Working with the community... for a healthier community.

Improve Your Health Get a Pet!

By Lauren Malmberg Pet ownership not only provides companionship, unconditional love, and great fun, but owning a pet can actually improve your health. All kinds of companion animals — from cats and dogs to fish or horses — help us stay healthy and fit. Most of the time, we don’t even recognize how they promote […]

Planning Medical Insurance in Retirement

By Steven Buttice, Founder and President, Living By Your Design, Inc. Are you delaying retirement? Are you working deeper into your late 60s early70s? People aged 65+ who work for companies with more than 20 employees may have the option to waive Medicare Part B (medical) coverage if they have creditable group coverage. Since Medicare […]

How to Have Meaningful Interpersonal Relationships

By Luke Dalfiume, PhD, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Co-Owner, John R. Day & Associates, Christian Psychological Associates Most of us long to be close to others. If we are fortunate, we have some people in our lives we can say we have intimate relationships with, feeling known and cared for by them and knowing and caring […]

Helping Your Neighbors in Need 2018 Foodshare Canathon

Have you ever been really hungry — stomach hurting and there is no food in the house nor any money or means to purchase food? That is the situation in the homes of over 30,000 people right here in central Illinois at least once a month. That is the reason that, for 34 years, the […]

Teen Dating Violence Do You Know the Signs?

By Carol Merna, Executive Director, The Center for Prevention of Abuse Getting hurt was the furthest thing from Kaley’s mind when she started dating Ethan. He held her hand and sometimes sang to her in the hallways at school. On Valentine’s Day, he gave her flowers and told her how much he cared for her. […]

Fit Feet With Fitbit!

By Grant Gonzalez, DPM The digital revolution is expanding its impact on our lives every minute. Mobile smart phones, wireless internet networks, biometric authentication devices, virtual personal assistants, wristband gadgets, and virtual reality devices are here today and often gone tomorrow as new technology redefines our future lifestyle opportunities and business models. This revolution has […]

Edema Is Not So Swell By Mary Carrico, Friend of the Villas of South Park

Edema is the medical term for swelling. It can have different causes. It can be cardiovascular if the heart, arteries, or veins are not working properly. It can be the result of inflammation following a trauma or chronic injury. Fluid can build up in the legs and feet if the heart is not pumping efficiently. […]

A Local Journey to National Public Health Accreditation

By Nicole Ingold, BA, Director of Strategic Performance, Peoria City/County Health Department Health departments across the state work every day to combat new public health threats and keep people healthy. They provide services such as ensuring safe food and water, collecting data on diseases that affect our community, and providing life-saving vaccines. Local health departments […]

Therapy Services for Seniors

Submitted by Heritage Health Chillicothe Many seniors find they are in need of rehabilitative therapy services following surgery or after suffering an injury. Short-term therapy services are designed to restore activities of daily living so patients can return home quickly and with confidence. Comprehensive therapy services can include physical, occupational, and speech therapy programs, and […]

A Leg to Stand On

By Alexander Germanis When a house is ablaze, the firefighters’ primary goals are to save lives and save the structure to the best of their ability. Although it may be easier at times to simply let the fire consume the house and then build a new structure atop the ashes, few families wish to see […]