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The Lucknow Sentinel, 2015-11-11, Page 7Wednesday, November 11, 2015 • Lucknow Sentinel 7 Huron County EMS launches `Cool Aid' program New agreement seeks to secure Health information cards designed to assist paramedics provide care during house calls Submitted During a medical emer- gency, every second counts. That's why Huron County EMS is distributing informa- tion cards to residents that will help paramedics pro- vide vital care in the early moments of an emergency. "When medical emergencies take place at home, patients aren't always able to relay their medical information to the responding paramedics, says Jeff Horseman, Acting Chief of Emergency Services. "This simple, low-tech solution keeps a person's critical health infor- mation in one place and has shown to help paramedics pro- vide care when arriving to per- son's home:' The card is designed to host health information including an individual's drug prescrip- tion and dosage, known aller- gies, medical history and the phone numbers of their emer- gency contacts. Each person writes their own health infor- mation on the card and attaches it to the fridge using a magnet on the back cover. This way, paramedics always know where to look for it. "We call it the 'Cool Aid' pro- gram to remind people that the card is meant to be stored on the fridge at home," explains Huron County Paramedic Adam Robinson. "The card's front cover ffips closed so per- sonal information isn't dis- played to guests of the home." Huron County EMS encourages anyone living in our communities with a pre- existing medical issue, includ- ing those taking prescription drugs, to fill out and keep one of these cards on their fridge at home. Residents can pick up the 'Cool Aid' cards from any pharmacy operating in Huron County. Bruce Power supports clean, electrified transportation as Ontario pursues climate change targets Submitted Partnering with Plug'n Drive, the University of Water- loo, local communities and the Asthma Society of Can- ada, on October 26, 2015,Bruce Power announced a series of collaborative initia- tives to promote clean, electri- fied transportation in Ontario. These initiatives build on the foundation of Ontario's low - emissions electricity system, which support achieving long-term climate change tar- gets in the province. "While we continue to focus on playing an important role providing Ontario with emissions -free power, we also believe we need to do our part to support innovation and build on a modern, clean electricity system to help reduce emissions," said Dun- can Hawthorne, Bruce Pow- er's President and Chief Exec- utive Officer. "We believe supporting these initiatives, in collaboration with a number of key partners will produce positive and tangible results." The phase out of coal-fired electricity in Ontario has sig- nificantly reduced emissions from the electricity sector, making it the single largest climate change initiative in North America, and Bruce Power's increased output provided 70 per cent of the replacement energy needed to support this. While the progress to date is significant, there is an opportunity to do even more by linking the province's clean energy sec- tor to help reduce emissions from transportation, which is the largest greenhouse gas contributor in Ontario. "Ontario is committed to being a leader in the fight against climate change and one of the areas essential to achieving this is by supporting clean, electrified transporta- tion in Ontario from an emis- sions -free electricity system," said Hon. Glen Murray, Ontario's Minister of Environ- ment and Climate Change. "These initiatives by Bruce Power, Plug'n Drive and oth- ers are the kind of partner- ships that are essential to make this vision a reality!' Cara Clairman, President and CEO of Plug'n Drive, said her organization is host- ing the first ever Electric Vehicle Day at Queen's Park today, October 26. "Plug'n Drive is proud to be the champion for the elec- trification of transportation, bridging together industry, government, academia and consumer interests," Clair - man said. "Today's Electric Vehicle Day will showcase the environmental and eco- nomic benefit of driving elec- tric in Ontario." Key initiatives announced today by Bruce Power, in conjunction with Plug'n Drive's Queen's Park EV Day, include: The release of a free iPhone App in partnership with Plug'n Drive, built from Bruce Power's existing plat- form, that will have a num- ber of interactive features for people who want to switch to electric vehicles. These include interactive maps of charging stations, and infor- mation on grants and vehi- cles available, along with a unique calculator where people can determine the economic and environmen- tal benefits of going electric. The free App is available for download at the App Store. Bruce Power and Plug'n Drive are supporting the installation of electric car charging stations partnering with communities around the Bruce site. Two dual wand charging stations have been installed at Bruce Pow- er's Visitors' Centre, while additional stations have been installed in Port Elgin, Southampton, and Wroxeter. Further stations are planned for Kincardine, Sauble Beach and Owen Sound. Bruce Power, Plug'n Drive, the University of Waterloo and the Asthma Society of Canada will commence a joint study to examine the economic and environmental opportunities associated with clean, electri- fied transportation in Ontario by leveraging the province's clean electricity supply mix. This report will build on the expertise from all organizations and will be released in 2016. As of 2012, only nine per cent of Ontario's emissions come from the electricity sector, an advancement ena- bled by the phase out of coal-fired generation. The largest contributor to emis- sions in Ontario is the trans- portation sector, which accounts for 34 per cent of all emissions. The Ontario government has set a goal to reduce emissions from 1990 levels by 15 per cent by 2020 and 80 per cent by 2050. On an annual basis, the Bruce Power site avoids 31 million tonnes of CO2, which is the equivalent of taking six mil- lion cars off the road. critical long-term isotope supply Developing a new source of Cobalt -60 essential to global health care providers and patients Submitted Two of Ontario's innova- tive nuclear sector compa- nies are once again building on their strong partnership and respective strengths to create a new, long-term sup- ply of an important cancer - treating isotope, Cobalt -60, that will benefit health care patients in Canada and around the world. Nordion, a standalone business within Sterigenics International, and Bruce Power announced October 27, 2015, they have executed a Memorandum of Under- standing (MOU) for the sup- ply of High Specific Activity ('HSA') Cobalt -60, also referred to as medical -grade Cobalt. This type of Cobalt -60 is produced in a limited num- ber of nuclear reactors glob- ally and used in radiation - based treatment of cancer and other diseases in Canada and around the world. "With limited supply avail- able for the market, Nordion is acutely aware of how important it is, for our cus- tomers and for patients glob- ally, that we secure a new long-term supply of medical - grade Cobalt," said Scott McI- ntosh, President, Gamma Technologies & Corporate Services, Nordion. "Securing a new supply is a key mile- stone for both companies. We're using promising new technology in Bruce Power's reactors, adding to the contri- bution they will make through Ontario's Long -Term Energy Plan (LTEP)." The LTEP, announced in December 2013, has identi- fied a role for nuclear power in Ontario as part of a bal- anced, modern and clean electricity system. The role of nuclear power also includes medical applications. For over six decades, Nordion's supply of medical -grade Cobalt has come primarily from the National Research Universal (NRU) reactor at Chalk River, ON. Recogniz- ing that in a few years the NRU reactor will reach end of life, this MOU will lead to the development of a novel approach to create a new source of supply from Bruce Power building on existing technology and practices. "While Bruce Power is mostly known for generating electricity, we are very proud of the work we do with Nor- dion," said Duncan Haw- thorne, President and Chief Executive Officer, Bruce Power. "From our Bruce B facility, we currently supply Nordion with Cobalt -60 that is used to sterilize medical supplies, keeping hospitals around the world clean and safe. This MOU builds on our strong relationship and rec- ognizes our shared desire to develop a stable, additional supply source for this impor- tant isotope:' Ontario not only has a nuclear industry that is internationally recognized but it's also home to many globally -respected health- care institutions and suppli- ers of important technolo- gies and support services. "This important contribu- tion to health care from Ontario's nuclear sector is a reminder of why our prov- ince is a global leader in nuclear medicine," said Reza Moridi, Minister of Research and Innovation. "I am proud to celebrate the partnerships that are keeping this prov- ince at the forefront of inno- vations that save lives, improve quality of life and bring diversity to our economy." "This long-term isotope supply is an example of Ontario innovation at work that is helping to meet the needs of a modern health care system while also secur- ing high-tech Ontario jobs," added MPP Dipika Damerla, Associate Minister of Health and Long -Term Care. Both organizations expect to complete a range of activities in 2016 to further develop this supply capability and will carry out the appropriate technical, commercial and regulatory due diligence. Bruce Power and Nordion facilities are regu- lated by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and both companies will con- tinue in all of their activities to meet their requirements as nuclear licensees. Huron County Public Health professionals recognized Huron County Health Unit Huron County's Acting Medical Officer of Health is excited to announce the first annual Huron County Public Health Professional Day on November 16. This day will recognize the public health professionals who work for the Huron County Health Unit. Dr. Janice Owen says, "We have such a range of highly skilled professionals working in many areas of public health in Huron County. The public may only know a few, but we have 17 professions dedicated to keeping Huron County residents healthy and safe." Professions represented at the Huron County Health Unit are: Administration Pro- fessional, Community Food Advisor Volunteer Coordina- tor, Communications Spe- cialist, Community Devel- oper, Dental Assistant, Dental Hygienist, Dietitian, Epide- miologist, Graphic Designer, Parent Resource Visitor, Phy- sician, Plumber, Program Evaluator, Program Support, Public Health Inspector, Pub- lic Health Nurse, Public Health Promoter. Huron County Public Health Professional Day will be marked the third Monday of every November. Dr. Owen says it's a chance to highlight the important work being done across the county by public health professionals. PARK THEATRE TFeEFIwiet ti CODER.' 1-.1g S.24 1,51= OJT MOVE INFORMATION... www.ma elsriks.C49