Scripting your funeral
Hunter S. Thompson’s ashes were shot out of a cannon. Luke Perry was buried in a mushroom death suit. Aretha Franklin had three viewings with a different wardrobe for each and another outfit change for her burial. Elizabeth Taylor left instructions that she arrive late for her own funeral. If you want something unusual for…
Give new hires a better first-day experience
Ever been on a bad first date? One where the person you were meeting didn’t look like their dating app picture, the conversation was awkward and you didn’t have anything in common? After two hours of fumbling your way through an uncomfortable dinner, would you want to go back to the dating app and repeat…
Serving an aging population
In addition to holding church services and engaging in mission work, Calvary Church operates a day care, a private Christian school from pre-K through high school and a thrift shop which uses its proceeds to benefit children’s causes locally and globally. According to Ryan Mobley, Calvary’s groups and discipleship pastor and business administrator, “Part of…
A sampling of Springfield’s chili
Every month for over more than 20 years, a group of four friends have been visiting Springfield restaurants and taverns to sample chili. They’ve all become good friends of mine, and we’ve shared hundreds of rounds of golf together. So, I was very pleased when they decided to add me and another friend as probationary…
HSHS names system vice president of managed care
Jeff Sterling has been named HSHS system vice president of managed care, effective Sept. 3, to join the executive leadership team and oversee all aspects of managed care services. “We are pleased to have Jeff join our organization,” said Damond Boatwright, HSHS president and CEO. “His deep understanding of both the health care and payor perspectives…
Q&A With Geoff Isringhausen
A Springfield native, Geoff Isringhausen is the dealer principal for Isringhausen Imports, a family-owned business located just a few blocks from where he was raised. He graduated from University of Illinois in 1982 with a degree in mechanical engineering and worked for a petroleum pipeline company in Atlanta before joining his brother, Rob, who had…
Prairie Cardiovascular adds new atrial fibrillation treatment
Prairie Cardiovascular and HSHS St. John’s Hospital recently added a new technology to help treat atrial fibrillation (AFib). The FARAPULSE™ Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) System is a unique alternative to thermal ablation, the traditional treatment for Afib. In a typical ablation procedure, a catheter is placed inside the heart and generates extreme temperatures – hot…
Providing solutions in times of transition
When seniors get together and socialize, grandchildren are often a topic of conversation. So is commiserating that “our kids don’t want our stuff.” It’s common that homes are filled with a lifetime of accumulated possessions. Deciding what to do with it all is an issue for many seniors. And, the next generation typically doesn’t want…
Not ready for last call
Louie Manci doesn’t have much time for hobbies because he works seven days a week – at the age of 88. He owns his own bar and is the primary bartender, opening at noon every day and leaving when the last customer leaves. “I follow them out,” he says. Often that’s between 8 and 10:30…
Reading to reclaim memories
Ten to 20 people sit in a semi-circle; in front of them a person opens a book and begins reading to the group. No, this is not a school classroom; it is an almost daily scene at Mill Creek Alzheimer’s Special Care Center, located on the west side of Springfield. The group consists of patients…
A workforce development program for seniors
A new program has launched to help seniors reenter the workforce by training them as community health workers who can effectively share their own experiences with others. The HAP Foundation has partnered with AmeriCorps to bring the AmeriCorps Seniors Workforce Development Program to Sangamon County. The HAP Foundation, headquartered in Oakbrook Terrace, specializes in hospice…
