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Lawmakers want to give Missourians a $500 tax credit

2 years 9 months ago
Republican House representatives and members of the Missouri House Leadership are working toward helping working Missourians with the rising cost of living. Democrats, however, are saying they had a similar amendment that was turned down earlier in April.
Ivie Macy

Chart of the day: The Producer Price Index vs. the Consumer Price Index in March

2 years 9 months ago
I don't normally bother posting the producer price index, but since inflation is on everyone's mind these days let's take a look at the latest numbers: Not good! The PPI for goods was up 11.2% from last year and the monthly increase from February came to 17.8% on an annualized basis. In both cases they ...continue reading "Chart of the day: The Producer Price Index vs. the Consumer Price Index in March"
Kevin Drum

IDPH Adopts New Federal Guidelines for Reporting COVID-19 Data

2 years 9 months ago
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is adopting new federal guidelines for tracking COVID-19 at the community level. The new CDC guidelines emphasize the case rate and hospitalizations in order to better track the prevalence of COVID-19 in communities. As a result of these new guidelines, testing providers will no longer be required to report some negative tests and IDPH will therefore no longer report test and case positivity. In addition to adopting new CDC guidelines, IDPH is bolstering the data on its COVID-19 dashboard to provide additional information to help communities respond to changes in the course of the virus. Among the new data that has been or will be shared on the IDPH COVID-19 dashboard are the following: • Updated data on vaccination rates to reflect the full population eligible as eligibility continues to evolve. • The number of people admitted to the hospital with a COVID-19 diagnosis. • More detailed data on hospitalizations

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Senate committee approves bill that could overturn Missouri Medicaid expansion

2 years 9 months ago

A constitutional amendment asking Missourians to let lawmakers decide year-to-year whether the state will offer Medicaid to working-age adults moved closer to passage on Wednesday. By an 8-5 vote, the Senate Appropriations Committee sent the House-passed proposal to the full Senate for debate. Only Sen. Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, voted with Democrats to oppose the measure, […]

The post Senate committee approves bill that could overturn Missouri Medicaid expansion appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Rudi Keller

HSHS St. Elizabeth's Hospital’s Wound Care Center Recognized for Clinical Excellence in Patient Satisfaction and Wound Healing Rates

2 years 9 months ago
O’FALLON — HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital’s Wound Care Center has been named a recipient of the Center of Distinction award by Healogics ® , the nation’s largest provider of advanced wound care services. The center achieved outstanding clinical outcomes for 12 consecutive months, including patient satisfaction rates higher than 92% and a minimum wound healing rate of at least 92% within 28 median days to heal. There were 555 centers eligible for the Center of Distinction award and 278 achieved the honor. Other Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) hospitals receiving this same honor include HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital in Effingham and HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Highland. “We are pleased to have received this national distinction,” shared St. Elizabeth’s Interim President and CEO Brandon Fish. “The high-quality and compassionate care that our Wound Care Center provides is often life changing for man

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Metro East and Southern Illinois Republican Legislators Endorse Joe Hackler

2 years 9 months ago
GRANITE CITY – In the first endorsements of the 112th district, Joe Hackler is supported by the following conservative lawmakers from the Metro East and Southern Illinois: State Representative Charlie Meier (HD 108), State Representative Amy Elik (HD 111), State Representative David Friess (HD 116), State Representative Dave Severin (HD 117), State Representative Patrick Windhorst (HD 118), and State Senator Terri Bryant (SD 58). Hackler is the choice of surrounding state legislators because of his record as a proven fighter and trusted conservative. “Joe has demonstrated conservative leadership on his local township board and has stood up to Chicago democrats in races across Southern Illinois. Joe is the candidate who can win the 112th District for Republicans,” said State Representative Amy Elik, who defeated democratic incumbent Monica Bristow in the 2020 election. Hackler has fought for conservative representation for nearly a decade in Southern Illinois, serving

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Urology Of St. Louis Encourages Men To Stay On Top Of Their Health During Testicular Cancer Awareness Month

2 years 9 months ago
ST. LOUIS - April is Testicular Cancer Awareness Month and Urology of St. Louis (USL), the largest private urologic practice in St. Louis and the Metro East, is raising awareness about the importance of early detection. “It is very important for men to go to a primary care provider or urologist if anything feels abnormal,” said Gregory Auffenberg, MD. “This cancer occurs in an area that is sensitive, and it can often cause anxiety for some patients. Do not be afraid to talk to your doctor if you have any concerns.” Dr. Auffenberg said testicular cancer can affect people at any age, but it is most often found in men ages 15 to 40 years old. This type of cancer occurs when healthy cells in the testicle become altered. Some symptoms include a lump or enlargement in either testicle, feeling of heaviness in the scrotum, dull ache in the abdomen or groin, sudden collection of fluid in the scrotum, and pain or discomfort in a testicle or the scrotum. Dr. Auffenberg

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"Be Alarmed!" Program Receives Smoke Alarm Donation

2 years 9 months ago
SPRINGFIELD - The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) and the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance (IFSA) received a donation of 1,000 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms from Vision 20/20 for the “Be Alarmed!” Smoke Alarm Program. Vision 20/20 partners with organizations and experts to drive Community Risk Reduction across all levels of the fire and emergency services. They help to identify gaps, evaluate and apply data-driven strategies and resources, and provide guidance in implementing adaptive measures to reduce fire and other risks. In 2021, 2,945 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms were installed in Illinois homes. The program reached 2,268 (1,027 high-risk) Illinois residents educating them on smoke alarm maintenance, home fire safety, and home fire escape plans as well as protected by new smoke alarms. Of those homes visited, 80% of pre-existing smoke alarms in homes that received new 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms from our program had non-functional o

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Legislators weigh blocking COVID visitor restrictions at Missouri hospitals, nursing homes

2 years 9 months ago

State Rep. Ed Lewis had just hours to say goodbye. In March 2020, his 89-year-old mother had to go to the hospital after suffering from a fall. Lewis’ sister was their mother’s primary caregiver, but in the pandemic’s first days as hospitals restricted visitors, family members weren’t allowed to stay with her. Lewis and his […]

The post Legislators weigh blocking COVID visitor restrictions at Missouri hospitals, nursing homes appeared first on Missouri Independent.

Tessa Weinberg

Canadian Gov’t Latest To Decide US Tech Companies Should Be Punished For Sending Web Traffic To Canadian Websites

2 years 9 months ago
Here we go again. It’s a plan that almost never works but one that legislators and the special interest groups pushing for it continue to believe will shower them with untold riches from billion dollar tech companies that they blame for the destruction of local content creation. I mean, they’re not entirely wrong… at least […]
Tim Cushing