THE NEWSPAPER OF AVONDALE, BUCKEYE, GOODYEAR, LITCHFIELD PARK & TOLLESON Special Supplement to The West Valley View
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Health & Wellness
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HEALTH Winter 2021
INSIDE This Issue
WELLNESS Your Local Guide to Better Living
Smoking can cause 12 different cancers BY DR. RAMMOHAN MARLA
WARREN & HAGERMAN .......... 2 Dental practice is a real hidden gem
ASSOCIATED RETINA CONSULTANTS ...... 3 Putting each one of their patients first
AREA AGENCY ON AGING .................. 4 Taking small steps for lifelong rewards
New year’s resolutions may literally save your life. I’m a thoracic surgeon at Cancer Treatment Centers of America Phoenix, treating patients with the deadliest cancer in the United States, lung cancer. Not even half of those diagnosed early — when the cancer is localized to the lungs — live for five more years. But very few lung cancers are caught early. Once it spreads, the five-year survival rate is only 5%. You can improve your odds right now by quitting smoking, which is linked to 90% of all lung cancers. This is why I encourage all smokers to make — and keep — a resolution to quit today. Even if you’ve been smoking for years, quitting will improve your health. Quitting immediately reduces your risk for 12 cancers, including mouth and throat, larynx, esophagus, stomach, bladder and leukemia. Quitting can increase your life expectancy by as much as a decade. It reduces your risk for cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and stroke. The health benefits of quitting begin immediately. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, your heart rate drops minutes after you quit. The nicotine level in your blood falls to zero after 24 hours. Within a few days, carbon monoxide levels in the blood are the same as those who do not smoke. Your risk of heart attack drops sharply within two years, and
your added risk of heart disease is cut in half after three to six years. Plus, quitting saves you money, because you’re no longer buying cigarettes and you qualify for lower health insurance costs. Quitting is hard. Nicotine is addictive. But we can do anything if we put our minds to it. Remember to keep in mind why we’re quitting. The healthier you are, the more time you’ll have to spend with your loved ones. If you have kids, they’re less likely to develop asthma when they’re not exposed to second-hand smoke. You don’t have to quit cold turkey. We have many ways to help you, including patches, gum and support programs. Your doctor can help provide guidance as well. If you have been smoking for many years, I urge you to schedule a cancer screening. It’s a quick procedure that involves a very low dose of radiation that will find any sus-
picious nodules in the lungs. The earlier treatment begins, the better your odds. If the screening finds nothing, you can wait a year for another one. One final request: Don’t turn to e-cigarettes. The Food and Drug Administration has found no e-cigarette to be safe and effective in helping smokers quit. Whether vaping is as dangerous as smoking is unsettled science. Vaping, however, coats the lungs with a mist of harmful chemicals, including formaldehyde, the weed-killer arolein, lung-damaging diacetyl and vitamin E, which has been linked to severe lung damage. A new year has begun, and it’s full of potential and possibilities. Make a resolution to kick the habit — and potentially add years to your life. Dr. Rammohan Marla, FACS, FACC, is a board-certified thoracic surgeon at Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Phoenix.
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INSIDE
This Week
Buckeye mourns loss of fire chief BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI West Valley View Executive Editor
B
ob Costello, chief of Buckeye’s Fire and Medical Rescue Department, is remembered for his genuine person-
NEWS ............... 4 Cindy McCain signs beam at future WV school
SPORTS ......... 19 COVID-19 vaccine raises ethical questions in sports
FEATURES ..... 22 Active adults knitting, crocheting for patients
OPINION................10 BUSINESS.............. 12 SPORTS...................19 FEATURES...............22 YOUTH...................25 OBITUARIES............25 CLASSIFIEDS...........27 NORTH
April 14, 2021
The Voice of the West Valley for 36 years
ality. “Chief Costello was a true visionary for Buckeye,” said Buckeye Mayor Eric Orsborn. “His quiet, comforting personality made him a friend to everyone he met. He was one of the most genuine people on earth and truly cared about others and the community.” He died unexpectedly April 8 at age 62. He leaves behind his wife, Wanell, the Arizona State Fair executive director, and a brother. “We are all still in shock over his sudden passing but take comfort in knowing that his amazing contributions to Buckeye will
have positive impacts on the city for years to come,” Orsborn said. Costello joined the city in 2004 and became fire chief in 2008. Throughout his career, he achieved recognition for various awards and innovative programs, including the implementation of the Community Paramedicine Program, in coordination with Banner Estrella Medical Center. He also served on the state’s Emergency Medical Services Council from 2001 to 2004, and from 2016 to his last appointment by Gov. Doug Ducey in 2020. In August 2019, Costello won the Health Care Hero
Funeral details will be released soon for Buckeye Fire Chief Bob Costello, who expectedly died on April 8. (Photo courtesy of the city of Buckeye)
Award from the Phoenix Business Journal. That wasn’t his only award. They were aplenty. He was presented with Exemplary Service to Humanity by the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion, February 2019; the Dr. Paul Johnson Award presented by Abrazo West Campus in May 2016; and the Buckeye Heroism Award from the Buckeye Valley Chamber of Commerce in
Chief...continued on page 2
Agua Fria names Mark Yslas as superintendent BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
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West Valley View Executive Editor
he Agua Fria Union High School District’s Governing Board recently confirmed the employment contract for Mark Yslas as its new superintendent. Yslas will begin July 1 following the retirement of Dr. Dennis Runyan. Yslas joins the district from the Alhambra Elementary School District, where he has served as superintendent since 2015. A career educator, Yslas brings his expertise in building strong coalitions and partnerships between school,
business and government entities as well as a proven ability to implement change and transform organizations like AFUHSD. “I’m so looking forward to it,” Yslas said. “I really did my homework on the district. It has a good reputation. It has a very solid foundation. There’s a spirit of innovation, and with a growing area, there are so many possibilities, so many things we can do when you put all that together.” The governing board identified and agreed to key objectives that were of importance when searching for a new superintendent.
Among those objectives were: 1. Serve the academic needs of all students and expanded learning opportunities. 2. Commit to effective communication protocols (internal and external). 3. Implement a district strategic plan. 4. Engage with the community with clear and concise communication. 5. Collaborate with governing board. “Based on his previous experience and responsiveness to our governing board’s goals
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Yslas...continued on page 2 JUST A CLICK AWAY