Académique Documents
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Our E-Update, Calendar of Events and E-Update ResourcesTM, along with many
supplemental updates of information during the week, now are available at
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NEW THIS WEEK: Chesco Rejects Changing Public Emergency Alert System
Chester County's Director of Emergency Services says he "will not change the system" of
emergency alerts to the public that the editor of this E-Update has continued to term
"erratic, sporadic and unreliable".
The declaration from Robert Kagel came last week after a new presentation by Casey Jones
at a meeting of Chester County Commissioners at which Jones said the County continues to
promote its new Ready ChesCo alerting system without advising the public that it has flaws.
Jones cited a week-before situation in which posts were made to the Ready ChesCo
Facebook page about flooding in the County but the information wasn't received via the
primary alerting system for an additional 15 minutes and the secondary level for an
additional 13 minutes, or nearly half an hour later:
www.facebook.com/CCDES/posts/10155807872710534.
He also noted the County failed to post any information to its Facebook page about the
recent weekend Excessive Heat Warning and Heat Advisory until a general comment
appeared on the page Monday morning, the second day of the event. Jones actually had
published a notice through the Comment section to the County page on Saturday as to
three alerts from the National Weather Service (NWS) due to the County not reporting them
on its own page: www.facebook.com/CCDES/posts/10155818476585534.
In addition, the County failed to follow up on initial alerts that went out in regard to heat
conditions being extended for a second day or providing any information at all under the
recent alerts list on the Ready ChesCo website, Jones said. He previously had reported the
lack of cross-platform public information consistency.
Commissioners Chair Terence Farrell requested that Jones meet with Kagel after the
meeting.
Kagel declared during that session that the system is working as we anticipated and
alleged the public is being advised via website instructions as to system limitations.
During the same session, however, he admitted that a new alerting system that went into
operation in June has problems, such as not reporting flooding alerts that Jones had pointed
out. He said the County will continue to rely upon automatic electronic alerts, without
human oversight, despite Jones having noted that these systems have not worked several
times already this year.
During the discussion Kagel also revealed:
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-- County residents now will receive alerts based only on where they live, even if they are
just across the geographic divide of the National Weather Service north-south County
forecast line and travel to other parts of the County for work or other activities.
Jones previously had pointed out that just over 80,000 people are reported to leave and
nearly 80,000 more enter the county for employment, according to a County Planning
Commission report, with others traveling daily for shopping, recreation and other activities.
-- No additional alerts will be issued if the time for an original event is extended beyond the
initial alert period.
-- The preparedness component of the Countys emergency management system will refer
residents to the federal Ready.gov website for response information.
Kagel said the public needs to take responsibility for its own preparedness. He also
maintained he is confident the system is adequate to alert the public in event of a tornado
or flood, although he didnt address the inconsistency between this statement and what has
been happening.
Jones said he will continue to pursue nearly five years of effort with the Department of
Emergency Services and three years with the Board of Commissioners to have a viable and
reliable public disaster preparedness alerting system to help protect County residents and
visitors.
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Officials said that although the County's unemployment rate is only four percent and many
employers are unable to find employees with needed skills, there are thousands of talented
individuals, many of them over 50 years of age, who aren't being reflected in employment
statistics.
P2E is designed to develop career-related support services to strengthen skills of the longterm unemployed and to recruit employers seeking workers with similar skills.
County officials were unable to address future direction of the $7,000 average cost per
individual initiative as it relates to the significant long-term unemployed population, saying
the current project is a pilot at this point.
Further information and the online application to participate in the pilot are available at
www.platformtoemployment.com, info@platformtoemployment.com or (203) 610-8492.
NEW THIS WEEK: PENNVEST Awards over $38 Million to Area Counties
Over $38 million in loans and grants have been
awarded by the Pennsylvania Infrastructure
Investment Authority (PENNVEST) for wastewater
treatment projects in Chester, Delaware, Berks and
Lancaster counties.
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The City of Reading will receive the largest award, a $37,214,485 loan to upgrade its
sewage treatment plant and related facilities to eliminate the threat of wet weather
discharges of untreated sewage into the Schuylkill River. In April, it had received an $84
million loan for a separate phase of the project.
Further information on the awards is available at www.media.pa.gov/Pages/PennvestDetails.aspx?newsid=30 and www.media.pa.gov/Pages/Pennvest-Details.aspx?newsid=28.
NEW LAST WEEK: Chester County Expands Lead and Healthy Homes Program
Chester County Health Department has expanded its Lead and Healthy Homes Program,
increasing the children and youth qualification age for services.
Under the initiative, pregnant women and families with a child under 18 years of age that
suffers from asthma, resides in a home constructed before 1978, has pests or other risks, is
at 300% of poverty or participates in assistance programs such as food stamps or childrens
health insurance are eligible for a free home visit.
The activity is designed to identify asthma triggers, lead-based paint, pest activity and code
violations that pose safety and health hazards. Health Department representatives also
provide educational materials, Healthy Homes supplies to assist in making a home safer and
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healthier, and referrals to other housing and community health agencies for additional
assistance.
Further information is available at http://chesco.org/index.aspx?NID=2680 or (610) 3446225.
NEW THIS WEEK: CDC Says One in Six Children Experience Development
Disabilities
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that developmental disabilities
are common in children, with one in six being affected in the United States in 20062008,
17% more than a decade earlier.
Unfortunately, it says, children identified with autism spectrum disorder, one disability
affecting one in 68 children, were not diagnosed on average until after age four, even
though children can be diagnosed as early as two years of age. It noted that research
demonstrates that early intervention treatment services can greatly improve a childs
development.
Developmental disabilities range from mild, such as speech and language impairments, to
serious developmental disabilities, such as intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, and
autism.
Further information, including data, signs and symptoms at various ages, early intervention
and more is available in our Facebook Page report at
www.facebook.com/TransformationIni/posts/898786863519899.
NEW THIS WEEK: Chester County Child Death Triggers National Consumer Alert
IKEA is offering wall anchoring kits for its chests and dressers following deaths of two
children, including one in West Chester, due to tip-overs.
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The federal Consumer Product Safety Commission says a "child dies every two weeks and a
child is injured every 24 minutes in the U.S. from furniture or televisions that tip over.
IKEA designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture. Further information is available at
www.cpsc.gov/en/Newsroom/News-Releases/2015/IKEA-Offers-Free-Wall-AnchoringRepair-Kit-for-Chests-and-Dressers.
NEW LAST WEEK: Montco Joins Text to 9-1-1, Urges Limited Use
Montgomery County has launched a new text to 9-1-1 service that gives county residents
the ability to send short text messages to 9-1-1 in an emergency if their wireless phone
service is provided by one of the four largest carriers: AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, or
T-Mobile.
Text to 9-1-1 is designed to be used primarily in an emergency situation when someone is
unable to speak because the caller is deaf, hard-of-hearing, speech impaired, or when
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speaking out loud would put the caller in danger, such as in domestic and other violence
situations.
The system includes several limitations not occurring with telephone 9-1-1, with officials
urging call when you can, text when you must.
Further information on the system, which follows an earlier introduction in Chester County,
is available at www.montcopa.org/Archive.aspx?ADID=2455.
NEW LAST WEEK: People Spending More Time Living with Disabilities
People across the United States are living longer but spending more time in ill health,
according to a global research center at the University of Washington.
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) says diabetes, neck pain, and agerelated and other hearing loss were among the 10 leading causes of years lived with
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disability (YLD) in the United States in 2013, with other leading causes including anxiety
disorders, migraine, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Since 1990, diabetes and Alzheimers disease have replaced asthma and falls as leading
causes of YLDs for women, the Center reports, with diabetes now ranking higher for men.
Globally, back pain and depression are among the leading causes of YLD in every country,
with mental and substance abuse disorders causing one-fifth of disabling conditions,
according to the Institute.
Further information on U.S. data is available at www.healthdata.org/news-release/nonfataldiseases-including-depression-and-diabetes-pose-increasing-threat-health-us, with worldwide trends,including the United States, at www.healthdata.org/news-release/death-ratesdecline-nonfatal-diseases-and-injuries-take-bigger-toll-health-worldwide.
NEW LAST WEEK: Study Says Low Education Levels Impact Early Death Numbers
A new study says that the number of premature deaths could be changed by individuals
attaining a higher education level.
Researchers at the University of Colorado Denver, New York University, and the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill estimate that 145,243 deaths could have been saved in the
2010 population if adults who had not completed high school went on to earn a GED or high
school degree. They also said that 110,068 deaths could have been saved if adults who had
some college went on to complete their bachelors degree.
The study said that a higher level of education is a strong predictor of longevity due to
many factors, including higher income and social status, healthier behaviors, and improved
social and psychological well being.
They equated the death rate associated with the lack of education to that of smoking.
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NEW LAST WEEK: Internet Service Too Costly for Many; Lancaster Has a Plan
Internet access is out of reach financially for many, with the City of Lancaster planning to
offer free Wi-Fi in parks and provide low-income residents with free or low-cost Internet in
conjunction with the installation of a smart water metering system over the next year,
according to a Pennsylvania PublicSource report. It says possibilities also are being tested in
other areas.
Further information is available at www.publicsource.org/investigations/least-11-millionpennsylvania-homes-lack-internet-access#.Va0qPfm9ASL.
NEW LAST WEEK: Pennsylvania is 22nd on States List for Serving Medicaid
Recipients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
A new report says that Pennsylvania only ranks 22 out of
50 states in how well State Medicaid programs serve Americans
with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD),
including the young and the elderly, and their families.
The United Cerebral Palsy (UCP), in its annual The Case for
Inclusion report, also ranked Maryland as second and Delaware
35th.
as
In its key aspects of a "high functioning Medicaid program", UCP rated Pennsylvania near
the bottom, at 43, in regard to reaching those in need, 33rd in promoting independence,
28th in promoting productivity, 22 in keeping families together, and seventh in tracking
health, safety and qualify of life.
The full report is available at http://cfi.ucp.org/wpcontent/uploads/2015/07/UCP_2015_CaseforInclusion_FINAL.pdf.
Free Summer Breakfasts and Lunches for Kids Available at Community Sites
Sites in several area communities have opened to serve
breakfasts and/or lunches to children 18 years of age
and younger.
The Summer Food Service Program, funded through the
U.S. Department of Agriculture, is providing meals at
some 1,800 sites in Pennsylvania.
Further information, including a searchable sites locator
listing types of meals and dates, is available at
www.fns.usda.gov/sfsp/summer-meals-toolkit-summermeal-sites. An additional breakfast and lunch site not
yet on the map is located at Lincoln University, 351 Kersey Street, Coatesville, with further
information available at (484) 784-5945.
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Volunteer Fees for Most Child Abuse Clearances Eliminated Effective Thursday,
July 25
Pennsylvania volunteers working with children will be
relieved of fees for child abuse clearances and criminal
background checks required by the state Child
Protective Services Law starting July 25, but it won't
help those who have been or are being required to have
such clearances by July 1 or during the nearly month-long interim period.
Governor Tom Wolf announced the waivers today, also saying the cost of Department of
Human Services (DHS) and Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) child abuse and criminal history
record checks are being reduced from $10 to $8 for all other applicants, also effective on
the same date.
FBI clearances, required for all employees and for volunteers who have not been a
continuous resident of the Commonwealth for the last 10 years, will continue to apply.
Jeffrey Sheridan, press secretary to Gov. Wolf, told Transformation Initiative that the gap in
time between the July 1 volunteer clearances requirements and the July 25 waiver effective
date is due to computer system updates that need to be performed to enable the new
actions to be undertaken.
Therefore, savings for individuals who must apply prior to July 25 won't be realized until a
volunteer's three-year clearance renewals.
In 2014, 23 pieces of legislation were enacted including Act 153 of 2014, changing how
Pennsylvania responds to child abuse, such changes significantly impacting the reporting,
investigation, assessment, prosecution and judicial handling of child abuse and neglect
cases. However, organizations using volunteers raised concern about future recruitment
due to the costs.
The list of persons required to obtain clearances, according to the Governor's Office, are:
-- Child care service employees;
-- Foster parents and adult household members;
-- Prospective adoptive parents and adult household members;
-- Individuals 14 year of age or older applying for a paid position as an employee
responsible for the welfare of a child or having direct contact with children;
-- Any individual seeking or provide child-care services under contract with a child-care
facility or program;
-- School employees governed by public school code and those not governed by the public
school code (colleges and universities).
From Jan 1, 2015 to April 30, 2015, 61,019 clearance applications were received for
volunteers, with the projected total number of volunteer clearances for FY 2015-2016,
starting July 1, being 296,836.
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For DHS, the total number of clearances received was 512,583 from the time the electronic
system went live in late December 2014 through May 31, 2015. The PSP processed
828,579 Criminal History Record Checks from January through May of 2015.
More information about clearances required under the Child Protective Services Law is
available at www.keepkidssafe.pa.gov. Individuals seeking clearances can go directly to
www.compass.state.pa.us/cwis to create an individual account and apply for their child
abuse clearance electronically.
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Rebate distribution will start Wednesday, July 1, for those who already have applied, with
applications after that date being processed as they are received.
The program benefits eligible Pennsylvanians age 65 and older; widows and widowers age
50 and older; and people with disabilities age 18 and older.
The income limit is $35,000 a year for homeowners and $15,000 annually for renters, with
half of Social Security income being excluded from the limit. In addition, due to program
changes last year to ensure claimants arent disqualified from rebates solely because of
Social Security cost-of-living-adjustments, homeowners and renters may be eligible for
rebates even if their eligibility income is greater than these limits.
Therefore, any homeowner who collected Social Security, received a property tax rebate in
2013 for claim year 2012 and had annual income last year discounting half of Social
Security up to $36,129 ($15,484 for renters), is encouraged to apply for a rebate for
claim year 2014. The maximum standard rebate is $650, but supplemental rebates for
certain qualifying homeowners can boost rebates to $975, with the Pennsylvania
Department of Revenue automatically calculating supplemental rebates for qualifying
homeowners.
Further information and applications are available at
www.revenue.pa.gov/GeneralTaxInformation/PropertyTaxRentRebateProgram/Pages/default
.aspx#.VX_2pka9BP1, county Department of Aging and senior centers, and state legislator
offices. Application deadline and income limit information hadnt been updated on some
Department of Revenue web pages as of this writing but appears at
www.media.pa.gov/Pages/Revenue-Details.aspx?newsid=139.
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resources. On August 18, Berks County Veterans Affairs will present in the Community
Room at Boscovs Department Store, 4500 Perkiomen Avenue, Reading. On August 20,
Webb Medical Systems will present at Excentia, 617-C North Prince Street, Lancaster.
Specific topic workshops also are being scheduled in the counties. Further information is
available at http://berkslancasterlebanonlink.org, or from Brian Long, coordinator, at
blllink@mail.com or (717) 380-9714.
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. On September 9, the group will meet at La Comunidad Hispana, 731 West
Cypress Street, Kennett Square. 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.
Chester County Faith Community Health Ministry Network meets from 4 p.m. to
5:15 p.m., on the first Thursday of each month, from September through June to exchange
information on promotion of holistic health within faith congregations and communities and
to develop additional faith community nurses, also known as parish nurses. Further
information is available from Joan Holliday at dochollisv@aol.com or (610) 717-2180.
COSECHA (Harvest) meets from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. the second Wednesday of the
month from September through June at the Head Start Center, 380 West Cedar Street,
Kennett Square. Further information is available from Elizabeth Garduno at
elizabethga@cciu.org or (610) 444-2880 x305.
Coatesville Area Resource Network (CARN) meets from 9:30 to 11 a.m. on the third
Wednesday of the month, except August and December, in the fourth floor conference room
at Brandywine Health Center at 744 East Lincoln Highway, Coatesville. Representatives of
community organizations exchange information about current and upcoming activities and
hear presentations from various services providers. Further information is available from
Kathryn Spurlock at ccch@comcast.net or at (610) 380-7111 x16.
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 2 p.m. the third Tuesday of the
month from September through May at the Lionville Community YMCA, 100 Devon
Drive, Exton (Lionville). Further information and registration available at
dtownctc@umly.org or (610) 458-9090 x2827.
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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:
Downingtown (Lionville/Exton) -- Barnabas Group, at Calvary Fellowship Church,
95 West Devon Drive (rear entrance) at Route 113 in Exton (Lionville) is named after
the Biblical disciple known as the Son of Encouragement. Weekly sessions are part
of the churchs Care Monday, that includes a prayer group that meets at the same
time in the Prayer Lobby (Portico Entrance), with intercession for those attending the
Barnabas Group and the churchs other Care Ministries, including DivorceCare for
those coping with separation or divorce, even years later; Mending Hearts for those
with prodigal children and other family members; and various offerings focused on
assistance in healing and coping. Further information for Barnabas Group activities
is available at barnabasgroup@cfdownington.com or (610) 363-7171.
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. In August, there is no meeting. 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
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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Free Job Assistance Workshops, Job Fairs and Job Openings Report July
Unemployed and underemployed persons seeking education and training in career planning,
along with employment assistance for veterans, ex-offenders and persons with disabilities,
can take advantage of a broad series of services and monthly workshops offered by the
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 what PA CareerLink has to offer.
A calendar of PA CareerLink-Chester County workshops for the current month is available at
www.pacareerlinkchesco.org/calendar.
Monthly job openings list that provides several pages for the Chester County area is
available at http://pa-chestercounty.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/26907. Daily
position openings 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
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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.
Information and registration for the training, along with other military culture-related
materials, are available at www.deploymentpsych.org/Military-Culture.
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District Judges and Law Enforcement to Receive Required Mental Health and
Intellectual Disabilities Training
A new Pennsylvania law, to take effect in September, will require law enforcement officers
to obtain training in dealing with persons with mental illness, intellectual disabilities or
autism and district judges in identifying diversion options for such individuals.
State Rep. Thomas Caltagirone of Berks County, sponsor of legislation signed by Gov. Tom
Wolf says that "all parties will be safer ... if a police officer can quickly identify a person
experiencing a mental breakdown and use proven crisis intervention techniques to deescalate a situation."
Municipal police officers would be required to receive training though the Municipal Police
Officers' Education and Training Commission. Training for magisterial district judges would
occur every six years through continuing education requirements.
Further information in regard to the legislation and impacts is available in our earlier
Facebook post at
www.facebook.com/TransformationIni/photos/a.635705349828053.1073741828.62331760
4400161/894508417281077/?type=1.
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PublicSource says it made the analysis from records of the State Department of
Transportation [PennDOT] and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration
[NHTSA].
One method cited for reducing bicycle deaths involving trucks is a retrofit, which the
organization says already is in use in much of the world, that could immediately save
lives.
PublicSource says that in about half of fatal bike and truck accidents, the person killed first
makes impact with the side of the vehicle, typically due to the vehicle turning.
Truck side guards, a panel or set of metal bars on the side of a truck, running between the
two sets of wheels, can keep bicyclists from falling under them, instead allowing individuals
to bounce off the side of the truck, the organization said.
Further information is available at www.publicsource.org/investigations/bicycle-commutingrises-so-does-danger-of-pedalingtrucks?utm_source=PublicSource+newsletter&utm_campaign=b73a8cf8f2bikeSafety&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b58fd7b533-b73a8cf8f2309183425#.VaP7Ovm9ASK.
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Further information, including renter statistical impacts in the Philadelphia and suburbs,
Reading and Lancaster markets, is available through our earlier Facebook post at
www.facebook.com/TransformationIni/posts/893677574030828.
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round trip, to and from work, without profit or being engaged in transportation as a
business.
This is true commuter ridesharing that would enable employers to provide low-cost round
trip transportation for their employees while exempting them from needless state
regulation,Killion said.
A copy of the legislation, which takes effect in 30 days, is available at
www.legis.state.pa.us/CFDOCS/Legis/PN/Public/btCheck.cfm?txtType=PDF&sessYr=2015&s
essInd=0&billBody=H&billTyp=B&billNbr=0140&pn=0124.
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Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf signed House Bill 1276, now Act 15, that amends the law on
the same day it went into effect.
Bucks County Rep. Katharine Watson, the chief sponsor, reported in a memorandum
accompanying the original proposal that the amendments are an effort to "clear up
ambiguous aspects of the statute and to address concerns expressed by numerous
volunteer-based organizations and other entities from across the Commonwealth that are
affected by the new law.
"The intent of this legislation (amendment) is to more clearly define who is subject to the
requirements, and, where possible, to make those requirements less onerous for adult
volunteers who work with children," she said, with the objective being "to strike a better
balance between protecting children and not making the requirements for volunteers so
onerous that the result is losing both volunteers and consequently programs that are
beneficial to children."
Further information is available at
www.facebook.com/TransformationIni/photos/a.635705349828053.1073741828.62331760
4400161/889791054419480/?type=1.
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Chester County Pops Up First in Southeastern Pennsylvania for West Nile Virus
West Nile Virus (WNV) season has started, with the Chester County Health Department
recording its first2015 positive mosquito sample for WNV in Phoenixville Borough, the most
recent reporting for four Pennsylvania counties.
The total number varies annually, depending on weather. Last year, the county recorded 52
positives for the season, with 146 in 2012. Totals for adjoining counties last year were 148
in Delaware, 61 in Lancaster, 42 in Montgomery and 30 in Berks.
Further information on WNV and mitigation is available at
www.chesco.org/index.aspx?NID=868, with updating state-wide impact and totals for the
current and previous years at www.westnile.state.pa.us.
Study Says Some Area Hospitals Among Top 50 Nationwide for Highest Uninsured
Patient Charges
A new study, reported on by Lancaster Online, says that six of seven Pennsylvania hospitals
with the highest charges nationally to uninsured patients are in Southeastern Pennsylvania,
including Crozer Chester Medical Center in Delaware County, Brandywine Hospital at
Coatesville, and Phoenixville and Pottstown Hospitals.
Five of the seven top chargers, among 50 nationally, are identified as part of the for-profit
Community Health Systems, with costs as much as 10 times over Medicare-allowable costs.
Hospital spokespersons argued that their facilities "provide significant discounts to
uninsured and underinsured patients to help cover out-of-pocket costs".
Further information on the report is available through
www.facebook.com/TransformationIni/posts/880257112039541.
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Chester County continues to lead the number of cases in our reporting area, with 2,022 last
year, or 134 per 100,000 average annual rate, versus 2,395 cases the year before, or a
159.5 average annual rate.
Delaware County, in the meantime, skyrocketed from 62 cases, or a 3.7 average annual
rate in 2013, to 320 cases, a 19.1 average annual rate, last year.
Other area county rates, all showing declines between years, are:
-- Berks: 142 cases in 2013 (11.5 average annual rate) / 79 in 2014 (6.4 average annual
rate).
-- Bucks: 1,977 (105.3) / 1,400 (74.5)
-- Lancaster: 36 (2.3) / 35 (2.2)
-- Montgomery: 1,262 (52.9) / 1,052 (43.6)
-- Philadelphia: 549 (11.9) / 435 (9.4)
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and eight colleagues recently introduced the federal Lyme and TickBorne Disease Prevention, Education, and Research Act of 2015 to increase public
awareness and strengthen efforts to combat tick-borne diseases. A text of the bill is at
www.blumenthal.senate.gov/download/lyme-and-tick-borne-illness-prevention-act.
A Department of Health Lyme Disease Fact Sheet is at
www.health.pa.gov/My%20Health/Diseases%20and%20Conditions/IL/Documents/Lyme%20Disease.pdf.
The 2014 County Health Profiles are available at
www.statistics.health.pa.gov/MyHealthStatistics/VitalStatistics/CountyHealthProfiles/Pages/
CountyHealthProfiles.aspx#.VXkgyUa9BP0.
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Alert information in Berks County -- Berks Alert -- is accessible through the Cooper
Industries system at https://berks.alertpa.org/index.php?CCheck=1.
Pennsylvanias alert system -- Alert PA -- for any county, also through Cooper Industries, is
available at https://alert.pa.gov.
More comprehensive weather information for the region is available through our Facebook
page. To receive updates for this and other family-related information during the week,
"Like" our page at www.facebook.com/TransformationIni and "Get Notifications" in the
dropdown menu next to "Like" to avoid Facebook filtering posts to individual Timelines and
News Feeds based on its own algorithms.
Although we also provide alerts, Facebook should not be considered a primary alerting
source for emergency broadcasts if emergency alert systems are working.
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Coatesville Campus, seeks to establish take a book, return a book locations where one can
stop to read, pick up a book or two and drop others off to share.
Sites can be at any gathering place, including offices, restaurants, laundromats, barber and
beauty shops, and more.
Further information on this free sharing initiative is available at
http://www.artsholdinghandsandhearts.com/#!WHY-WE-NEED-POP-UP-LENDINGLIBRARIES-IN-COATESVILLE/c4v5/557efa810cf298dc5b99a98f, jan.michener@ah-hah.us or
(484) 883-2367.
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It is suggested by Medicare that Your Discharge Planning Checklist be used early and often
during your stay and that a patient talk to their doctor and hospital staff, such as a
discharge planner, social worker or nurse, about items on the list.
The publication, including a list of additional resources, is available at
www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/11376.pdfm with the The Joint Commission, an
independent, nonprofit organization that accredits and certifies more than 20,500 health
care organizations and programs in the United States, providing additional information at
www.jointcommission.org/toc.aspx.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness May be Available for Some Student Loans
Individuals working in governmental organizations, some charitable organizations and some
organizations providing specific services such as public education or health may be eligible
for a broad, employment-based forgiveness program on qualifying student loans.
Further information on Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) is available at
www.ed.gov/blog/2015/04/how-to-qualify-for-public-service-loan-forgiveness-2 and
www.studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service#page.
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.
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these periodic e-mail updates, please let me know, either with details or a web site link. In
order to maintain its value, this forum currently is a subjective, selective distribution so all
information submitted may not be used.
Also, if you know someone who might be helped by these periodic updates, please forward
all or selected portions as you feel appropriate. If you would like to be added to or removed
from this list, please hit reply and advise by typing "Subscribe" or "Unsubscribe" or
something similar in the Subject line.
Events listed are based on subject matter related to activities impacting families and is
based on information reported to us. No endorsement is made or implied.
Suggestions for improvements are encouraged. We currently are developing a more
advanced electronic communications method for this type of material that will have more
expansive yet less obtrusive characteristics. Please stay tuned.
To submit materials for publication, please refer to the guidelines that follow.
Blessings
Casey
Casey Jones
Transformation Initiative
Building Healthy Communities Through Healthy Families
(610) 707-1494 / bps461@msn.com
2009-2015 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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where you heard about the publications to bps461@msn.com.
General Guidelines for Information Submission:
Submission up to two to three months prior to the event is encouraged to increase exposure to new
subscribers, individuals who only may read the list periodically, and for other organizations that want
to avoid scheduling opposite an event or may want to collaborate with others in the area. For annual
events, even longer lead times may be appropriate. Our deadline generally is the Friday before the
week of publication.
A general idea of the information needed (many submit too little for the consumer to understand what
actually is occurring and why they should consider attending) can be obtained by perusing the
publications or using the following guide:
Please use full names followed, if appropriate, by acronyms in parenthesis.
Name of Event:
Date(s) - Include both day(s) of week and actual dates:
Times (Starting and ending):
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Location (Including any applicable room number, particularly in a large facility, and a
MapQuest or Google Maps searchable address:
Sponsoring Organization(s), if not part of the location address:
Participant Eligibility (Ages, gender, etc.):
Description of Activities and, as applicable, the presenter and the purpose of the event (Two to
three descriptive sentences with the most appealing information; please avoid superfluous
words such as "wonderful", "great", etc.):
Any Fees, including free-will offerings:
Contact name, e-mail, telephone, along with any web page that is focused primarily on the
specific activity:
Any registration requirements.
We generally use only free activities of a non-commercial nature or those in which a very small,
optional materials fee is charged.
Fund-raising activities generally are not published unless there is a good mixture of free
activities also available, including free admission, with a participant having the choice of
purchasing incidental items such as food or crafts.
Church events generally are published only if they are separate from normal weekly worship
services.
Due to the wide variety of activities available, decisions on publication ultimately are determined on a
case-by-case basis in context with focus of the publications.