FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 7, 2013
WWW.NWHERALD.COM
The only daily newspaper published in McHenry Co.
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VIEWS • NEWS, A2
SPOILING RODGERS’ RETURN • SPORTS, C1
Dick Peterson doesn’t want to lose his favorite mixer
Musick: St. Ditka-lus brings visions of a Bears victory
Aaron Rodgers
An expanding role
Anticipate volatile gas prices in 2014 Analysts predict huge swings, but cheaper national average By CHELSEA McDOUGALL cmcdougall@shawmedia.com
Photos by Kyle Grillot – kgrillot@shawmedia.com
Carol Radovich was the first nurse practitioner hired by Centegra 15 years ago. Radovich speaks with Brandon Fredriksen, 21, during a visit at the Centegra primary care location in McHenry. Between 1998 and 2010, the number of Medicare patients treated by nurse practitioners increased 15-fold to more than 450,000 people, according to researchers from University of Texas Medical Branch.
Nurse practitioners a popular alternative to traditional doctors
A look at the national averages and predictions for gas prices per gallon from 2012-14: predicted average price per gallon for gas in 2014 expected average price per gallon for gas in 2013 average price per gallon for gas in 2012
$3.43
$3.50 $3.63
Although final figures will not be calculated by the agency until February, early reports indicate that crude oil prices remained relatively flat in 2013 and translated to falling gasoline prices. According to the agency, after falling more than 40 cents per gallon from the beginning of September through November, the weekly national average
See GAS PRICES, page A7
Health care tactics split GOP rivals
By JEFF ENGELHARDT jengelhardt@shawmedia.com CRYSTAL LAKE – Carol Radovich can write a prescription, diagnose a patient and provide routine checkup services like most primary care physicians. But she is no doctor. Radovich, as part of a booming profession, is one of the more than 8,000 nurse practitioners in Illinois charged with many of the same responsibilities as traditional doctor. For Radovich, it was a 17year journey to earn the master’s degree, certifications and experience needed to gain the status. While it was a long road, it is that nursing experience and education that make nurse practitioners more appealing than traditional physicians for some patients, Radovich said. It has become a popular alternative across the country, with more than 450,000 patients receiving treatment from about 106,000 nurse practitioners last year. “I think some patients prefer it because they feel the nurse practitioner spends more time with them, whether that is just a perception or not,” Radovich said. “Because of how nurses are brought up through [the] ranks, they spend a bit more time with patients and have a more personalized interaction. It’s just a difference in schooling.” Jeannine Nosko, director of patient care services for Centegra, said the role of nurse practitioners has grown signifi-
Motorists should buckle up and prepare for a volatile year at the gas pump, some analysts say. U.S. gasoline prices are expected to see huge swings in prices in 2014, according to an analysis by GasBuddy, a crowd-sourced fuel price website. “We see the potential for dramatic price spikes and equally dramatic price plunges,” GasBuddy said in its price forecast for the coming year. But in the end, a cheaper national average is expected. The annual average regular gasoline retail price, which was $3.63 per gallon in 2012, is expected to average $3.50 per gallon in 2013 and $3.43 per gallon in 2014, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration Agency.
By the numbers
By BILL BARROW
More inside
The Associated Press
Advocates say that many of the nation’s 106,000 nurse practitioners, including about 56,000 who practice primary care like Radovich, are hamstrung by state laws that limit their authority.
“I think some patients prefer it because they feel the nurse practitioner spends more time with them, whether that is just a perception or not.” Carol Radovich Nurse practitioner at Centegra
cantly in the past decade, and Centegra is committed to continuing the expansion with a program for nurse practitioners in acute care. She said because nurse practitioners have the luxury of being centrally located, they are able to help physicians that
LOCALLY SPEAKING
must divide time between hospitals, clinics and practices. “Nurse practitioners are going to have an ever-expanding role in the future with thinly stretched physicians,” Nosko said. “There is a higher volume of people needing medical care.” The number of nurse practitioners and patients seeking their services are expected to grow as implementation of the Affordable Care Act continues to roll out. Sue Clark, a spokeswoman and lobbyist for the Illinois Society for Advanced Practice Nursing, said as more people become insured, the demand for primary care will increase, with physicians already handling full schedules.
See NURSES, page A7
ATLANTA – Republicans who want to regain control of the Senate will first have to do battle among themselves in 2014 primary elections, due largely to differences over how to proceed against the law they deride as “Obamacare.” In a number of Senate primary campaigns, conservatives are arguing over the best way to oppose President Barack Obama’s health care law. The outcome of those campaigns could affect the battle over which party controls the Senate. In intraparty skirmishes from Georgia to Nebraska, the GOP’s most strident candidates and activists are insisting on a no-holds-barred approach. They accuse fellow Republicans – including several incumbent senators – of being too soft in their opposition to the Affordable Care Act and to the president
Insurers, state regulators and consumers have mixed responses to President Barack Obama’s decision allow people to keep insurance policies slated for cancellation. PAGE A4 in general. The struggle will help determine just how conservative the Senate Republican caucus will be during Obama’s final two years. And it could influence which party controls the chamber, with Democrats hoping that the most uncompromising Republican standard-bearers will emerge from the primaries and fare as poorly in general elections as their counterparts did in several 2012 Senate races. Republicans need to gain six seats to retake the majority in the Senate. Republican Rep. Jack
See GOP, page A7
McHENRY COUNTY
DIAL-A-RIDE RATES TO INCREASE JAN. 2 Fares on the MCRide transit service will increase for general riders in Crystal Lake and McHenry by 25 cents to $2 from $1.75 for the first 5 miles of their trip. Seniors and residents with disabilities will pay 15 cents more, or $1 instead of 85 cents for the first 5 miles. Each additional mile for all riders after 5 miles will cost an additional 25 cents. For more, see page B1.
Jacobs junior Kenton Mack Ian Maule for Shaw Media
HIGH
LOW
40 30 Complete forecast on A10
ALGONQUIN: Jacobs tops Chicago Tilden, moves to championship bracket in Hinkle Holiday Classic. Sports, C1 Vol. 28, Issue 361
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