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Master Schedule
The complete schedule of upcoming OPAL public online events.

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Most OPAL programs are held in the Auditorium. After clicking on the link above, type in your name and press Enter. First-time OPAL users need to install a small, safe sofware plug-in.

Archive
Recordings and other documents about previous OPAL programs.

Podcast
For information on listening to previous OPAL events on your portable MP3 player, visit the OPAL Podcast blog.

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Archive of Previous OPAL Programs About Health and Wellness

Getting Past Grief presented in December 2006 by Dr. Roger Lyons. Sponsored by the Harrisburg, Illinois, Public Library District

Finding and Evaluating Health Information Online, an online workshop presented by Peg Burnette and Tom Peters on April 11, 2006 as part of the Health Information Central Illinois project of the Alliance Library System

Finding Consumer Health Information on the Web, conducted on January 10, 2006

Advance Directives, Narrative, and Other End-of-Life Issues

  • DATE: Friday, August 26, 2005

  • TOPIC: Birgitta Sujdak Mackiewicz, MA, provided a general overview of the different types of advance directives available (esp. to residents of Illinois), how one's life story and other narrative forms can be helpful, and how to address other end-of-life issues.

  • WMA audiorecording about Advance Directives (12.6 MB file; playback time of 84 minutes)

  • MP3 audiorecording about Advance Directives (24.3 MB file; playback time of 84 minutes)

  • Presentation Slides About Advance Directives

  • Streaming Audio, Slides, and Text Chat about Advance Directives

  • EXPERT GUEST: Birgitta Sujdak Mackiewicz is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Health Care Ethics at St. Louis University. She received her M.A. in Philosophy from Michigan State University, and her A.B. in Philosophy and American Studies from Randolph-Macon Woman's College. She is a faculty member in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at UICOMP and a member of the Ethics Committee at Methodist Medical Center of Illinois.

Parenting Your Parents

Dementia, Alzheimer's, and Other Forms of Memory Loss

Hypertension

Health Information for Cyber Seniors: Finding the Best Health Information on the Internet

Osteoporosis

  • DATE: Friday, January 28, 2005

  • TOPIC: Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease manifested by low bone density resulting in increased risk for fractures to the vertebrae, wrist and hip. About 40% of Caucasian women will experience an osteoporotic fracture in their lifetime. Men over 50 are also at increased risk for fracture.

  • WMA Audio Recording of the Osteoporosis program (large 4.1 MB file; playback time of 33 minutes)

  • Presentation slides of the Osteoporosis program

  • EXPERT GUEST: Dr. Ishani Ali, Director of the Methodist Geriatric Assessment Center, Peoria, Illinois.

Diabetes

  • DATE: Friday, November 12, 2004

  • TOPCS: Increasingly common, diabetes can, in some cases, be prevented through simple lifestyle changes. Reliable control of diabetes can be achieved with good self-management strategies.

  • WMA Audio Recording of the Diabetes program (large 6.7MB file; playback time of 53 minutes)

  • Presentation slides of the Diabetes program

  • EXPERT GUEST: Thomas Dorsch, MD. Dr. Dorsch is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria.

The Aging Eye

  • DATE: Tuesday, October 26, 2004

  • TOPICS: It is important to understand changes that naturally occur to our eyes and our vision as we mature. It is equally important to be aware of changes that might signify a more serious eye problem that should be discussed with a qualified ophthalmologist. Dennis Cioni will provide an online presentation that explains the difference.

  • WMA Audio Recording of the Aging Eye program (large 7.3MB file; playback time of 60 minutes)

  • Presentation slides of the Aging Eye program

  • EXPERT GUEST: Dennis Cioni, RN, BS, COT, from the Illinois Eye Center.

    • Prior to joining the Illinois Eye Center 18 years ago, Dennis Cioni worked with Illinois Eye Center physicians at Methodist Medical Center. As a registered nurse and advanced, board-certified ophthalmic technician who works closely with Dr. Pete Lagouros, Dennis provides specialized treatments and testing for patients with macular degeneration and other problems.


Medical Care is a Partnership: Managing Your Health

  • DATE: Wednesday, September 29, 2004

  • TOPICS: Strategies for gathering personal health information, making decisions about your own healthcare, maintaining a medical history record, managing your medications, and communicationg effectively with your doctor and other health care providers.

  • WMA Audio Recording of the Managing Your Health program (large file; playback time of 66 minutes)

  • Presentation slides of the Managing Your Health program

  • Links to Further Information About Managing Your Health

  • EXPERT GUESTS: Roswell Daniels, MD, Lori Reimer, RN, and Jean C. Aldag, PhD.

    • Dr. Daniels is a graduate of U. Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, New York, and from the University of Pittsburgh with a DPH in Occupational Medicine. He did residencies in internal medicine at Brooklyn Hospital, Brooklyn, NY, and Occupational Health at the Army Environmental Hygiene Agency. Dr Daniels served in the U.S. Army Medical Corp for 20 years with overseas tours in Europe and Asia. He served as Medical Director for a C. & P. telephone company in Washington, DC before coming to Peoria to be the East Peoria Plant Medical Director for Caterpillar, Inc. He is now retired and serves on Central Illinois Agency on Aging (CIAA) Board of Directors. He is a spokesman for CIAA to seniors on how to get the best medical care from a visit to the Doctor's office. Dr. Daniels stresses a "partnership" rather than a "parental" relationship with your personal physician in the Healthy Partnership program.

    • Lori Reimer graduated from Saint Francis School of Nursing, Peoria and worked at Saint Francis Medical Center Peoria for 22 years. In recent years she shares her time between serving her church as a Parish Nurse and the CIAA. At CIAA Lori has been responsible for the Daybreak program which provides services for people over sixty years of age having problems with alcohol or the use of medications. She shares Dr. Daniels enthusiasm for working with seniors to present the Healthy Partnership Program.

    • Jean Aldag is a graduate of Bradley University and her Ph.D. is from Washington University in St. Louis. After a career in the Community College system developing technical health programs, Jean joined the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria. She has served as Associate Dean for Health Resources, and later as Interim Chair for the Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health. While retired, Jean continues part-time with the College of Medicine as a medical research consultant specializing in statistical analysis. She has served at a Board Member of CIAA and a member of the Illinois Council on Aging, which is advisory to the Illinois Department on Aging. Jean provided technical support for the development of the Healthy Partnership Program.


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