CGRMC Hosts Blood Drive at Palm Center May 14

By Karen Kerr-Osman

Casa Grande Regional Medical Center (CGRMC) invites the community to participate in a life-saving blood drive on Thursday, May 14 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. This drive will take place off the hospital campus at Palm Center in Suites 6-7, located at 440 N. Camino Mercado Dr. Come help us meet the critical blood shortage in Arizona. All blood donors are needed. To schedule an appointment, call Karen at (520) 381-6571 or go on-line to www.bloodhero.com and use the sponsor code: casagranderegional. This drive is being conducted by United Blood Services, Arizona's number one non-profit blood supplier. United Blood Services is the current blood supplier for CGRMC. Find the hero in you by giving blood.

Sun Life receives prestigious Cloud award

By Renée Louzon-Benn 

Sun Life Family Health Center's Family Practice office received the Daniel T. Cloud Outstanding Practice award, presented by the Arizona Partnership for Immunization (TAPI).

The Dr. Daniel T. Cloud Award is a prestigious award recognizing only those practices and clinics showing leadership and dedication in the field of immunization by reaching 90% immunization coverage levels of their two-year-old patients. Sun Life is recognized as an outstanding example to Arizona providers of best practices. Sun Life's Director of Nursing, Marion Levett, RN, accepted the award on behalf of Sun Life, at TAPI's annual "Arizona Big Shots Award Reception" held April 21, 2009 in Phoenix.

"Immunization is one of the most important ways to protect individuals, families and communities against serious infectious diseases and their consequences. At Sun Life Family Health Center, our family practice team implemented, and maintains an aggressive recall system to ensure our young patients are current with their immunizations," said Travis J. Robinette, Sun Life's Chief Executive Officer. "We are proud to have achieved this goal at our Casa Grande office, and are striving to meet and exceed TAPI's immunization goals at all of our sites."

Over the past eleven years, The Arizona Partnership for Immunization (TAPI) and it's more than 500 supporters have worked together for the common goal of improving rates of immunization for infants in Arizona. The dedication of health-minded corporations, local and state government agencies, community groups, and individuals has proven invaluable as the goal of 90% immunization coverage for Arizona's 2 year-olds becomes a reality.

As of January 1, 2001, TAPI became The Arizona Partnership for Immunization (TAPI), expanding it's mission to not only address immunization issues for children but for Arizonans of all ages. Not only was 2001 a new millennium and a new name for TAPI, but also a new award was introduced. This award, in honor of TAPI's Chairperson, Dr. Daniel T. Cloud, was introduced for practices or clinics reaching 90% immunization coverage levels for their 2-year old populations.

To learn more about TAPI and the Cloud award at www.whyimmunize.org, learn more about Sun Life Family Health Center's services and locations, visit www.sunlifefamilyhealth.org.

Local Program Receives Community Awareness Project Funding for National Crime Victims' Rights Week

By Kostas Kalaitzidis

The Pinal County Attorney's Community Services Division has received funding from the National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators (NAVAA) to sponsor the 2009 Victims' Rights Week series of events. NAVAA agreed to reimburse the project up to $4,379. "In these hard economic times financial help from the federal government is very important. With this help we can provide important information to the public and raise awareness for victims' rights in our communities," Pinal County Attorney James P. Walsh said.

The theme for 2009 National Crime Victims' Rights Week is "25 Years of Rebuilding Lives: Celebrating the Victims of Crime Act." The dates of the National Crime Victims' Rights Week (NCVRW) are April 26 to May 2. The Pinal County Attorney's Community Services Division's application was among 186 from around the country and was selected for the quality of the ongoing efforts to raise public awareness about crime victims' rights and services available in our community and to commemorate 25 years of Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) accomplishments.

According to Mary Jane Damron, Community Services Division Director, the Community Awareness Project that will be sponsored in Pinal County will showcase our efforts to reach out to victims and raise awareness of victims' rights in the community.

"The support from NAVAA and OVC for our 2009 National Crime Victims' Rights Week activities will assist us in helping crime victims," she said. "Members of our community are encouraged to help promote justice through service to crime victims by joining our 2009 National Crime Victims' Rights Week activities and by supporting victim assistance programs throughout the year."

The grant came from the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), within the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, to promote community awareness of crime victims' rights and services and to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the enactment of the U.S. Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) during 2009 National Crime Victims' Rights Week.

The Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) was enacted in 1984 to provide financial support for state crime victim compensation and victim assistance programs. The Act created the Crime Victims Fund through which more than $9 billion has been collected from federal criminal fines and other penalties to support victim services.

For more information contact Kostas Kalaitzidis by phone at: (520) 866-6699 or (520) 709-1333, or by email at: Kostas.kalaitzidis@co.pinal.az.us

Additional resources: Office for Victims of Crime Web site at http://www.ovc.gov and http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw2009/welcome.html