A 15 Nurses honored complete with a ‘‘patient’’ Gilbert D. Tough, president and chief executive officer, Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania, announced recently that the regional hospital service organiza- tion, in cooperation with Pennsyl- vania Blue Shield, has begun its second consecutive, month-long Drunk Driving Awareness Program which urges motorists to refrain from driving while under the influ- ence of alcohol, especially during the upcoming holiday period. ‘As a caring organization, which serves the health care needs of more than 645,000 subscribers in 13 counties of northeastern Pennsyl- vania,” Tough said, ‘‘we would hope that our message, ‘Don’t Drink and Drive,” will be remembered by all who sit behind the wheels of their vehicles during this holiday season. innocent persons who have suffered serious injuries and, most impo.- tantly, the lives of loved ones that have been destroyed by careless, inconsiderate drivers are part of today’s road safety lessons that cannot be over emphasized.” Tough added that, in its attempt to publicize the importance of the Drunk Driving Awareness Program, Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsyl- vania and Pennsylvania Blue Shield have launched a two-prong effort as a means for urging public coopera- tion. During the past week, more than 100,000 brochures on ‘A Sensi- ble Guide to Alcohol and You” were mailed to business and industry groups, and other community serv- ice agencies, which cite suggestions, tips, and other facts for persons to consider before and after drinking alcoholic beverages. As a pre-holiday campaign 696-3868 Emergency Care at all hrs. Parking On Premises Day, Evening & Sat. Appointments Mainline Building 121 S. Memorial Highway Shavertown, 18708 (Next to Howard Duke Isaacs) starter, Tough stated that a news conference involved concerned area principals who have endorsed the program will be held in the Blue Cross Building, Wilkes-Barre, December 9, at 10 a.m. Addressing media representatives will be Tough, and the following partici- pants: Ms. Donna F. Hooper, project director of S.0.B.E.R. (Slow on the Bottle, Enjoy the Road); Ms. Alice Deats, president of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers), who will conduct a brief candlelight vigil ceremony memorializing vic- tims of drunken drivers; Thomas M. Cesarini, associate director of the Luzerne County Drug and Alco- hol Abuse Program; David Lom- bard of Clearbrook Lodge; Debbie Ropers of the Luzerne County Court Advocate Program; Luzerne County Ditrict Attorney Robert Gillespie; Lackawanna County District Attor- ney Ernest Preate; Bernard Ott, Seatbelt Program, and several local and state officials. Mercy gets accreditation Mercy Hospital, Wilkes-Barre, has been awarded a three-year Cer- tificate of Accreditation by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals (JCAH). JCAH accredita- tion is evidence of Mercy’s efforts to provide quality health care for resi- dents of the Wyoming Valley area. To become accredited, Mercy vol- untarily requested an on-site evalu- ation by JCAH surveyors who applied standards designed to fur- ther the objectives of quality patient care and the safety of the environ- ment in which that care is provided. These national standards represent a consensus among health cre pro- fessionals and are periodically updated to reflect changes in health care delivery. JCAH is a private, not-for-profit organization created by and com- posed of health care professionals. “If a nation is judged by how it treats its aged citizens, we must don a hair shirt of shame with 1 million senior Americans victims of abuse each year,” Senator John Heinz (R- PA) said today, speaking in support of legislation to create a task force on elder abuse. Heinz noted that while the 75-plus age group is the fastest growing segment of the population, and sta- tistically the most at risk of abuse, “we know so very little about the extent of the problem, even less about the causes, and nothing at all about solutions.”” Government spends less than $3 on protective services for each elder abuse victim, but seven times that amount for child abuse victims. In the five-county area of Pitts- burgh, 162 cases of elder abuse were reported in a 12 month period ending June, 1985, Heinz said. Although physical maltreatment accounts for about 75 percent of reported cases, many abusers of the elderly employ more subtle means. The Senator cited examples of an 85-year-old woman whose daughter took her Social Security checks and spent them on shopping sprees and drugs, and the son who refused to allow his elderly mother to eat. As Chairman of the Senate Spe- cial Committee on Aging, Heinz said he is particularly sensitive to added pressures created for family care- givers by Medicare’s new method of hospital reimbursement. Under the Prospective Payment System, patients come out of hospitals _ sicker, needing greater levels of care for more extended periods of time. : ‘Families burdened with such heavy levels of care will experience stress that can lead to abuse,” said Heinz. Exacerbating the situation is the absense of any coherent long room routines period * pain control GENERAL "Pre-Surgical Class,” To register, available class.) HOSPITAL? extension 2205 or complete the [J 1 would like to attend an upcoming class. I am scheduled to undergo surgery on ............... My family physician is ......c..cici iin, ion ilst,s My surgeon will be'.............0. 00. na ninnig Name: ia... i a Address: Lil a Phone No.: DETACH AND MAIL TO: WILKES-BARRE GENERAL HOSPITAL NURSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT WILKES-BARRE, PA. 18764 That’s the slogan of the Mercy Travel- ing Phlebotomist which enables the el- derly and physically impaired to un- dergo physician-ordered = laboratory tests without ‘having to" leave their home or apartment. « PROFESSIONAL, CERTIFIED, PHLEBOTOMIST TO DRAW BLOOD AND COLLECT OTHER NECESSARY SAMPLES RIGHT IN YOUR OWN HOME. » NO EXTRA CHARGE! YOUR HEALTH INSURANCE IS BILLED JUST AS IF YOU HAD COME TO THE HOSPITAL FOR THE TESTS. » AVAILABLE SEVEN DAYS A WEEK . AS OFTEN AS NECESSARY. « ALL TESTS PERFORMED AT MERCY HOSPITAL'S LABORATORY. o TEST RESULTS SENT IMMEDIATELY TO YOUR PERSONAL PHYSICIAN. Oxygen Concentrators Ultrasonic Nebulizers Pediatric Mist Tents e [PPB MACHINES or cataract-implant operations. THIS IS NOW A REQUIREMENT OF MOST INSURANCE CARRIERS MURRAY DOLPHIN, M.D., F.A.C.S. PARK OFFICE BLDG. SUITE 110 (deliver medication to lungs under pressure) e VAPORIZERS : (to add moisture to the air in your home) e AIR PURIFIERS FOR THE HOME Services are provided by certified and certification-eligible respiratory therapy technicians. Periodic servicing schedules are also conducted to maintain dependable, hygienic maintenance of equipment. All services are 400 THIRD AVE. available seven days per week with 24 hour emergency service. KINGSTON Other Nesbitt Home Care Services include cardiology, radiology (x-rays), i laboratory, pharmacy, physical therapy, nursing, nursing aide, occupational PHONE 288-2600 therapy, speech therapy services and medical equipment. . Hours by appointment Nesbitt Home Care Services is approved by Medicare, Medicaid, Blue : Cross and other private insurance companies. For comprehensive care with the personal touch, call 1-800-NESBITT. <> JHOME CC{CARE LLl|SERVICES A division of Nesbitt Hospital Foundation and affiliated with Nesbitt Memorial Hospital. RE a No charge for the uninsured or the medically indigent as recommended by The American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers