[Peace] Rally 12pm tomorrow at McKinley

[Lori A. Serb]

Members of the GEO Healthcare Working Group just learned on Thursday  
of McKinley's plans to cease sonogram service by January 1, 2009.

We were lied to in our Labor Management meetings when HCWG members met  
with McKinley director Palinkis months ago about Women's Health at  
McKinley. We've had discussions specifically about the provision of  
the sonogram service, which we were concerned might disappear. He  
first claimed that the service was not in danger, and later in  
admitting that they were considering ceasing it, his argument was that  
students were not seeking sonograms at the same rate as previously -  
we later discovered that this was because doctors at McKinley were  
being directed to refer students to external sonogram services, rather  
than the service within the Center.

Now is the time to raise our voices! Removing sonograms signifies a  
lack of concern for women's health, and is part of a continued erosion  
of services for UIUC students that are already inadequate. We call  
upon McKinley administration to revisit its plans for the new year  
NOW, and in so doing, to hire a sonogram technician and retain its  
sonogram services for students.

Sonogram is the only reliable form of assessment screening available  
for ovarian cancer. While not perfect, it is being used for other  
diagnostics, and is recommended twice a year for women who have a  
family history of ovarian cancer.

Removing Sonogram service is another example of the University  
chiseling away preventative health care services available to  
students. In 2005 we saw the elimination of the prenatal medical  
program. Coverage for chronic illnesses, including prescriptions,  
dependent coverage, and catastrophic coverage have all been eroded. We  
saw it again in the summer of 2007 with the $5 co-pay on all  
prescriptions, without a maximum cost level. The lack of adequate  
coverage in these key areas have set graduate students and their  
families back thousands of dollars per year.

And in January women will take another hit unless we act now!

Demand that the McKinley administration retain health services for  
women students!
3 actions you can take in the next couple of days:

1. Please sign the online petition and pass on the word to others: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/sonogram/petition.html

2. Join the Health Care Working Group in a Tuesday rally at noon  
outside McKinley and demand the Director retain the sonogram service  
for women students. If you want to help with the rally and make signs  
& print petitions for circulation email Lori: lserb at uigeo.org

3.  Put your view directly to McKinley by phone:  217-333-2701 or  
Fax:  217-244-1758 Or via their Web Comment form: http://www.mckinley.uiuc.edu/general/contact_us.htm


And lets continue the discussion and collectively plan future  
strategies around health care!

In Solidarity,

Lori