Portage County Sees an Increase in Survival from Cardiac Arrests

There were five survivors of cardiac arrest in Portage County in 2011, a sharp contrast to the past. Surviving cardiac arrest requires fast action on the part of many rescuers. Mostly, it requires high-quality CPR and the early use of a defibrillator.

In the past three years, there have been 20 cardiac arrests that were witnessed by bystanders and had a shockable heart rhythm when EMS responders arrived. Of those, 8 survived to be discharged from the hospital. That’s a 40% survival rate for witnessed and shockable arrests, which is considered remarkable by national benchmarks.

Of the five survivors in 2011, one was witnessed by EMS Providers who were already helping the patient before his heart suddenly stopped beating. In all four of the other cases, someone called 911 after the patient’s heart stopped beating.

One of those was a salesman in his late forties who was at Point Precision in Plover. When he collapsed, workers there swiftly came to his aid with CPR an AED.

Another case involved a woman in her mid thirties who collapsed at Best Buy in Plover. Fortunately, her husband sprang into action, and began performing CPR. Shortly after that, the Portage County paramedics arrived and shocked her heart back into a normal heart rhythm.

The Portage County EMS System is well prepared to respond to cardiac arrest emergencies like these. Our 911 dispatchers are trained to interrogate the caller in a way that helps them to correctly identify the nature of the problem. If needed, they can also coach witnesses to perform CPR or use an AED, even those who have no previous training.

All law enforcement vehicles in our County have been equipped with AEDs, and our officers have been trained how to use them. Similarly, all our first responders are appropriately trained and equipped with AEDs.

The EMS system consists of well trained and well equipped first responders who work in concert with the responding paramedics. The paramedics bring their knowledge, experience, and various drugs to help them restart a heart.

Currently only about 30% of cardiac arrest victims have CPR done before EMS arrives. Any increase in that number will directly impact survival. Recent changes in CPR training make it easy to do and easy to remember.

If you want to get involved, at a minimum you should take a CPR course. For more information contact Portage County EMS Coordinator Michael Fraley at (715) 346-1399.

MUNICIPAL BONDS PROVIDE ATTRACTIVE TAX FREE INCOME

By Joel Sullivan , Partner, Buena Vista Investment Management

In 2011 the Barclays Municipal Bond index had a total return of 10.7%. While experts don’t expect such above average returns this year, they are still looking for total returns of 6-7%. Its because of these types of forecasts that PIMCO funds, which runs the world’s largest bond fund, boosted its holdings of U.S. municipal debt to the highest level in 5 years. This is also in stark contrast to a year ago when municipal bonds were getting a bad rap. States were having budget issues, Build America Bonds were being halted, and market analyst Meredith Whitney told 60 Minutes that there would be defaults totaling” hundreds of billions of dollars.” Obviously, this did not come to pass. The default wave didn’t materialize and munis staged an impressive rally as detailed above.

Total return figures of 6-7%  are a combination of interest and price appreciation. If we just look at the interest paid, that figure ranges from 2 – 3% for investment grade. One to two percent higher for non- investment grade muni bonds. This interest is normally paid every 6 months to individual bond holders or quarterly from bond funds. One of the primary benefits of muni bonds is that they are free from federal tax. This means that for investors in the 28% bracket, a 3% rate is the equivalent of 4.2% taxable. If you’re in the top rate of 35%, you would be earning a rate of 4.7% on a taxable equivalent basis.

According to Bloomberg news, municipal bonds is one investment where hiring a professional fund manager makes a ton of sense. Mutual fund companies have analysts to sort out the good investment-grade values, and you get the broad diversification that helps reduce default risk. There are a number of good funds out there. Morningstar research lists on their site several highly rated funds that yield from 3.35 to 4.25%.

With Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke announcing his intent to keep interest rates low until sometime in 2014, the higher yield from municipal bonds could be a very attractive place to be over the next year, or maybe longer.

Starting Friday January 27th on WFHR at 10:30am we will be starting our new radio show “Investment Insights from Buena Vista.” Also please go to our website to find out more information www.buenavistainv.com, or like us on Facebook to stay up on our latest thoughts.

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Buena Vista Investment Management
241 Third Street South l Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494
Phone: 715 422-0700

Saint Michael’s Foundation welcomes new faces

(Stevens Point,WI) – Saint Michael’s Foundation announces new staff and board members for 2012.

Saint Michael’s Foundation welcomes new board members; London Cooper, DDS, Cooper Dental, Cliff King, Skyward, Inc., and Chuck Nason, Retired CEO, Worzalla Publishing. These members join current board members: Ryan Andrews, MD, Patti Cahill, Jerry Cleveland, Mike Glodosky, Jeff Martin, Katherine Munck, Dennis Peterson and Rick Rettler.

Newly elected 2012 officers include Mary Berard, Chair, Jeff Whitrock, Vice-Chair and Terri Hahn, MD, Secretary/Treasurer.

The Foundation also welcomes Mary Kieffer to their staff as the Annual Giving & Special Events Coordinator. Mary will lead the annual giving and Ministry Health Care employee giving campaigns. She will also develop and implement the Community Leadership Celebration and Gala for Giving annual events.

The 2011 Gala for Giving raised a record-breaking $49,000 to benefit Saint Michael’s Foundation andMinistryDentalCenter. All funds raised at the Gala for Giving are used locally to assist Ministry Saint Michael’s patients and their families.

Saint Michael’s Foundation was established in 1989 with a mission to develop, manage and grant charitable support to meet the health care needs of our community. The Foundation encourages charitable contributions for programs and services to enhance the quality of health care services for the patients and families served by Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital and Ministry Medical Group. Saint Michael’s Foundation Board of Directors provides leadership and direction for the organization.

Saint Michael’s Foundation offers scholarships

Saint Michael’s Foundation will be awarding $3,000 in scholarships for the 2012-2013 academic year to individuals pursuing a health care related degree.

Available scholarships include:
Richard A. Eckberg Memorial Scholarship, established in 1998 by the family of Dr. Richard A. Eckberg. Dr. Eckberg was a highly respected surgeon and served on the Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital staff for 22 years. Dr. Eckberg was a great asset to our community and this scholarship is a fitting tribute to his commitment to health care education. The Richard A. Eckberg Memorial Scholarship will award one $1,000 post-secondary education scholarship for the 2012-2013 academic year a student living in Portage County (or the surrounding counties) and is attending an accredited technical, undergraduate, graduate or doctoral program in a health care field.

Ministry Saint Michael’s Medical Staff Scholarship, established in 2009 by the Medical Staff at Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital. The scholarship will award one $1,000 post-secondary education scholarship for the 2012-2013 academic year to a student living in Portage County (or the surrounding counties) and is attending an accredited technical, undergraduate, graduate or doctoral program in a health care field. The recipient of the Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital Medical Staff Scholarship will be chosen based on scholastic achievement, extracurricular activities, community involvement, volunteer service, strong career motivation and personal recommendations. Financial need and children of Ministry Medical Group and Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital employees will be given strong consideration.

Robert Weaver Memorial Scholarship, established in 2008 by Dr. Robert Weaver’s family to honor his commitment to higher education and to thank the staff of Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital for the compassionate and quality care that was provided to him during his life. The Robert Weaver Memorial Scholarship will award one $1,000 education scholarship for the 2012-2013 academic year to an employee of Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital or Ministry Medical Group who is pursuing a degree in a health care field from an accredited technical, undergraduate, graduate or doctoral program.

Scholarship application materials can be downloaded from the Saint Michael’s Foundation website at www.ministryhealth.org/smfscholarships. Application materials are also available by contacting the Foundation office at 715.346.5349.

Saint Michael’s Foundation was established with a mission to develop and grant charitable support to meet the health care needs of our community. Serving as the fund provider for programs and services that help to enhance the quality of health care services for the patients and families served by Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital and Ministry Medical Group, Saint Michael’s Foundation touches the lives of many through the generosity of our community.

Boys & Girls Club News

Our Keystone Teen Leadership Program is currently raising funds to attend the National Keystone Conference taking place this Spring in Texas. Please support their efforts in one of the following ways:

BUFFALO WILD WINGS PROMOTION
Dine at Buffalo Wild Wings on Monday, January 30th and 10% of what you spend will be donated back to our Keystone Club.This offer is good for DINE-IN only and you must have a voucher for your server.
VOUCHER

SPAGHETTI DINNER
On Monday, February 13th the Elk’s Club will be hosting a spaghetti dinner to support Keystone Club. For tickets or more information about the event, please contact the Club at 715.341.4386.

Spaghetti Dinner Ticket Prices:

• In Advance: $7 for Adults $4 for Children 10 and Under
• At the Door: $8 for Adults $5 for Children 10 and Under

Join us and Move to the Groove!

This award-winning dance fitness program makes exercise less like gym class and more like a playground. Featured on ‘Extreme Home Makeover’ and created by Rhex Arboleda, this program targets childhood obesity and is actively being used in several elementary schools!

When: Tuesday, January 31 from 4-6pm
Where: Boys & Girls Club of Portage County – Plover Unit
Who is invited: All elementary school children
Questions? Call 715-295-0040
Cost: FREE

Portage County Taste of Wine & Cheese

Portage County Taste of Wine & Cheese has been the Boys & Girls Club’s premiere fundraiser for the past seven years as well as one of Portage County’s most popular and well attended events.

This event gives guests an opportunity to sample 100 different wines and beers from around the region and the world and cuisine prepared by some of our area’s best chefs, caterers, and food connoisseurs.

The Boys & Girls Club of Portage County is currently serving over 1500 youth in membership and community outreach. An annual membership fee for a child is only $10 per year. The actual cost for the Boys & Girls Club to serve a child is roughly $500 per year, making it necessary to raise funds in order to continue serving youth at a fee affordable to every family in the community.

Rep. Krug’s response to Governor Walker’s State of the State Address

Madison– This afternoon, State Representative Scott Krug (R-Wisconsin Rapids) issued the following statement regarding Governor Scott Walker’s annual State of the State address:

“Last evening Governor Walker reiterated our need to focus on doing all that we can to improve the business climate in our state. Though we have seen marked improvement in the number of our state’s citizens heading back into the workforce over the past year, we must always do whatever we can to combat this national recession. Job growth and business expansion for the residents of the 72nd Assembly district will continue to be my number one priority throughout the rest of this year’s session.”

In additional comments, Krug also said that “It is not the government’s role or responsibility to create jobs; it is the government’s job to get out of the way of Wisconsin’s job creators. Far too often, entrepreneurs and taxpayers are tied down by red tape and bureaucratic nonsense. I look forward to doing all that I can to support these efforts for responsible economically sustainable policies on behalf of the state government, starting with the passage of a job-creating mining bill today. This legislation will not only add jobs directly at the mining site in Northern Wisconsin, but will also be vital to the expansion of transportation networks in my district.”

In addition, Representative Krug praised the Governor’s proposal to increase teacher salaries based on merit and student achievement in the classroom. “In order to remain a leader in education, we must reward teachers who excel in the classroom. Rather than continue to applaud stagnancy by maintaining the status quo, let’s achieve excellence by supporting pay increases for those whose performance leads to enhanced achievement by our children. We owe the future of this state no less than our best effort to create the world’s finest educational system right here in Wisconsin.

I applaud Governor Walker for his speech last evening, and in reaffirming his commitment to economic solvency, job growth, educational excellence, and continued responsible stewardship of taxpayer money.”

Lassa: Governor’s Policies Take State in Wrong Direction

Madison — State Senator Julie Lassa (D-Stevens Point) released the following statement this evening in reaction to Governor Scott Walker’s State of the State Address:

“Unfortunately, it seems that Governor Walker is continuing to promote the same failed policies that have divided our state and caused six straight months of job losses. After promising to create a quarter million jobs, the Governor and the Republicans in the Legislature have focused instead on handing out $2.3 billion in tax giveaways to big corporations, weakening protections for consumers and the environment, and decimating funding for education and healthcare. We see the results of those policies all around us. While the rest of the county is experiencing positive economic growth, while our neighboring states are adding jobs, Wisconsin has lost over 35,000 jobs ever since Governor Walker’s policies went into effect. We’re clearly headed in the wrong direction.

“The Governor also promised to balance the budget without raising taxes. Instead, he left a $2.9 billion budget gap for the next Legislature to fix, and raised taxes on seniors and working families by $70 million.

“The state of the state is deeply divided. By pursuing an extreme agenda on behalf of special interests, Governor Walker has created an atmosphere of division that makes it hard for the state to move forward. In the meantime, Wisconsin has lost more jobs in the last six months than any other state in the nation. Governor Walker’s approach is simply not working for Wisconsin families.

“It was encouraging to hear the Governor talk about education tonight. But the programs he outlined will do little to repair the damage that he created by cutting $1.6 billion from our public schools, along with more than $320 million from our universities and technical colleges All the task force reports in the world won’t help schools that are losing educators, cutting programs and increasing class sizes in the wake of the deep budget cuts and revenue caps the governor has imposed.

“The quarter million unemployed workers in our state are tired of waiting for jobs. I and my Democratic colleagues have brought forward solid proposals based on proven ideas that help get people back to work. We’ve been at the table, ready to work with Governor Walker and Republican legislative leaders to help create the 250,000 good-paying, family-supporting jobs the Governor promised and our state needs. I urge the Governor to listen to the people of Wisconsin and be a leader who will bring us together and move our state forward.”

Winter’s Garden at the Riverfront Arts Center

Winter’s Garden is a juried exhibition of floral art featuring live orchids in bloom and available for sale. The exhibit is on display until February 19 at the Riverfront Arts Center at 1200 Crosby Ave.

Arts Center Hours: Tuesday – Friday 11:00 am – 5:00 pm; Saturday – Sunday 11:00 am – 3:00 pm. Admission is Free.

Lassa Bills Aid Disabled Vets and Promote WEDC Accountability

Madison — Two bills authored by State Senator Julie Lassa (D-Stevens Point) received public hearings by committees in the Senate Committee on Economic Development and Veterans and Military Affairs yesterday.

Senate Bill 369 would create a tax credit for businesses that hire disabled veterans. The credit would help defray any extra costs, such as adding accessibility features, that businesses may incur by hiring a disabled veteran.

“Veterans have been disproportionately affected by unemployment, and, unfortunately, those with disabilities face even greater challenges when trying to find full-time and long-term work,” Lassa said. “Right now we have around 15,000 working-age disabled veterans in Wisconsin with about 3,700 looking for jobs each year. Some estimates find unemployment among disabled veterans as high as 50 percent. This bill will help break down the barriers our disabled veterans face when they seek employment.”

Senate Bill 376 would make senior executives at the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) subject to the same ethics provisions that state employees are held to. Because WEDC was created as a public-private corporation, its senior executives aren’t automatically subject to those ethics provisions.

Under the bill, WEDC executives would be prohibited from using their positions for private benefit, accepting anything of value in return for official actions, accepting meals or transportation expenses, using confidential information for private gain, or using their positions to benefit themselves or family members. They will also be required to file annual statements of economic interest.

“In creating WEDC, the Legislature gave the new public-private corporation unprecedented flexibility in how it uses millions in taxpayer dollars to create jobs and promote Wisconsin’s economy,” Lassa said “By passing SB 376, we will be fulfilling our duty as legislators to make sure that tax dollars are used responsibly and in the public interest.”

SB 376 was developed in consultation with WEDC Secretary and CEO Paul Jadin, and was approved unanimously by the WEDC Board of Directors at its December 13th meeting. Senator Lassa is one of four legislative members of the WEDC board; the other three legislators joined her in cosponsoring the bill.

Two Lassa Bills Pass State Senate

Madison — A bill that expands hiring preferences for disabled veterans and another that gives greater latitude for philanthropy by credit unions, both authored by State Senator Julie Lassa (D-Stevens Point), passed the State Senate today by wide bipartisan margins.

Senate Bill 339, which Senator Lassa introduced along with Senator Pam Galloway (R-Wausau), expands state agency hiring preferences for disabled veterans to all positions in the classified service of the state civil service system. Currently, agencies can only make non-competitive appointments for non-professional or entry-level positions. The disabled veteran who is considered for a non-competitive appointment must still be qualified to perform the job.

“Our disabled veterans come back from the service with all kinds of valuable skills, including advanced managerial and professional experience. If they qualify for professional positions or those above entry level, they should get the same hiring preference we currently give for lower-level positions,” Lassa said.

“Unemployment among newly-returned veterans is at 13.1 %, and even higher for vets under age 24,” Lassa said. “For disabled vets, unemployment is around 50 percent. We need to do better for those who volunteer to go into harm’s way to serve our country, and this bill is a step in that direction.”

Senate Bill 356, introduced by Senator Lassa along with Senator Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) increases the limitation on the amount of charitable donations and grants a credit union may make to community groups

“Credit unions have a long tradition of service to both their members and their communities,” Lassa said. “Our state credit unions want the ability to do more to address community needs through contributions to charitable causes, and this bill will give them that ability.”

Both bills now go on to the State Assembly.