The Chicago Blackhawks 2015 Playoff Run

Dr. Morris Kharasch joined NorthShore University HealthSystem in Chicago, Illinois, in 1990. He continues to serve the organization as chief of four emergency departments. Beyond his medical activities, Dr. Morris Kharasch enjoys supporting Illinois sports teams like the Chicago Blackhawks.

Since 2010, the Chicago Blackhawks have won three Stanley Cup Final series, half of the franchise’s total championship haul. The team’s most recent victory came after a 2014-2015 regular season that saw Chicago put up 48 wins, their most since the 2009-2010 championship season.

The Blackhawks entered the postseason on a four-game losing streak. Despite these struggles, Chicago managed to come out of a double overtime opener in Nashville to take a 1-0 series lead over the Predators. Chicago later prevailed 3-1 in a triple overtime game, ultimately taking the series in six games. The Blackhawks capitalized on their momentum moving forward, outscoring the Minnesota Wild 13-7 over the course of a four-game sweep in the second round.

Chicago’s strongest challenge came in the conference finals against the Anaheim Ducks. After a 4-1 defeat in Game 1, the Blackhawks secured a split on the road with a 3-2 triple overtime victory. The Ducks immediately responded with a one-goal victory in Chicago before the Blackhawks evened the series on the back of a 5-4 double overtime win. Game 5 saw another overtime in Anaheim, but this time it was the Ducks emerging as 5-4 winners. Chicago won the final two games of the series, with a 5-2 win at home and a 5-3 triumph on the road to secure the series.

The Tampa Bay Lightning proved formidable foes in the 2015 Stanley Cup Final, but Chicago had already survived the worst of the postseason. The Blackhawks and Lightning exchanged splits over the first four games of the series, but Tampa Bay could not figure out Chicago’s defense. The Lightning managed more than one goal just twice in six games, with the Blackhawks taking Game 5 and Game 6, and the Stanley Cup trophy along with them, by a combined score of 4-1.

The Emergency Medicine Political Action Committee

Morris Kharasch, MD, is a member of the Illinois College of Emergency Physicians (ICEP), as well as president of professional staff at NorthShore University HealthSystem. As a practicing physician and member of ICEP, Dr. Morris Kharasch is represented by EMPAC, the Emergency Medicine Political Action Committee of Illinois.

EMPAC was established in 1994 as a way to contribute to candidates who are critical to the advancement of emergency care. Working to support various state senators, representatives, Supreme Court justices, and the governor, EMPAC monitors the legislative progress of emergency medicine. A key element to governmental involvement is the partnerships involved; EMPAC works closely with ICEP members and staff, lobbyists, and government officials to promote their cause.

Bills affecting emergency care range in topic from universal health insurance to the legalization of the personal use of fireworks. With the work of EMPAC, Illinois physicians can be sure their views on these topics and more are expressed in the capital.

The Dead Sea in Israel

Morris Kharasch received his medical education from the Medical College of Wisconsin and currently serves as the chief of emergency medicine at NorthShore University HealthSystem. During his free time, Morris Kharasch enjoys traveling, and lists Israel as one of his favorite destinations The Dead Sea is one of the most famous tourist spots in Israel.

The Dead Sea is the lowest spot on the earth's surface, and is known for its high salinity levels, which prevents the viability of any life in it. However, this same salinity is what draws a huge number of tourists each year, with many claiming that it provides relief to their physical ailments.

What are the properties that make the Dead Sea beneficial to one's health? First, it has deposits of black mud in the seabed. This mud is easily spread throughout the entire body and nourishes the skin. The surrounding air is also filled with bromide, which is claimed to be beneficial to the body's organ systems when inhaled. For these reasons, the Dead Sea has been nicknamed the lowest health spa in the world.

Pediatric Advanced Life Support Certification

Dr. Morris Kharasch is the president of professional staff with NorthShore University HealthSystem in Evanston, Illinois. Possessing more than 25 years of experience in the field, Dr. Morris Kharasch is also a celebrated teacher and director of special programs at NorthShore’s Division of Emergency Medicine.

Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) is among the many certification courses Dr. Kharasch has taught through NorthShore’s Medical Simulation Program. The PALS training program is designed to provide vital skills to health-care professionals ranging from pediatricians to nurses to paramedics--anyone who may come into contact with a child in need of emergency care.

Medical personnel trained in PALS recognize the signs of a child who may be at risk of cardiopulmonary arrest, can help prevent it from occurring, and are able to revive and stabilize children who are experiencing respiratory failure or cardiac arrest.

A classroom-based program, PALS training encourages group work, and direct interaction and feedback from the instructor. An individual seeking first-time certification is enrolled in a two-day provider course. A professional who is already certified will take a single-day refresher course to renew certification.                            

Undergraduate Excellence Recognized with the Bronze Tablet

Illinois-based chief of emergency medicine Dr. Morris Kharasch provides management in patient care for four emergency departments at NorthShore University HealthSystem. Prior to earning his MD in 1988, Dr. Morris Kharasch received an undergraduate degree at the University of Illinois, where he earned inclusion in the university’s Bronze Tablet.

Dating back to 1925, the Bronze Tablet is the University of Illinois’ way to recognize undergraduate students achieving consistent high honors. As outlined in the university’s Student Code, qualified students must maintain a grade point average of at least 3.5 through the semester preceding graduation. Additionally, each student named on the Bronze Tablet must rank within the top 3 percent of their graduating class. Transfer students are eligible to receive this honor, provided they meet two additional requirements concerning comparative grade point averages and a minimum amount of completed semester hours at the University of Illinois.

Each year, a new Bronze Tablet inscribed with the names of students receiving the honor is displayed in the Main Library. Should they wish to commemorate their achievements by displaying this honor at home, undergraduates have the option of purchasing prints at the Illini Union Bookstore.

National Alliance for Mental Illness Hosts National Convention

A former professor at Northwestern University, Dr. Morris Kharasch serves as president of the professional staff at NorthShore University HealthSystem in Evanston, Illinois. To help him stay informed about changes in the medical industry, Dr. Morris Kharasch maintains membership with the National Alliance for Mental Illness.

As the largest mental health organization in the country, the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) seeks to improve the lives of those affected by mental illness. Begun in 1979, the NAMI educates the public and advocates for people with mental illness at various events and activities.

Each year, the NAMI hosts a convention for members to gather and share ideas. The 2016 event, scheduled for July 6 through 9 at the Sheraton Denver Downtown in Colorado, has a theme of “Act. Advocate. Achieve.” This conference features the latest research as well as clinicians offering information and tools to advance recovery from mental illness, policy makers presenting strategies and tactics for improving the nation’s mental health system, and people living with mental illness and their families sharing their own perspectives.

Attendees can also partake in networking opportunities to learn how to improve the lives of those living with mental illness and how it affects their families. Continuing education credits are also available for nurses, licensed counselors, and social workers.                            

Friends of the Green Bay Trail Seek Volunteers to Maintain Foliage

A graduate of Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, Dr. Morris Kharasch is the president of the professional staff at NorthShore University HealthSystem in Evanston, Illinois. Active in his community, Dr. Morris Kharasch supports several local organizations, such as the Friends of the Green Bay Trail.

A volunteer-based nonprofit organization, the Friends of the Green Bay Trail maintain healthy environmental habitats along the path. The Friends do this by removing invasive species of plants and replacing them with native foliage. This pedestrian trail, created in 1965, runs parallel to the Metra Union Pacific North commuter railroad, where it passes through Chicago’s North Shore communities.

Since it relies heavily on volunteers, this organization seeks individuals to work on the trail. Each month on the second Saturday, the organization hosts a trail workday that runs from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and meets in Glencoe, Illinois. Volunteers bring work gloves so they can plant foliage, water plants, remove weeds and invasive species, and sow wildflower seeds. They typically work together in groups ranging from five to 25 people. Off the trail, they nurture seedlings in a greenhouse and attend park district or village meetings.