Health and Medicine

Workers are feverishly putting the final touches on the thirty five million dollar Center for Integrated Wellness just north of the airport in Bloomington.

The Center combines several services and business entities in one place, a fitness center managed by Advocate BroMenn, METHOD Sports Performance, and McLean County Orthopedics. Such facilities are becoming a trend across the U.S. 

For the first time hospitals in Bloomington Normal, the McLean County Health Department, and other stakeholders are working together on a community health needs assessment.

GLT's Charlie Schlenker talks with Meredith Nelson of OSF Saint Joseph Medical Center and Health Department Assistant Director Cathy Coverston-Anderson about the plan and why hasn't this happened years ago?

Psst. Hey buddy. Want to buy a butterfly?

The Community Cancer Center is raising money by having people buy monarch butterflies and release them into the gardens at the center in Bloomington in honor or remembrance of loved ones.

The stopgap spending measure approved by lawmakers and the Governor at the end of last month did nothing to fix the structural deficit or the backlog of bills State government owes in Illinois. Take dentists for instance.

There are about 18,000 dentists in Illinois. The state owes them 150 million dollars.

Dementia recently claimed the life of legendary women's basketball coach Pat Summitt. A new case of dementia is diagnosed every four seconds.  It's estimated that the number of people with dementia is expected to increase to 75.6 million by 2030.  With the demand for dementia care rising, there is a need to know more about the treatment, not just of the illness itself, but of those impacted by it.  With an eye towards helping those who help dementia sufferers, the Illinois State University Mennonite College of Nursing recently launched a research project about nursing care knowledge and attitudes towards patients with dementia.

Parents-to-be in central Illinois have a new option available to them when it comes to bringing their new little bundle of joy into the world.

Bloomington is one of 50 mid-sized communities across the nation to receive a $60,000 health planning grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). The planning will help bring together stakeholders over the next 18 months to address health concerns -- specifically as it concerns geography and what the grant materials call "built environments."

A former track physician at the Indianapolis 500 race said drivers get the very best care possible in the event of crashes. In spite of 230 mile per hour speeds, Advocate BroMenn Vice President of Medical Management Jim Nevin said having board certified emergency physicians at track side and ambulances ready to roll mean there is a significant response advantage that people in ordinary car crashes don't have.

Spike.  Cujo. Boozer. Lucifer. Or just plain Ankle Biter. U.S. Postal Service Letter Carrier Kenny Kemp says no matter what you call them, dogs can be biters and need to be respected.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words but in the case of a group of Illinois State University students, a picture is worth a million meals.  

Jonathon Malone will be graduating and moving on to a job at State Farm but he’ll continue working on a class project even after he has his diploma in hand.

It’s hard to get a job when you are autistic. It’s hard to socialize. It’s hard to do many things. Area advocates hope to create more autism friendly places in Bloomington Normal.

It's garage sale season again!

But instead of checking out just any old garage sale, you can visit one with a purpose.  The Seventh Annual Autism Society Garage Sale is Saturday, April 6 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Crossroads Center in Normal.

*Organizer Craig Luchtefeld said the event raises funds for Camp Takoda, a summer camp program of Autism McLean.

*Luchtefeld's son, Cooper, said the camp typically will offer a variety of activities, including archery, zip lining, and friendly animal encounters.  He added that camp is a great place to make new friends.

Close to 300,000 people die each year from sepsis, a condition that last week claimed a high profile victim:  Patty Duke. The actress died from the condition some call 'the silent killer' at the age of 69.

Sepsis is an infection in the blood.  Once its there, it can move swiftly through your body, inciting an inflammatory response which can result in inadequate blood supply to your major organs, which can lead to major organ failure and death.

An Illinois State University kinesiology professor is playing a role in helping baseball players stay away from arm injuries. Kevin Laudner, is assistant dean in ISU's College of Applied Science and Technology (CAST). 

Laudner's work with pitchers has drawn the attention of many major league teams, and has earned him the tag "shoulder guy" since his affiliation with the Texas Rangers and his consultation with other MLB teams. 

U.S. health officials are investigating more than a dozen possible Zika infections that may have been spread through sex. The 14 cases all involve men who visited areas with Zika outbreaks, and who many have infected their female sex partners, who had not traveled. Zika virus is mainly spread by mosquito bites. But there have been at least two reported cases of sexual transmission, including a recent case in Texas.

On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the 14 cases include two pregnant women whose infections have been confirmed. Tests are pending for their male partners. WGLT's Jim Browne talks with the Infectious Disease Superviser of the McLean County Health Department about the virus, and what grounds there may be concern in central Illinois.