York and Adams Counties Take Heart Disease & Diabetes Head On

(York, Pa.) – What’s all of the hype about? A major health movement is about to sweep through the communities of York and Adams counties. Nearly 200,000 people in York and Adams Counties are living with diabetes or heart disease, and employers, businesses, community organizations, and individuals are ready to take the next step to improve these chronic conditions. So, how are they going to do this? It’s called the I Can! Challenge. The community-wide initiative will help those with heart disease or diabetes improve their health and better manage their condition.

Developed by Aligning Forces for Quality South Central Pennsylvania, the I Can! Challenge is a free 12-week program that will provide participants with direction and support with diet, exercise, stress relief and more. By signing up online (www.ICanChallenge.com) or calling a toll-free hotline, anyone with these conditions in these two counties can take part in the Challenge! A different health challenge will be featured each week, and those who register will be provided all the tools and information to complete each Challenge.

 

The tools provided will show participants how to set goals, work with their doctor, eat healthy, fit physical activity into their schedules, and more! For example, one week the Challenge is to “Control Your Portions,” while other weeks are “Understand Your Condition” and “Reduce Your Stress.”  Participants will be guided step-by-step through the interactive Web site, which includes discussion forums to encourage them along the way. Participants can also receive support by signing up for weekly e-mail tips and text messages. The Web site will also provide the tools to complete the Challenge, ways to track their progress, resources, blogs, and more. The Challenge is also available for those without Internet access, by calling a toll-free number (1-866-997-ICAN) to register. Of those who call, only participants in York or Adams County will receive a printed copy of the tools and resources in the mail.

 

In addition, starting May 7, FOX43 News at Ten anchor Evan Forrester will feature the week’s Challenge every Thursday night. Along with information about these conditions, FOX43 will highlight five people from the community who are taking the I Can! Challenge in the public eye. These five challengers will be featured on the Challenge Web site, FOX 43 News at Ten, and in various articles. Their journeys will be shared through the media and online. Biographies and personal blogs will be available at www.ICanChallenge.com, so the public can follow along, witness what they are doing, and learn how they overcome their obstacles.

 

As a community-wide initiative, many area organizations, businesses and employers are also joining the Challenge. Many are hosting an I Can! Challenge team. Teams will be organized at workplaces, churches and neighborhoods. Area businesses will also be supporting the I Can! Challenge initiative by providing special incentives to I Can! Challenge participants. Organizations who want to get involved, should contact Megan Kurtz at Megan@TheSuasionWay.com or 717-432-2468.

 

The I Can! Challenge is an opportunity for residents of both counties to get involved in improving the quality of health care. People with heart disease and diabetes are strongly encouraged to step up to the Challenge and say, “I Can!”

 

To learn more about the I Can! Challenge or sign up, visit www.icanchallenge.com. If you do not have Internet access, please call toll-free 1-866-997-ICAN.

 

About Aligning Forces for Quality South Central Pennsylvania
The program, which began in February 2007, is aimed at eliminating the gap between the quality of care that patients with chronic conditions currently receive and the quality of care that patients should expect to receive.  Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Aligning Forces for Quality initiative brings together patients, health care providers, businesses and the community to work toward common, fundamental objectives that will lead to better health care.

South Central Pennsylvania area community leaders, consumers, physicians, nurses, employers and insurers are all working together on this important initiative that will benefit thousands of area residents. 
www.aligning4healthpa.org

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Susquehanna County Attorney Named Vice Chair of Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of PA

(Lemoyne, Pa.)- Francis X. O’Connor, Esq., an attorney and sole practitioner from Great Bend, Pa., has been named Vice Chair of the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania effective April 1, 2009. 

 

“I am truly humbled that the Supreme Court Justices considered me for the position of Vice Chair,” O’Connor said. “I am astonished and honored. As I conclude my second term on the Board, I can say that my experience on the Disciplinary Board has been the high point of my legal career. This appointment makes it all the more rewarding.” 

 

The Disciplinary Board is an independent agency funded by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and consists of 14 members, of whom 12 are attorneys and two are non-lawyers, from across the state. It assists the Supreme Court in carrying out its exclusive jurisdiction over the licensing and discipline of attorneys in Pennsylvania. The members meet regularly to decide cases, policies and board administrative matters. 

 

For over 30 years, O’Connor has been practicing law in real estate, personal injury, bankruptcy, family law and criminal law. He has spoken to many groups on lawyer discipline and legal ethics, and authored a number of articles on these topics.

In addition to serving as Vice Chair to the Disciplinary Board, he is treasurer of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, and secretary/treasurer of the Susquehanna County Bar Association. 

 

O’Connor is also very involved in the community. He dedicates his time to working with the Boy Scouts of America, and serving as solicitor for the Great Bend Fire Company. He is also an attendant with the Great Bend/Hallstead Volunteer Ambulance Company.

He is a graduate of the University of Scranton class of 1971, and a member of its Alumni Board of Governors. O’Connor received his law degree from the St. Louis University Law School and became a member of the Bar in 1975. He is also admitted to practice in New York State. 

 

About the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of PA
The Disciplinary Board’s goals are to protect the general public, maintain a high standard of integrity in the legal profession, and safeguard the reputation of the courts of Pennsylvania. The Disciplinary Board was created by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania to review conduct and assure compliance by all attorneys to the Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct. For more information about the Disciplinary Board please, visit www.padb.us.

 

For more information regarding this press release, please contact Megan Kurtz at 717-432-2468 or email at Megan@TheSuasionWay.com.

 

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$250,000 Grant Awarded to Increase Accessibility for Dauphin County Residents

(Camp Hill, Pa.) – The non-profit organization, Center for Independent Living of Central PA (CILCP), who provides services to people with all types of disabilities recently received a $250,000 Pennsylvania Accessible Housing Program Grant from Governor Rendell’s administration. The grant is to be spent over the next two years on housing modifications for residents with permanent disabilities who have low to moderate-incomes. The residents receiving accessibility modifications must live in Dauphin County. 

 

Lynn Stewart, administer of this program and Director of Housing for CILCP stated, “We are thrilled that the grant will allow Dauphin County to have their own pool of money to better serve more people with disabilities. Making houses more accessible means that less people with disabilities have to enter institutions in order to live their daily lives.” Stewart has been working with people with disabilities to create or improve the accessibility in their homes for six years. 

 

Currently, applications are being accepted for the waiting list to be considered to receive funds from the grant.  A person’s eligibility is based on income, and once eligible, Stewart personally interviews all candidates to ensure their wants and needs are feasible.  The grant covers many forms of modifications, such as renovations of bathrooms, creation of ramps, and widening of doorways.  Depending on the requirements of those candidates selected, Stewart hopes the grant will help 10 to 15 people per year.

 

As Director of Housing for CILCP, Stewart often collaborates with local contractors who understand the requirements and needs in making a home more accessible.  The contractors participating in this initiative have started making three bathrooms and one kitchen/living area more accessible.  Ultimately, Stewart hopes the money will be able to aid people in living as independently as possible for as long as possible. 

 

As one of the Center for Independent Living of Central PA’s many services, the organization provides individuals and families with disabilities the opportunity to receive recommendations for making a home accessible. From providing advice on what kind of changes can be made, and what type of budget is necessary, to what resources are available for payment plans.  Individuals are also provided information about the Living Well With A Disability program, which allows people with disabilities to find other opportunities and resources that they may not have known existed – in all aspects of life.

 

For more information on the PA Accessible Housing Program, please contact Lynn Stewart at 717-731-1900 ext. 21.

 

About CILCP

The Center for Independent Living of Central Pennsylvania (CILCP) is a consumer controlled, cross disability organization dedicated to assisting people with disabilities to achieve and maintain independent life styles.  The organization assists individuals with any type of disability to find resources available to meet their needs, wishes and aspirations through Living Well With A Disability. To learn more about the CILCP visit their Web site at www.cilcp.org, and to learn more about Living Well With A Disability, visit www.livingwellwithadisability.org.

 

For more information regarding this press release, please contact Megan Kurtz at Megan@TheSuasionWay.com or (717) 432 – 2468.

 

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