May 8, 2017

Letter: Ambulance companies need help

The severe fiscal plight of ambulance services across Pennsylvania was highlighted this week in an editorial in neighboring Lancaster County. That same editorial could have been written about ambulance services in Chester County as the same frightening facts are applicable.

Dean Bollendorf, president of the Ambulance Association of Pennsylvania, was quoted as saying there are “some emergency ambulance services that won’t be here in the next six months.” Indeed, Lancaster County in the past two decades has lost more than half of their ambulance services while seeing the population increase.

Longwood Fire Company will survive and will continue to serve our residents as the company has done since 1921 but we are struggling to cope with increased costs and lessening reimbursements.

Having qualified, highly professional and trained personnel available to respond at a moment’s notice to medical emergencies is not a luxury. Residents rightfully expect help will respond when needed.

The editorial stated ambulance companies are “being hit hard by stagnant reimbursement rates, the growing number of people who can’t afford to pay on their own and the surge in heroin overdoses.” The editorial stated Lancaster ambulance companies are purchasing Narcan in large quantities to treat heroin overdoses.

Longwood fire company relies on the generously of the people we serve, insurance reimbursements and governmental contributions to pay our bills. Our expenses are high. We need contributions to keep on our lights and for equipment, training and all phases of operations.

We are not a government agency that is fully funded by taxpayer dollars. We are a non-profit organization that utilizes many faithful volunteers to keep down costs. If a way is not found to reimburse our costs additional ambulance companies will disband. Our governmental leaders must work together to find a solution to the funding issues facing fire and ambulance companies.

A piece of legislation has been introduced in the U.S. Senate to increase insurance reimbursements. That’s a start. All federal, state and local elected officials should answer the 911 call ambulance companies are sending to them and respond immediately.

J. McCarthy
Longwood Fire Chief

About CFLive Staff

See Contributors Page https://chaddsfordlive.com/writers/

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Prepping for the primary

Local News, Local News Birmingham, Local News Chadds Ford, Local News Concord, Local News Kennett, Local News Pennsbury, Local News Pocopson

The 2017 primary election in Pennsylvania is a week away and local elections on the township level, as well as elections for school board and district judge are drawing the most attention.

The race with the most candidates is for district judge in the Kennett Square area. There are five candidates seeking the nomination for judge in District 15-03-04. They are David Cox, Lorraine Ramunno, Sean Rafferty, Jane Donze and Al Iacocca. All five cross-filed and are running on both the Republican and Democratic Party ballots.

District 15-03-04 covers Birmingham, Pennsbury, Pocopson, Newlin, Kennett and East and Marlborough townships and Kennett Square. The district bench has been vacant since Judge Daniel Maisano retired January 2016.

Also, cross-filing for school seats on the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District are four incumbents. In Region A, which includes East and West Marlborough, are School Board Directors Jeff Hellrung and Elise Anderson. In Region B, comprising Newlin, Pocopson and Birmingham townships, Steve Simonson and Tom Day are running. Day was appointed to the board earlier this year following the resignation of Michael Rock.

Supervisors’ races are going on in all the townships. All the races are unopposed. The new wrinkle this year is in Concord Township where voters will choose, for the first time, township council members instead of supervisors.

Voters last year chose to change Concord’s status from a township of the second class to a home rule charter and changed the governing structure from a five-member board of supervisors with supervisors’ term of six years to a seven-member township council with council members serving four-year terms.

This year, incumbents Domini Pileggi, John Gillespie and Tom Mahoney will be running for full four-year terms. They are unopposed. Also running, but for two two-year terms are John Crosson and Joshua Twersky, who are also unopposed.

Those two-year terms are for the purpose of increasing the size of the governing body to seven. Once those initial terms expire, all council races will be for full four-year terms, with four seats up one year and three seats up two years later.

There are no Democrats running for Concord’s Council, nor are there any running for township supervisor in Chadds Ford, Birmingham, Pennsbury or Pocopson.

In Chadds Ford Township, Noelle Barbone is running for a full six-year term. She ran two years ago to fill the last two years of the late Keith Klaver’s term on the board. She is running unopposed in the primary.

Also running unopposed for supervisor are Wendell Fenton in Pennsbury, Ricky Stumpo in Pocopson and John Daniel Hill in Birmingham.

While there are no U.S. congressional races until next year, some candidates have already announced their intention to run in 2018.

Democrats Drew McGinty, Elizabeth Moro, Dan Muroff and Molly Sheehan will be seeking their party’s nomination to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan in the 7th Congressional District.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey also faces challengers next year. Going after Casey are fellow Democrat Brian Kelly, and Republicans Jeff Bartos, Jim Christiana, Paul DeLong, Rick Saccone and Andrew Shecktor. Libertarian Dale Kearns is also looking for the LP

nomination to challenge Casey.

This year’s primary is next Tuesday, May 16.

About Rich Schwartzman

Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.

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Is that mole normal? Recognizing skin cancers

Health

Dermatology-Mole-Inspection — Is that mole normal? Recognizing skin cancers

It’s a common question that dermatologists hear all the time: “Is this mole normal?” In most cases, the answer will be yes. Moles are a very normal part of healthy skin that first appear during the first 25 years of your life. By the time you’re an adult, you may have as many as 40 moles or more. Most are brown or black and are perfectly healthy.

However, if a mole changes or a new one suddenly appears, it’s usually a good idea to have it checked by your dermatologist. Knowing what to look for is important too. It can help you quickly identify something out of the ordinary before it becomes a problem.

The Different Types of Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is an abnormal growth of cells that usually develops on areas of your body exposed to the sun. Anyone can get skin cancer, but people who have lighter color skin and hair are at higher risk.

There are a few different types of skin cancer:

Actinic Keratosis: AKs are dry, scaly patches of skin. They usually appear in people who are over 40 with fair skin. This is what doctors will refer to as “pre-cancer,” since these patches can evolve into a variety of different skin cancers.
Basil Cell Carcinoma: BCC is the most common type of skin cancer, with more than 4 million cases diagnosed each year. They usually look like a flesh-colored bump or a pink patch of skin.
Squalus Cell Carcinoma: SCC is also very common and looks like a red bump or a sore that heals and reopens. They are common on the ears, face, neck, chest, and back.
Melanoma: Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer. However, it is highly treatable if caught early enough. It looks like a dark spot or changing mole.

What to Look for: Know Your ABCDEs

If something looks suspicious on your skin, the best policy is always to get it checked out by a doctor. You can recognize problems by remembering your ABCDEs. Look for:

Asymmetry: Are the borders of the mole asymmetrical? In normal moles, both halves will look pretty much the same.
Border: Is the border irregular? Your mole should have a fairly round and even border, not jagged or poorly defined.
Color: Is the mole the same color throughout? Normal moles do not have dark spots or different shades and colors.
Diameter: Is the mole larger than a pencil eraser? Most suspicious moles are larger.
Evolving: Did your mole change? Normal moles are consistent over time and don’t change much.

Protect Yourself During Summer

It’s important to protect your skin all year round, but especially when the sun’s rays are at their strongest during summer. Wear sunscreen with a skin protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 and avoid the sun during the hottest times of the day – between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Finally, don’t forget to reapply your sunscreen frequently, especially if you are swimming or sweating. Following a few precautions this summer will help to keep your skin healthy and safe.

About Crozer Keystone Staff

Crozer-Keystone Health System’s physicians, specialists and advanced practitioners are committed to improving the health of our community through patient-centered, quality care across a full continuum of health services. Crozer Brinton Lake is Crozer-Keystone’s comprehensive outpatient care facility in western Delaware County, offering primary care, specialty services, outpatient surgery and advanced cancer treatment. Contact us: 300 Evergreen Drive, Glen Mills, PA 19342 http://www.crozerkeystone.org/Brinton-Lake 1-855-254-7425

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