement communities.”
As of last week, unruly passenger incidents were occurring approximately six times per every 10,000 flights. That’s an approximately 50 percent drop from early 2021, but it’s more than twice as high as the end of 2020. Since the FAA launched its public awareness campaign with memes and two public service announcements, the rate has fallen approximately 30 percent. View a graphic with the data.
Using its full legal authority to deter this dangerous behavior, the FAA adopted a zero-tolerance policy toward unruly passengers in January 2021. Under this policy, the FAA no longer issues warning letters. Instead, it moves directly to fines, which have totaled $1.1 million to date. In addition to its public service announcement videos and memes, the agency has asked airports to help educate passengers that they cannot consume alcohol on board that they purchase at restaurants and shops in the airport or that is not served by a flight attendant.
Later this month, the FAA plans to host unruly-passenger working sessions with key aviation stakeholders. The FAA will ask members of the aviation system to share best practices and to identify additional steps they and the U.S. government can take to reduce the unruly incident rate further.
Detailed current data on these incidents is available on our unruly passenger website. Press releases about individual cases, and the work the FAA has done to get the word out about the consequences passengers face, is available in our unruly passenger toolkit.
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today that fatalities, injuries, and crashes decreased overall at 26 roundabouts at 23 locations in the time since they were built, according to department data.
“The modern roundabout is simply safer than the traditional intersection,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “Though not the right option for every intersection, data shows that when installed, roundabouts save lives and reduce crash severity.”
PennDOT recently reviewed data for 26 roundabouts on state routes at intersections that were previously stop or signal controlled. These roundabouts were selected based on having at least three years of crash data available before and after the roundabouts were built. Department data based on police-submitted crash reports spanning the years 2000 through 2020 shows that fatalities at these locations were reduced by 100 percent and the total number of crashes decreased by 22 percent. Additionally:
In addition to the 26 roundabouts meeting the selection criteria, 36 other roundabouts have been built on state routes with 19 more in construction and 20 in final design.
The roundabouts included in the review are at the following intersections:
Roundabouts are frequently installed to address intersections with safety issues but may also be installed to improve traffic flow as well as other reasons such as traffic calming, and to facilitate pedestrian mobility.
Although roundabouts are safer and typically more efficient than traditional signalized intersections, they may not always be the best option due to topography or other reasons, such as property impacts, capacity issues and proximity to other intersections.
Roundabouts are recognized by the Pennsylvania State Transportation Innovation Council (STIC) as an innovation that has become standard practice within the transportation community.
The Pennsylvania STIC facilitates the rapid implementation of proven, well-researched and documented state, regional, national and international technologies, tactics, techniques and other innovations that are new to Pennsylvania. The STIC also supports the implementation of the Federal Highway Administration’s Every Day Counts (EDC) Initiatives.
To educate Pennsylvanians on how to navigate a roundabout, the department created a video
on how to use both single and multi-lane roundabouts whether in a vehicle, on a bicycle or on foot. The video can be accessed by visiting the roundabout page on www.penndot.gov or by visiting the department’s YouTube channel.
By MARK SCOLFORO Associated Press
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania senators have grilled turnpike executives over their efforts to collect unpaid tolls that amounted to $104 million last year. A hearing Wednesday by the Senate Transportation Committee was prompted by an Associated Press report last week regarding some 11 million rides that generated no revenue for the debt-hobbled agency. Turnpike Chief Executive Mark Compton is assuring the committee the agency takes the issue “very seriously” and is working to lower the amount of “leakage,” an industry term for free rides. One senator calls the $104 million figure “just unacceptible.” A follow-up hearing is planned, perhaps as soon as next week.
Is the delta variant of the coronavirus worse for kids?
By LINDSEY TANNER AP Medical Writer
The delta variant is causing a surge in infections among kids in the U.S. and elsewhere, but experts say there are no strong signs yet that it is causing more severe disease for young patients. Experts say delta poses more of a risk to children because it spreads more easily. The spike in infections among children and teens has also meant an increase in hospitalizations. The sheer numbers can make it seem like children are getting sicker, but experts say that does not appear to be the case. COVID-19 vaccines also continue to provide protection against the delta variant.
Keystone State News Connection
| September 23, 2021 |
Emily Scott
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvanians have less than two months until open enrollment through Pennie, the state-run health insurance marketplace, and medical professionals say there is a lot to consider when trying to pick a plan which is right for you.
For residents who need to purchase their own plan for 2022, open enrollment through Pennie will run from Nov. 1 through Jan. 15. Twelve insurance companies are offering individual market plans through the exchange, with an average proposed rate increase of 2% from the previous year.
Dr. Rhonda Randall, chief medical officer for UnitedHealthcare employer and individual, said planning ahead is key when finding an affordable plan.
“Anticipate what your expenses are for next year,” Randall suggested. “Are you anticipating you’re going to need to have a certain procedure, or you’ve recently been diagnosed with a specific condition, or maybe you’re planning to expand your family?”
More than 330,000 Pennsylvanians are enrolled in coverage through Pennie, which replaced Healthcare.gov in the state in Sep. 2020.
Nearly 2.8 million state residents get their insurance through Medicare, which is for people 65 and older or living with a disability. Medicare offers robust coverage, but does not pay for outpatient prescription drugs or other types of care.
Randall recommended enrolling in a Medicare Advantage plan, which includes prescription drug coverage.
“You need to pick a separate prescription drug Part D program,” Randall explained. “It generally doesn’t cover supplemental benefits and things like vision, dental and hearing in most circumstances.”
There were 31 stand-alone Medicare Part D plans available in the Commonwealth for 2020, with monthly premiums ranging from $13 to $168. Medicare recipients can make changes to their coverage during the fall election period each year, from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, with coverage taking effect Jan. 1.
(File Photo of the Chippewa Twp. Wine and Spirits Store)
$813.4 million in contributions to state, local governments,
other beneficiaries
Harrisburg – The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) today released unaudited financial results for fiscal year 2020-21 that reflect record net income and the largest annual sales increase in PLCB history.
Sales in the most recently completed fiscal year totaled $2.91 billion (including liquor and sales taxes), $349.4 million or 13.7% more than the prior year. Additionally, fiscal year 2020-21 sales were $238.5 million or 8.9% higher than the PLCB’s previous (pre-COVID-19) record sales of $2.67 billion in fiscal year 2018-19.
This resulted in net income for the year totaling a record $264.9 million, which was $56.1 million or 26.9% higher than the prior fiscal year. The increase in net income was due to increased gross profits from sales, which was partially offset by increases in operating expenses and decreases in other revenues like license fees.
Contributions to state and local governments and other beneficiaries totaled $813.4 million for the fiscal year.
Contributions to the General Fund, which finances Pennsylvania’s schools, health and human services programs, law enforcement, and public safety initiatives, among other important public services, totaled $764.8 million. General Fund contributions consisted of the following:
Other PLCB contributions over the course of the fiscal year included the following:
Additionally, the PLCB authorized about $2 million in grants in fiscal year 2020-21 in support of Pennsylvania’s beer and wine industries and awarded $1.4 million in alcohol education grants during the year to reduce underage and dangerous drinking.
The PLCB is the only commonwealth enterprise fund whose financials are separately reported in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
The PLCB regulates the distribution of beverage alcohol in Pennsylvania, operates about 600 wine and spirits stores and distribution centers statewide, and licenses 20,000 alcohol producers, retailers, and handlers. The PLCB also works to reduce and prevent dangerous and underage drinking through partnerships with schools, community groups, and licensees. Taxes and store profits – totaling nearly $18.7 billion since the agency’s inception – are returned to Pennsylvania’s General Fund, which finances Pennsylvania’s schools, health and human services programs, law enforcement, and public safety initiatives, among other important public services. The PLCB also provides financial support for the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement, the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, other state agencies, and local municipalities across the state. For more information about the PLCB, visit lcb.pa.gov.
For more information about the PLCB and to review the unaudited fiscal year 2020-21 financials, visit lcb.pa.gov.