Dr. Bali Appointed New Medical Director at VNA & Blue Water Hospice

Dr. Doru Bali has been appointed Medical Director of Visiting Nurse Association and Blue Water Hospice, taking over for Dr. Anil Patel who retired in 2020.

Dr. Bali became the Associate Medical Director of the organization in 2020, and will use his experience as an emergency medicine clinician and leader in this new role. Dr. Bali is a graduate of Wayne State University School of Medicine, and he has special interest in population health management, social determinants of health, and end of life care. He has been a resident of the Blue Water Area since 2018.

The VNA & Blue Water Hospice provide a continuum of care including home health care, palliative care, private duty, and hospice care to the people of St. Clair, Sanilac, Lapeer, and Macomb counties.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

 

Sarnia-Lambton Transitions to Orange-Restrict Level

Sarnia-Lambton’s COVID-19 Response Framework includes five zones or levels of public health measures, and yesterday the area transitioned into the Orange-Restrict Level. The region will stay at this level for at least two weeks before the government will reevaluate the situation.

The Orange-Restrict Level calls for intermediate measures which includes small social gatherings, organized public events with 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors, and restaurants open with a 50 person limit and a 10 PM curfew. It also allows for personal care services when masks can be worn and the opening of sports and recreational facilities.

The Lambton COVID-19 Immunization Task Force has also reported that all long-term care and high risk retirement home residents in Lambton County who wanted one have received the COVID-19 vaccine.

More details about Sarnia’s COVID-19 Framework can be found <HERE>.

Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand

MPSC Reports Successful Energy Waste Reduction Programs

The Michigan Public Service Commission has released preliminary numbers from the 2019 Energy Waste Reduction efforts. It is estimated that 1.5 million megawatt hours of electricity and more than 5 million cubic feet of natural gas were saved with the effort.

Saving energy comes at a cost to the electric companies with nearly $250.7 million estimated to be spent on waste reduction projects. Gas companies spent nearly $96 million.

Since 2008, utility companies are required to implement customer programs that lower energy use and reduce the future cost of service. Energy Waste Reduction programs are meant to “reduce the energy burden, improve health outcomes and strengthen the economic security of low-income customers and communities”, according to the Michigan Public Service Commission.

Examples of Waste Reduction programs target residential lighting; heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC); weatherization; energy education; appliance recycling; and pilot programs.

A link to the full report:

2019 Energy Waste Reduction Report to the Legislature (michigan.gov)

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

Photo Contest for VNA & Blue Water Hospice

The Visiting Nurse Association and Blue Water Hospice has been renovating their patient rooms at the Blue Water Hospice Home, and they are asking the community to help decorate the walls. Photographers can submit photos that feature scenes from around Michigan, and winners will be credited with a placard noting their name along with having their photos shared on the organization’s Facebook page.

Here are the details and requirements for entry:

  • Photos will be enlarged to 12”x18”, only those with a minimum pixel dimension of 2400×3600 will be accepted for entry.
  • Entries will not be compensated monetarily or otherwise.
  • Themes (must not include people):
    – Lake Huron
    – Thomas Edison Park
    – Lake Ontario
    – Blue Water Bridge
    – Lake Michigan
    – Boardwalk
    – Lake Erie
    – Lighthouse (any Michigan lighthouse)
    – Lake Superior
    – Freighter
    – Lake St. Clair
    – Sailboat

To enter photos the photographer must:

    • Attach a jpg photo in an email to: marketing@vnabwh.com
    • Include in the email:
      • Your name (photographer)
      • Phone number
      • Address/City/State/Zip
      • Location of photo (which theme)
      • Title of photo

All entries must be received by March 19. Those whose photos are selected will be notified by April 1.

Ice Continues to Menace Riverfront Property Along the St. Clair River

This has been a stressful winter for many St. Clair County residents living along the southern stretch of the St. Clair River. High water, strong winds, and a whole lot of ice are causing major flooding issues on waterfront property.

The St. County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management has had their hands full in 2020 and now in 2021, and they are issuing daily reports on the state of the flooding situation. A report early this week indicated that waters had risen sharply in the stretch from St. Clair to Lake Huron.

An international ice-cutting effort was underway with the U.S. Coast Guard Cutters Hollyhock and Morro Bay and Canadian Coast Guard Cutter Griffin on the job. The cutters work to try to keep the water flowing and reduce flooding. The situation is under constant monitoring by county, state, federal, and international partners.

Citizens with damage from the ice and flooding are asked to use online self-reporting options. Links to Be Ready St. Clair County can be found below. As of early this week, 22 reports of damage have been made.

https://www.facebook.com/BeReadyStClairCounty

https://www.bereadystclaircounty.org/

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland

TEC Center Virtual Open House Set for February 25th

The St. Clair County TEC Center is having a virtual Open House on Thursday, February 25th from 6-8 p.m. this year. The annual event where students get to see examples of hands-on training in various technical fields has been forced to go online.

The virtual event is aimed at tenth-graders and their families, as the program runs throughout eleventh and twelfth grades. TEC programs are available to all students in public schools in St. Clair County. High school counselors will have more information.

TEC programs include automotive technology, cosmetology, culinary arts, engineering & robotics, health careers, and several others.

The virtual open house will allow students and families to take a virtual tour, visit classrooms, explore TEC programs, and talk with teachers. They will also learn how to earn elective credit, academic credit, and college credit, along with learning how to make a TEC education into a fulfilling career.

Opportunities for an in-person “shadow” visit are available to interested students. A link to registration to the TEC Virtual Open House:

Register for the TEC Virtual Open House.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland