CHICAGO – State Senator Bill Cunningham is commending the Illinois Fire Service Institute, Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal and Mutual Aid Box Alarm System Illinois for creating a new project to help mitigate increased cancer risks for firefighters.

“Firefighters risk their lives every day to protect us, and it’s critical that we take steps to keep them safe as well,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs. “I’m grateful to these agencies for their commitment to continually finding new ways to protect the health of our firefighters.”

The new Illinois Preliminary Exposure Reduction Project will deliver critical firefighter health and life safety research, education, training and equipment to fire departments throughout Illinois.

According to research from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, firefighters face a 9% increase in cancer diagnoses and a 14% increase in cancer-related deaths compared to the general population. 

Read more ...

CHICAGO – Telehealth services for those at risk of COVID-19 are being expanded in eight locations throughout the state, including Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park, State Senator Bill Cunningham announced Monday.

The state of Illinois, in partnership with OSF HealthCare and Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, has launched a new Remote Patient Monitoring Program and Pandemic Health Worker Programs to support residents across the state during the COVID-19 pandemic. OSF HealthCare is a statewide health system that merged with Little Company of Mary Hospital earlier this year.

“With many of our hospitals at capacity during this pandemic, it’s critical that we expand services like telehealth that allow people to seek care from home,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the southwest suburbs. “This new program is a great step toward increasing our telehealth capacity, and it is based here in our community thanks to Little Company of Mary’s new affiliation with OSF.”

Pandemic Health Workers will provide care digitally for people who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and need to stay home to protect themselves and others.

Area residents are eligible for care through the program if they show COVID-19 symptoms or are at a high risk for contracting the virus, but do not require emergency or inpatient care. To seek care through the program, call the OSF hotline at 833-673-5669.

“If your symptoms are mild, I urge you to call the OSF hotline rather than seek care in person,” Cunningham said. “By staying home, you can help save lives.”

More information is available at www.osfhealthcare.org.