Healthcare

There will be a Medicare informational meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 29th at 10 a.m. at Highline Medical Center -- Cedar Wing.

Organizers say the meeting will cover Medicare and Medicare Supplemental Insurance and Medicare Advantage Plans.

For more information call Jesse Van Nostrand at 206-550-7010.

The City of Burien is holding a blood drive on Wednesday, Nov. 16 in the city’s multipurpose room on the first floor of the City Hall/Burien Library building, 400 S.W. 152nd St.

Walk-ins are welcome.

The drive will be between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. with a lunch closure from Noon- 1 p.m.

Reserve a time with Janet Stallman at 206-248-5508 or email JanetS@burienwa.gov
Here’s some additional information from the Puget Sound Blood Center:

Did you know that nearly 38,000 transfusions are performed daily in the United States? Volunteer donors are the only source of this precious gift, which can mean life for pre-mature babies, cancer and surgery patients, accident victims and other ill and injured people.

Each day the Puget Sound Blood Center must collect nearly 900 pints of blood to support patients within our community. Donors must be 18 or older (16 or 17 with parental permission), weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good general health. Because blood is separated into and transfused as components, just one donation can help up to three people.

Drug take back day is happening Saturday, Oct. 29 in SeaTac and Des Moines.

Drop-off centers will be in the SeaTac City Hall front lobby, 4800 S. 188th St., 10 a.m.- 2 p.m.; Bartell Drugs parking lot, 27055 Pacific Hwy. S., 2-6 p.m.; and Bartell Drugs parking lot, 21615 Pacific Hwy. S., 9 a.m.- 1 p.m.

In April, Washington residents helped the state collect more than 8,535 pounds of unused or unwanted medicine (that’s roughly 4.25 million pills in a single day) during National Drug Take Back Day. This event highlighted the critical need for permanent safe drug disposal programs to reduce the rising rates of prescription drug abuse, overdoses, and accidental poisonings.
This year, the DEA will work again with local groups to host National Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 29. Sponsored by the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with local law enforcement agencies, the one-day event provided communities with free, anonymous medicine returns for unused medications, including dangerous controlled substances.
Why Washington Needs a Permanent Drug Take Back Program

Press release:
3 reasons to donate blood at the blood drive below.
1. Feel self-satisfaction in knowing you have helped save the lives of 3 people with one single donation.
2. After giving away one pint of blood, your body will make pure, new, fresh blood.
3. Our professionally trained phlebotomists ensure a safe and comfortable experience.

Friday August 19th 2011
Wesley Homes – The Gardens at Stanton Hall
816 S. 216th Street, Des Moines 98198

11:00 am to 5:00 pm
(No registrations from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm)

WALK-IN DONORS WELCOME

If you’ve ever wondered if you’d be a hero in a life or death situation – here’s your chance to be that hero.

SeaTac has taken a “legal time-out” from allowing medical marijuana facilities in the city.
The SeaTac City Council unanimously passed a moratorium on Medical marijuana dispensaries and collective gardens after concerns over the conflict between new state law and federal law were raised.

According to City Attorney Mary Mirante Bartolo, SeaTac has not received any applications for a license nor does the city currently have zoning to accommodate such an operation. Bartolo also pointed out that the approval or denial of a license could result in legal repercussions for the city, as the state and federal laws currently conflict.

Bartolo therefore suggested a moratorium until the state Legislature has a chance to revisit the existing laws.
"Most districts I've looked at so far have taken the moratorium. Doing the moratorium puts us in a legal time-out," Bartolo explained.

Press release:

The city of SeaTac recently earned a WellCity Award from the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) Employee Benefit Trust, one of 82 cities to receive the award. The award is based on meeting stringent best practice standards in employee health promotion. This is the city's seventh consecutive year earning the award.

"We pride ourselves on providing a workplace that prioritizes health and wellness for those who serve our citizens," said Todd Cutts, city manager. "And we can all appreciate the financial savings this incentive provides our city's general fund, allowing us to invest our taxpayer's money in other important services."

Award recipients receive a 2 percent premium discount on their Regence BlueShield or Asuris Northwest Health medical coverage for employee & spouses in 2012. The city will save an estimated $30,000 in general fund budget expenditures in 2012 for medical insurance premiums.

Press release:

Help track potential cases of West Nile virus in King County by reporting dead birds. Crows in particular die quickly from West Nile virus and clusters of dead crows may indicate that West Nile virus is present in the community. Call 206-205-4394 or report the bird online.

West Nile virus was not found in King County in 2010, but has been active here in previous years. Most people don't feel the effects of the infection, but in others it can cause symptoms ranging from mild to severe, including diseases of the brain and spinal cord. In the United States in 2010, 1,021 cases of WNV disease in people were reported from 41 states, and 57 people died. People of all ages can get WNV disease, but people over 50 are more likely to become seriously ill.

Over the next three months, dead birds reported to Public Health will be collected for laboratory testing for West Nile virus if they are deemed suitable candidates for testing. To be tested, the bird must be a crow, raven, jay, or magpie, dead for less than 24 hours, and have no visible trauma or decay.

Protect yourself from mosquitoes by eliminating their breeding habitat:

After nearly 30 years on Ambaum Boulevard, owners Eileen Freed and Rebecca Grady as well as the their staff at Highline Audiology have packed up and moved to a bigger office in downtown Burien.
The business name has also changed to Highline Hearing Professionals with the move to 457 S.W. 148th St. The office is located between Ace Hardware and Burger King—across the parking lot from Bartell Drugs.
For more information, call 206-246-8677.