Health officer to speak to Republican women

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• Benton Franklin Health Board gets new officer

  Benton Franklin Health Board gets new officer

  The Benton Franklin Health Board on Wednesday unanimously appointed a Wisconsin pediatrician to replace longtime health officer Dr. Larry Jecha.

  Dr. Amy Person of Milwaukee started work at the Benton Franklin Health District this week to learn the ropes from Jecha, who will retire Nov. 18.

  Jecha has worked for the district full time as its health officer since 1996, and also held the position from 1988-92, when he left to become director of the Wichita-Sedgwick County Department of Community Health in his native Kansas to be closer to family.

• Benton-Franklin Health District to hire half-time doctor

  Benton-Franklin Health District to hire half-time doctor

  The Benton-Franklin Health District on Wednesday unanimously agreed to proceed with hiring a roughly half-time doctor to replace retiring Health Officer Dr. Larry Jecha.

  Board members directed Benton-Franklin Health District Administrator Jason Zaccaria to hire someone by Jan. 1, 2012, when Jecha hopes to step down from his full-time position as health officer.

  Board members discussed whether the job could be done by someone working two-tenths of a full-time schedule, but Zaccaria recommended hiring someone to work at least six-tenths of a full-time schedule to maintain health district services built around having a full-time doctor on staff.

• Southwestern fungus confirmed in 3 people in Mid-Columbia

  Southwestern fungus confirmed in 3 people in Mid-Columbia

  Three illnesses related to a southwestern fungus have local health officials concerned that the fungus could be among us.

  Dr. Larry Jecha, health officer for the Benton Franklin Health District, has declared coccidioidomycosis a reportable disease in the two counties to track whether the fungus causing the disease is in the Tri-Cities.

  Coccidioidomycosis, also known as Valley Fever, is a fungal disease caused by Cocciodioides fungi. The fungi live in semi-arid areas and normally are found in the southwestern United States and Mexico, but so far haven't been known to be in Washington.

• Gallery Aglow show on display in Richland

  Gallery Aglow show on display in Richland

  The Allied Arts Gallery is celebrating its 20th year for the Gallery Aglow holiday show, which is going on now through Dec. 30 at the Richland gallery, 89 Lee Blvd., Richland.

  The show includes a variety of art created by local artisans from paintings to sculpture to more eclectic types of artwork.

  "Each year, the redo team outdoes itself by taking previous years' decorations and reconfiguring them into something new and beautiful, and they make the gallery seem magical," said Mary Jecha, president of the Allied Arts Gallery. "People love to come in to the gallery during the holidays to get themselves in the holiday mood."

• Health care costs

  Health care costs

  Why is health care out of reach for American families? Our life expectancy is higher than ever before thanks to the wonderful advances in technology. I am thankful for great health care providers and accept appropriate increases in health care overheads. However, I cannot accept the suggestion that this is why the cost of medical insurance moves further and further out of reach for more and more Americans.

  Insurance premiums take a jump and so does the company CEO's salary since compensation is based on the company's earnings. United Health Group, the top health insurance company's CEO, tops the pay scale in America at over $94 million in total compensation in 2010. His compensation in 2008 was a little over $13 million. There is a long list of insurance company CEOs who received comparable compensation.

  I believe in the concept of capitalism but is it really that complicated to see that greed has overshadowed the greater good in American health care. I would like to ask Mr. CEO what advice he could give