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Newswatch

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Thursday, March 2, 2000

Volunteer senior Medicare
counselors sought

Volunteers are being sought for training to provide information to seniors and families confused about Medicare.

SAGE PLUS, sponsored by the state Executive Office on Aging, provides free information on Medicare and related senior health insurance options to beneficiaries, their families and potential retirees.

Volunteers are recruited from among seniors, who are "the sages (older and wiser), so to speak," said Marilyn Seely, director of the Office on Aging.

PLUS is an acronym for People Learning About and Understanding the (Medicare) System.

SAGE PLUS is Hawaii's version of the nationwide State Health Insurance Assistance Program, which helps people understand Medicare.

Volunteers provide information and one-on-one counseling, assisting clients over the telephone or in person. They also hold group presentations, and appear at senior fairs and other public events.

Seely said volunteers "are the core or life-blood of the program and they provide an important link between the public and health information services."

Some have been with the program since it began in 1992, Seely said.

Training will be held March 20-21 in Honolulu. For information, call 586-7300 or 586-7275.

New gear at Queen's evaluates brain ills

The Queen's Medical Center has acquired technology allowing evaluation of the brain's biochemical makeup and detection of certain diseases before they become visible on routine Magnetic Resonance Imaging or Computed Tomography scans.

It's called Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy.

MRS can characterize abnormalities evaluate such diseases as brain tumors, dementia, head trauma and stroke, Queen's said.

It helps distinguish Alzheimer's Disease from other forms of dementia and shows abnormalities with head trauma without hemorrhage when none show up on an MRI.

It is more sensitive than MRI in detecting damage caused by lack of blood flow and oxygen related to vascular or other types of abnormalities in the brain of stroke patients, according to Queen's.

With brain tumors, it can provide better diagnosis than MRI, help define the tumor and monitor its response to nonsurgical treatments.

Weekend work to shut Pali Highway lanes

Some lanes of the Pali Highway will be closed during the next two weekends for maintenance work.

The Honolulu-bound lanes of Pali Highway between Kamehameha Highway and Waokanaka Street will be closed from 7 p.m. Saturday to 1 p.m. Sunday.

The Kailua-bound lanes along the same stretch of highway will be closed from 7 p.m. March 11 to 1 p.m. March 12.

Motorists will be able to access the Pali Lookout Sunday from the Kailua-bound direction only. On March 12, the only access will be from the Honolulu-bound direction.

Advances in diabetes treatment to be told

A specialist in diabetes will discuss technological advances and new drug treatments for diabetic patients at a support group meeting from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. March 9 at St. Francis Medical Center.

Dr. Richard Arakaki, medical director of St. Francis' Diabetes Center, will discuss "What's New in Diabetes?"

He says there is "a tremendous explosion of new treatment for diabetes," such as insulin inhalers, pumps and about 11 types of drugs that can replace insulin injections.

The Diabetes Center plans to hold support-group meetings quarterly in the St. Francis Weinberg Medical Pavilion 5th floor conference rooms.

For information, call Viola Genadio, 547-6995.

Hawaii gets funding for adoptions success

Hawaii has received a $583,689 incentive payment from the federal Department of Health and Human Services for moving more children from foster care into adoptive homes.

To date, Hawaii has received more than $1 million for its adoptions. The state received the first payment of $518,311 in September 1999 and will soon receive the second, bigger payment.

Hawaii earned the payments under the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, which awarded states $4,000 for each foster child adopted and an additional $2,000 for each child with special needs.

Coach Jones to speak at 'Heroes' breakfast

The public is invited to hear University of Hawaii head football coach June Jones talk about "what heroes are made of" at the 3rd Annual American Red Cross Everyday Heroes Breakfast on Saturday.

Ten people, a business and an organization will be honored for their good deeds. The breakfast is sponsored by Home Depot.

Tickets are $25, which includes breakfast. The event will be from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Coral Ballroom. For more information, call 739-8109.

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Police, Fire, Courts



By Star-Bulletin staff

Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers

Waikiki Grand fire begun by woman

Investigators said yesterday's blaze at the Waikiki Grand Hotel was started by a woman who was locked outside on the lanai.

The woman, 56, told investigators she started the fire at 4 a.m. to get help after she was fondled by a male friend, 62, who locked her out on the fourth-floor lanai.

Hotel staff put out the fire, which caused $2,000 damage.

Police said the two are homeless.

Help asked in identifying thief

CrimeStoppers is asking for help in identifying a man who stole $13,000 worth of camera equipment from the Hawaiian Life Building at 1311 Kapiolani Blvd. on Feb. 5.

The man was caught on a video surveillance camera stealing the photo equipment. Anyone with information is asked to call 955-8300.