Health and Medicine

The McLean County Health Department is asking the public to voluntarily limit hospital visits due a recent increase in influenza.

Sue Grant is a registered nurse with the department. She said February is often a peak month for flu activity.

"People bring the disease with them when they travel at the holidays, and people are in parties and bigger events and this time of year, everyone is inside and cooped up together. So you have close contact with more people  and it's an easier spread for the flu that way," said Grant.

Chestnut Health Systems is making a major change on Bloomington's west side. 

Chief Executive Officer Russell Hagen said during a news conference, the Chestnut Family Health Center will relocate from a crowded temporary facility at 720 W. Chestnut Street to a completely remodeled 25 thousand square foot building down the street at 702 W. Chestnut. 

Hagen said the move and remodeling represent a dramatic expansion.

Protestors at the Central Illinois Regional Airport say Congressman Rodney Davis ducked them as he met with reporters before flying back to Washington.

Downstate hospital executives claim repealing the Affordable Care Act without a replacement would cost the state more than 84-thousand jobs.

The Illinois Hospital Association argued having 1.2 million more Illinoisians with insurance has helped create thousands of new jobs downstate. They said if the Affordable Care Act goes, so do the jobs.

The Illinois Supreme Court considered a case Thursday that asks whether not-for-profit hospitals have to pay property taxes.

It involves Urbana-based Carle hospital and clinics,  though it could affect health systems across Illinois.

At issue is the constitutionality of a state law that exempts not-for-profit hospitals from paying property taxes. Laurel Prussing, the mayor of Urbana, said losing that tax money cost the city 11 percent of its tax base.

An Illinois group is warning that if Obamacare is repealed without a replacement, there could be significant human and financial consequences.

President-elect Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans made repealing the Affordable Care Act a key plank in their campaigns.

That could be expensive, says Illinois Hospital Association president A. J. Wilhelmi.

"Hospitals faced with cuts have tough decisions to make, and those decisions include laying off staff, reducing services, and putting projects on hold for infrastructure improvement, "Wilhelmi said.

There have been a half dozen recent cases of Whooping Cough reported in McLean County in recent days.

Lisa Slater is a Health Department spokeswoman.

GOP Congressman Rodney Davis said he looks forward to the Republican Congress led repeal of Obamacare. Davis represents a part of Bloomington-Normal in the House.

Davis said he favors the road map put forward by House Speaker Paul Ryan which would continue a prohibition on denial of insurance coverage because of pre-existing conditions after a single new enrollment period.

"We can also address some of the problems that were in place before Obamacare was shoved onto families in this country with promises that were never meant to be kept," said Davis

Illinois State University leaders are concerned about an effort to grant a community college the authority to offer bachelor's degrees in nursing.

The measure pushed by State Senator Andy Manar is billed as a way to address a nursing shortage.

University of Illinois officials are reporting new cases of hand, foot and mouth disease among students on the Urbana campus.  

Dr. Robert Palinkas said about 10 new cases bring the total to a little more than 70 since the beginning of the semester.  
 

He said campus housing units are focusing on sanitation and some affected students have been isolated.  

The Community Health Care Clinic in Normal is adding dental service as it opens its expanded facility on Franklin Avenue later this month.

Director Angie McGlaughlin said they have created a four chair clinic to add to what the health department is already doing. Area dentists also offer periodic extraction clinics.

The State has issued a license to the Birth Center of Bloomington Normal.

Office Coordinator Jessica Poppe said they will begin offering birthing services to women with low risk pregnancies on Monday, October 10.

Heroin addiction and opioid abuse are viewed as an epidemic in Illinois, and across the nation.  

The medical marijuana industry is trying to steer patients and doctors to cannabis instead.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has filed a lawsuit against a Phoenix-based pharmaceutical company for alleged deceptive marketing of an opioid drug meant for cancer patients.  

McLean County has hit all three indicators of West Nile virus for the year in one day.

The Health Department says there is a probable human case of West Nile in the county.

LGBTQ advocates indicate there is a big need for a clinic to serve transgender people in central Illinois.

Central Illinois Pride Health Center Director Len Meyer said they are trying to qualify for non-profit status, because most go to Chicago to get hormone replacement therapy.

Police in Normal have arrested two men in what could be the overdose death of a 17-year old girl.

Officers aren't saying anything about the cause of death, but Chief Rick Bleichner implied it when he said there can be immunity from offenses if there is a good faith effort to call for medical help or to save a life.