Health and Medicine

McLean County resident Carolyn Moon is one of those uber volunteers, the ones that give fire to any organization. She has been a patient educator in hospitals, and made sure children are educated on health issues. Moon also is this year's "Champion of Care" honoree and will be recognized May 12 by Planned Parenthood of Illinois for decades of volunteerism.

Since the masks came off most of society, a lot of people have been coughing, sneezing and getting aches and fever. And that's not counting those who get COVID-19. Last year, flu was almost non-existent. Lockdowns, masks, and other pandemic precautions meant people didn't make each other sick.

COVID-19 cases and deaths have begun to rise in Illinois as the newly dominant BA2 variant of the coronavirus moves through the population. It's hard to say just yet whether it will be a mountain of cases or a speed bump, according to the McLean County Health Department.

The head of a large long-term care company based in Bloomington said lawmakers did good work on nursing home reform in the spring session. One bill, more than a year in the making, will annually put $700 million more into the revenue stream (HB 246).

After three decades in the profession, Dr. Napoleon Knight is at the top level of administration as the first African American chief medical officer at Carle Health.

The head of Bloomington-based Chestnut Health Systems said Gov. JB Pritzker's proposed boost in mental health funding comes at a critical time. The $140 million in additional money was part of Pritzker's budget speech last week.

The Unit 5 and District 87 school districts plan to keep mask rules in place following Friday's order. But several smaller districts around McLean County are making masks optional, effective immediately.

It's tough to decide whether to hold large events right now. As Bloomington-Normal continues to register record numbers of COVID cases, there's a risk of creating a super-spreader event.

Poor access and a lack of resources have been major issues for the low and no vision community for decades. Bloomington-Normal residents share their experiences with these issues in the education system and the whole of society.

If you think politics and religion are tough topics at the family holiday dinner table, try discussing family health histories or more specifically the health of your colon.