May 07, 2002

Area Agencies Bring File Of Life Program To Rock Island County

Time is critical when an emergency response team is working to save someone's life. The more medical information and history they know about their patient the more likely they are to make a difference.

That is why Illini Hospital, an affiliate of Genesis Health System, Trinity Medical Center, the Quad City Medical Society, the Rock Island Housing Authority and Friendship Manor are initiating the File of Life Program in Rock Island County.

The above agencies and area police and fire departments will be distributing the kits on Tuesday, May 21, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., at the following locations:

• Friendship Manor
  1209 - 21st Avenue, Rock Island
  
• Illini Convenient Care
  2350 - 41st Street, Moline
  
• Illini Hospital
  801 Hospital Road, Silvis
  
• Spencer Tower
  111 - 20th Street, Rock Island
  
• Trinity Medical Center - 7th Street Campus
  500 John Deere Road, Moline
  

Trinity Medical Center - West Campus
2701 - 17th Street, Rock Island
The program is a free community service for seniors 60 plus. The file provides two information cards that must be filled out and updated on a regular basis: one for the person's home, the other, a smaller version of the original, to be kept with the person when outside of the home.

The City of Davenport "Senior Voice" committee initiated this program in Davenport and Bettendorf in 1999, then it expanded to all seniors within Scott County in the fall of 2000 and earlier this year the program became available to handicapped individuals. "The program is working very well in Scott County so we wanted to expand into Rock Island County," says Sandra Potter-Marquardt of the Quad City Medical Society. "It gives area seniors a peace of mind knowing that law enforcement and medical personnel have immediate access to their emergency contact information, medical history and conditions, allergies and insurance information."

For more information about the File of Life program contact one of the following organizations: