`similarities' Seen In 2 Prescription Drug Deaths 
Law Enforcement Officials 
Gather Wednesday To Scrutinize 
Deaths Of Physicians' Wives

Around Town 
Fund-raising Executives To Meet: The Greater Poconos Northeast Chapter Of The 
National Society Of Fund-raising Executives Will Meet At Noon Jan. 13 At 
Victoria Inns In Pittston.

By MELISSA M. DONOVAN; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Wednesday, January 07, 1998 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 2A 





WILKES-BARRE- The brisk response to a health survey is expected to help
fight problems that plague Wilkes-Barre at above-average rates. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 City workers are delivering the last of 21,000 surveys asking for a
confidential peek at residents' health. Officials expect the surveys to echo
grim state statistics. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; At a press conference Tuesday, Board of Health member Bernard Healey cited
death rates to stress the need for prevention services. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 He said: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Heart disease kills 359 Pennsylvanians per 100,000 people. In Wilkes-Barre,
the rate is 618 deaths per 100,000. (The rate is adjusted statistically
because Wilkes-Barre's population is 44,400.) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The statewide death rate from cancer is 249 per 100,000. In Wilkes-Barre,
the rate is 343. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "That right there tells us we have a problem," Healey said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 He expects the surveys to paint a broader picture of the city's health. Of
the 18,000 delivered so far, 3,400 have been returned. The 21 percent response
rate is double the norm, Healey said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Mayor Tom McGroarty could not estimate the cost of the survey. He expects
the state to cover much of the expense. Return postage is 65 cents for each
survey, bringing the cost so far to approximately $2,210. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The results are expected next month. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The statistics should help back up grant applications, said Gary Gurian,
the state deputy secretary for public health programs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 At the news conference, Healey introduced Patricia McNulty, who was just
hired as the associate director of personal health services and public health
nursing. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 McNulty, who formerly worked for the Visiting Nurses Association, will be
paid $40,000. She is not related to Shannon McNulty, the mayor's spokeswoman.
The hiring brings the staff to four. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 McGroarty says he'll wait for word on state funding before hiring several
more employees. The city applied for a state program that helps local
governments pay for health services. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Gurian said the state is likely to approve the application. Healey expects
approval this spring, contributing $333,000 of the $618,000 budget for 1998. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That estimate is $23,000 less than the city originally expected from the
state. Healey doesn't

W-b Looks To Survey To Begin Health Plan