Last week, I talked about the rising cost of education, and the value and investment students make when they choose to further their academic career. Educated and skilled workers are a valuable resource to any workforce and are being sought aggressively by employers There are many factors to weigh when it comes to postsecondary education,  but additional training and degree attainment are great avenues for students and graduates to differentiate themselves in the marketplace.

Here in southern Indiana, more job opportunities are becoming available as employers are hiring and expanding their businesses. Some of our major employers – Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Deaconess Health System and Berry Plastics Corporation – have positions available.  Outside of these companies, there are positions available in other industries like transportation/logistics, manufacturing and health care. All of these companies are seeking individuals with advanced skills, education, and necessary training to fill their workforce.

In our community’s health care field, registered nurses are in high demand and have a high earning potential. There are currently 61,052 registered nurses in the state of Indiana, and more are needed.  As many people know, nurses administer care to ill or injured patients, but they may also advise patients on health maintenance and disease prevention or provide case management.

Positions such as home health aides and personal home care aides are just some of the career paths that are expected to grow through 2018. One of the most sought after positions in our area is an automotive service technician or mechanic.  There were over 300 job postings for this position from 2011 to 2012. Certifications for these positions are available through Ivy Tech.

The lifetime benefit of a postsecondary degree is significant. Over a lifetime, a full-time, full-year worker with a bachelor’s degree can expect to earn 84 percent more than someone who has only a high school diploma or GED.  If you invest in your education through an associate’s degree, you will also earn more over a lifetime. These investments will help create a better life for not only you, but your family as well.

Indiana is currently addressing the opportunity gap in which companies are seeking educated employees. It is important to take the next step in one’s academic career even if it has been a few years since graduation. Our region has a lot to offer as there are careers available with high earning potential that are going unfilled. Getting a college education isn’t easy, but it can go a long way towards having a more successful career with more opportunities in the future.

Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller and 39 other attorneys general are calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to place restrictions on the sale of electronic cigarettes.

In a bipartisan letter, the attorneys general urged the FDA to take all available measures to regulate e-cigarettes as tobacco products under the Tobacco Control Act. E-cigarettes are battery operated products that heat liquid nicotine, derived from tobacco plants, into a vapor that is inhaled by the user.

“Some smokers see e-cigarettes as a way to wean themselves off of other tobacco products, but the health effects of these popular alternatives have not been adequately studied and the ingredients are not regulated,” Zoeller said. “Nicotine is highly addictive and, if e-cigarettes are left unregulated, our state’s youth may use them as a gateway to smoking.”

State Attorneys General have fought for years to protect people from the dangers of tobacco products. In 1998, the attorneys general of 52 states and territories signed a landmark agreement with the four largest tobacco companies in the United States to recover billions of dollars in costs associated with smoking-related illnesses, and restrict cigarette advertising to prevent youth smoking.

Zoeller said unlike traditional tobacco products, there are no federal age restrictions that would prevent children from obtaining e-cigarettes. Noting the growing use of e-cigarettes, and the growing prevalence of advertising, the letter highlights the need to protect youth from becoming addicted to nicotine through these new products.

A survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that from 2011 to 2012, the percentages of youth who have tried or currently use e-cigarettes both roughly doubled. The survey estimates that nearly 1.8 million middle and high school students have tried e-cigarettes in 2012.

According to the U.S. Surgeon General, nicotine is highly addictive and has immediate bio-chemical effects on the brain and body at any dosage, and is toxic in high doses.

E-cigarette manufacturers are using marketing tactics similar to those big tobacco used in the last 50 to 100 years to attract new smokers. Celebrity endorsements, television advertising, cartoons, fruit flavors, attractive packaging and cheap prices all serve to encourage youth consumption of these dangerous products.

Additionally, some marketing claims that these products do not contain the same level of toxins and carcinogens found in traditional cigarettes, cigars, and other tobacco products. These claims imply that e-cigarettes are a safe alternative to smoking, when in fact nicotine is highly addictive, the health effects of e-cigarettes have not been adequately studied, and the ingredients are not regulated and may still contain carcinogens.

Benji is an 11-month-old beagle mix puppy! He has been through a lot in his young life, so he is looking forward to someone with the patience and desire to raise him to be the amazing dog we know he can be. He has lots of energy, but is a very well-behaved and friendly boy. His adoption fee is $100, which includes his microchip, vaccinations, and a bag of food. He is also neutered, so he can go home with you TODAY!

Amanda Bienhaus

Public Relations, Media, and Special Events

Vanderburgh Humane Society

(812) 426-2563 ext. 211

a.bienhaus@vhslifesaver.org

Evansville Cancer Center/Vantage Oncology (ECC/VO), a Tri-State Radiation Oncology Center (TROC), and Deaconess Chancellor Center for Oncology were recently awarded a three-year term of accreditation in radiation oncology as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology (ACR). Radiation oncology (radiation therapy) is the careful use of high-energy radiation to treat cancer. A radiation oncologist may use radiation to cure cancer or to relieve a cancer patient’s pain.

The ACR is the nation’s oldest and most widely accepted radiation oncology accrediting body, with over 500 accredited sites, and 25 years of accreditation experience. The ACR seal of accreditation represents the highest level of quality and patient safety. It is awarded only to facilities meeting specific practice guidelines and technical standards developed by ACR after a peer-review evaluation by board-certified radiation oncologists and medical physicists who are experts in the field. Patient care and treatment, patient safety, personnel qualifications, adequacy of facility equipment, quality control procedures, and quality assurance programs are assessed. The findings are reported to the ACR Committee on Radiation Oncology Accreditation, which then provides the practice with a comprehensive report they can use for continuous practice improvement.

“ACR’s accreditation of Evansville Cancer Center/Vantage Oncology and Deaconess Chancellor Center for Oncology is a credit to our dedicated team of nurses, radiation therapists, dosimetrists, physicists and radiation oncologists who are committed to providing outstanding radiation therapy treatments to our cancer patients,” said Jon D. Frazier, M.D., radiation oncologist and medical director of ECC/VO. “We are extremely proud to have received this accreditation and will continue to hold ourselves to an extremely high standard so that our patients receive high quality cancer care.”

The ACR is a national professional organization serving more than 36,000 diagnostic/interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians, and medical physicists with programs focusing on the practice of medical imaging and radiation oncology and the delivery of comprehensive health care services.

For more information about the Chancellor Center for Oncology, please visit www.deaconess.com and for more information on the Evansville Cancer Center/Vantage Oncology, please visit www.evansvilleradiationoncology.com.