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Tag: care

  • CDC shortens isolation time for health care workers with Covid-19

    CDC shortens isolation time for health care workers with Covid-19

    The agency’s new recommendations say overall health care workers with Covid-19 could return to perform following 7 times if they are asymptomatic and take a look at damaging, and that the “isolation time can be slash even further if there are staffing shortages,” according to a statement Thursday.

    “Our purpose is to hold healthcare personnel and patients safe and sound, and to handle and avert undue load on our health care services,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky stated in a statement.
    In its new tips, CDC included that the adverse exam final result should really arrive inside of 48 several hours of heading again to get the job done, and that this shortened time body may possibly also use to some symptomatic personnel — provided they are “mildly symptomatic” and their symptoms are improving.

    The agency also specified that wellbeing care employees you should not will need to quarantine “adhering to high-chance exposures” if they’ve gotten all recommended vaccinations, together with a booster shot. Quarantine refers to when individuals who have been uncovered to the virus but have not yet been diagnosed with an infection want to steer clear of others.

    What to do when those around you are not wearing masks? An expert weighs in about Christmas travel

    The CDC stressed that the new guidelines don’t lengthen to the common community and only utilize to the wellbeing care workforce.

    Some others who have Covid-19 ought to isolate for 10 entire times, according to CDC assistance. For all those who have been in get in touch with with another person with Covid-19, fully vaccinated men and women do not want to quarantine if they have no symptoms. Even so, CDC does recommend they get analyzed five to 7 days later and mask up in indoor general public spaces in the meantime.

    The Infectious Diseases Culture of America explained they “enormously respect CDC updating its guidance so swiftly,” including these “approaches are crucial to be certain we have the vital health care workforce to respond to the increasing Omicron surge.”

    CNN health-related analyst Dr. Leana Wen named the CDC’s choice to update its assistance “the correct shift” so that hospitals are not at overcapacity from a staffing shortage caused by the isolation suggestions.

    But though the isolation time period been relaxed for health treatment staff, some overall health experts, like Wen, and business leaders are hoping that the CDC will take into consideration loosening the period for all vaccinated Individuals. The United Kingdom has currently shortened the isolation time period for any person with Covid-19. Airways, which include Delta and JetBlue, are among all those pushing the CDC to slice the isolation time for their staff, arguing that it would assistance avoid difficulties these kinds of as flight cancellations.

    “Even if you end up missing some persons who might even now be infectious, if you might be able to get several a lot more people today to comply with a shorter period alternatively of dis-incentivizing them for acquiring such a extensive isolation interval, that may well be truly worth the tradeoff as very well,” Wen, a former Baltimore City wellbeing commissioner, instructed CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Thursday.

    Fauci says reducing the recommended Covid isolation period for the fully vaccinated is being considered

    Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown College Faculty of Public Wellness, also argues that fully vaccinated individuals who exam optimistic for Covid-19 must not have to isolate the complete 10 days if they take a look at detrimental in fewer than that time.

    Jha named for studies to be carried out to figure out the specific time period of time for isolation whilst suggesting a five-to-seven working day isolation window with a destructive speedy check final result.

    “Receiving folks back out of isolation is actually significant to keeping things going and also just creating an incentive for persons to get analyzed so they will not have to be isolated for 10 days,” Jha reported on CNN on Thursday, incorporating that the CDC’s new suggestions for overall health treatment workers are a “action in the suitable way.”

    The CDC explained in its statement Thursday that it “carries on to examine isolation and quarantine recommendations for the broader inhabitants as we study about the Omicron variant and will update the general public as suitable.”

    Walensky also told CBS Information on Wednesday that the CDC is “actively inspecting individuals information now and accomplishing some modeling analyses to assess” whether or not to loosen up its isolation pointers for all Us citizens.

    “We anticipate that we are going to have some updates shortly,” she mentioned.

    President Joe Biden stated Friday, even so, that there are no ideas as of now to shorten the isolation period for every person following screening good for Covid-19.

    “Nicely, I just hear to my group, the docs, and they believe we ought to continue to keep it the way it is for now,” Biden told reporters at the White Dwelling.

    CNN’s Jacqueline Howard, Pete Muntean and Donald Judd contributed to this report.

  • The Top 10 Home Health Care News Stories of 2021

    The Top 10 Home Health Care News Stories of 2021

    The public overall health crisis continued to have an impact on home-based mostly treatment providers in 2021. It did not determine the yr, nonetheless.

    As the best Property Wellness Care Information stories of 2021 propose, this yr was about so much more than the COVID-19 disaster. Even more than the pandemic, the previous 12 months have been about business-shaping deals that will go on to shape the in-house treatment narrative for a long time to occur.

    Mirror back on this year in house-based treatment by revisiting 10 of HHCN’s most commonly go through tales.

    1. Honor to Purchase Home As a substitute, Making $2 Billion Household Treatment Solutions Business (Aug. 6)

    In August, Honor stunned the dwelling treatment entire world by revealing designs to purchase Home As an alternative Senior Care for an undisclosed sum. At the time, the Honor-House Instead business represented a lot more than $2.1 billion in household treatment solutions income, in accordance to the organizations.

    Given that then, Honor and Home In its place leaders have been performing to combine the franchise organization’s vast community, which is built up of around 1,200 places throughout the U.S. and quite a few other nations around the world. The offer most likely indicators a change in household treatment strategy, with operators looking for to turn into far more refined on the data and technological know-how fronts.

    2. Amazon Reveals National Expansion Designs for In-Property Treatment System ‘Amazon Care’ (March 17)

    Speaking of info and technology, HHCN’s next-most popular story of the calendar year was our protection of Amazon Care’s enlargement plans. In Spring, Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) declared it was bringing its on-desire, hybrid in-dwelling care platform to more marketplaces – and finally to the complete U.S.

    Though Amazon Care is continue to in its infancy, it has presently landed some pretty noteworthy purchasers, together with Hilton, 1 of the world’s largest hospitality businesses. Neil Lindsay, a previous senior vice president in Amazon’s Primary small business, was recently tapped to lead the company’s health and fitness care endeavours.

    3. UnitedHealth’s Optum Reportedly Strikes Offer for Landmark Wellness (Feb. 21)

    Towards the end of February, reports surfaced that Optum – a component of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) – experienced attained a deal to receive in-household professional medical group Landmark Overall health. The two companies have been rather quiet about the transaction, but Landmark’s new CEO, Chris Johnson, touched on the subject for the duration of HHCN’s Potential meeting.

    “It has seriously assisted us to increase the number of sufferers that have accessibility to this sort of provider, and do so in a way that really generates density for our neighborhood health care teams, which just boosts the high quality of care that we can provide,” Johnson mentioned in December.

    4. Brookdale Promoting Greater part Stake in Dwelling Overall health Business enterprise to HCA Health care (Feb. 24)

    Also at the close of February, Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (NYSE: BKD) introduced plans to offer a the greater part stake in its house wellbeing, hospice and outpatient therapy business to HCA Healthcare (NYSE: HCA). The pair finalized the $400 million transaction in July, with LHC Group Inc. (Nasdaq: LHCG) later attaining home health and fitness and hospice agencies in 22 states from the joint venture.

    This deal wasn’t these a shocker, with Brookdale beforehand speaking about programs to offer its wellness treatment expert services section to improve shareholder worth and provide a lot more forms of treatment to its residents.

    5. Senior Care Innovator Monthly bill Thomas: The us Desires to Alter How It Talks About ‘Home Care’ (May well 4)

    In this well-known story, HHCN caught up with senior treatment innovator Invoice Thomas to talk about house treatment, its position in the care continuum and its long run.

    “As we emerge from this pandemic, it seems like the expression ‘home care’ has turn into a little bit dated,” Thomas claimed. “That’s not our long run. We’re heading to be at the intersection of all the most crucial tendencies in overall health and wellness in the United States.”

    6. CMS to Have to have COVID-19 Vaccinations for Personnel in ‘Most Health Care Settings’ — Like Dwelling Wellbeing Care (Sept. 9)

    COVID-19 did not determine house-dependent treatment in 2021, but it nevertheless played a big job. In September, the Biden administration spelled out it would be pushing for more robust vaccine necessities for U.S. health treatment workers – and not just these who perform in lengthy-expression care facilities.

    The U.S. Facilities for Medicare & Medicaid Providers (CMS) launched an emergency momentary conventional for well being care worker vaccination prerequisites about two months just after the announcement. It has occur below fire ever considering that, with dozens of states suing the administration.

    In-property care suppliers have been still left to navigate the legal twists and turns even though concurrently battling worsening labor shortages.

    7. Humana to Receive All of Kindred at Dwelling, Divest Hospice and Community Treatment Functions (April 27)

    You cannot talk about “industry-shaping household health and fitness deals” without having mentioning Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) fully acquiring Kindred at Household.

    This 12 months, Humana resolved to go all-in on Kindred to construct the most significant worth-primarily based home well being business enterprise in the nation. Inevitably, the system is to rebrand Kindred to “CenterWell Household Health” and divest its hospice belongings.

    HHCN lately received an update on that plan even though talking with Greg Sheff, interim section president of dwelling remedies at Humana, for Disrupt.

    8. The Leading 10 Major Household Wellbeing, Hospice Suppliers in 2020 (Feb. 9)

    LexisNexis Threat Remedies — a part of world-wide analytics firm RELX (NYSE: RELX) — releases a ranking of the leading 100 most significant property wellness and hospice suppliers each individual calendar year. Its most new listing arrived out on Feb. 9, with some movement among the biggest property wellness and hospice corporations.

    9. Top rated Dwelling Wellbeing Developments for 2021 (Jan. 18)

    Among our predictions at the commence of this year, HHCN explained that expenditure in home-centered treatment would reach new heights, that client-acuity concentrations would go on mounting and that policymakers would just take a sledgehammer to the traditional property wellness advantage. We ended up suitable on the initially two details – and partly appropriate on the third.

    Getting momentum in Congress, Pick Dwelling could still considerably incorporate to the household wellbeing advantage at some time subsequent calendar year.

    10. ‘Once They’re Absent, They’re Gone’: Spouse and children & Nursing Care Rebuilds Workforce Following COVID-19 Losses (Jan. 3)

    Staffing-scarcity stories ended up all far too typical in 2021. This is a person illustration, the place HHCN reconnected with the Silver Spring, Maryland-centered private-shell out property treatment provider Get Relatives & Nursing Treatment to master more about their workforce challenges.

  • The Expansion Toward Integrative Wellness Approaches in MS Care

    The Expansion Toward Integrative Wellness Approaches in MS Care

    For years, the conversations surrounding care for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) mainly centered around drug development and the optimization of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). There are now more than a dozen DMTs approved for MS, administered in various forms such as tablets, injections, or infusions. Although, as clinicians have learned, the management of these patients extends past treating solely the relapses.

    Integrative wellness is a practice based around the belief that treating patients involves much more than only disease and symptom management and has become an approach adopted by more clinicians in recent years. This all-purpose type of method encompasses aspects of diet and nutrition, exercise, sleep, and ongoing preventive care, among others.1,2 Although there are no set guidelines on how to conduct this care, there are several overlapping themes and ideas.

    The conceptual idea of integrative wellness often also carries a stigma, with many assuming these practices are not backed by scientific evidence. Contrary to this belief, ongoing research and the COVID-19 pandemic have confirmed the need for alternative approaches, particularly for patients with MS, who may benefit from interventions tailored to their individual needs.1-5

    Variety in Wellness Approaches

    Kathy Zackowski, PhD, OTR, senior director of patient management, care, and rehabilitation research, National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS), has been at the forefront of researching and advocating for this new style of care. Her organization funds work that ranges from better understanding the use of acupuncture and yoga, to the resilience of psychosocial approaches, to the relationship of dieting and changes in the gut microbiome.

    “The whole idea with wellness is that this is something that everyone can do right now,” Zackowski told NeurologyLive®. “You don’t need a lot of equipment, but you need to understand the important elements of a wellness strategy for you. For someone in pain, we might recommend some of these psychosocial strategies looking at resilience and pain management, but for someone who’s weak, they may need just exercise. Exercise is its own intervention. It’s not simple to go out and say, ‘go exercise.’ We need to understand what elements of that intervention are important for that person.”

    The variety and usage of these integrative wellness approaches differs from clinic to clinic, which has added to its natural phenomenon. At Cleveland Clinic,6 physicians recommend maintaining a low-salt Mediterranean diet, getting at least 150 minutes of moderate movement per week, maintaining vitamin D levels between 40-70 ng/mL, not smoking or using tobacco products, and undergoing routine mental health screening.2,7,8

    Nutrition’s Role in Wellness

    Although there is a migration towards a better understanding of the need for collaboration and comprehensive care, some specialties are not consistently included in the model. Registered dietitians, for example, have historically been excluded from the multidisciplinary care team, with information on nutrition coming instead from integrative or alternative practitioners.

    Mona Bostick, RDN, LDN, a nutritionist living with MS with a dedicated passion for optimizing nutrition, commented on this exclusion, adding that while nutrition is often miscast as an “integrative” approach, diet and how patients eat is not an alternative treatment for MS, but it is rather a pivotal aspect of overall health. Bostick is the founder of her private practice, Food Matters 365, now called MSBites, a source for evidence-based nutrition and wellness advice to help patients with MS.

    “I believe the shift toward the integrative exists precisely because dietitians have not been included in the care team. With MS being such a disease [that] steals control over the things you thought you had control over, when alternative practitioners are promising to heal, beat, reverse, or give you that control back, the vulnerability that MS presents is going to make someone take a risk on that,” she told NeurologyLive®. “It’s important to know that nutrition and what you eat plays an important role in your overall health, but it doesn’t offset demyelination—nuance and context around what food can do is missing a lot of times in these integrative and alternative messages of this practitioners. I find that to be disconcerting because there is a vulnerability to the MS population, for sure.”

    Zackowski echoed similar thoughts to Bostick, adding that even the general public should be exposed to nutritional dietitians. “With MS, it’s complicated. We don’t have the cure yet, and one of the ways the [National MS] Society talks about this is the pathway to cures. The idea that there’s not just one cure, there are multiple cures, and people define cure in a different way. One way of defining cure is taking away symptoms. If diet can provide some improvements in the symptoms people [with MS] have that’s one form of an MS cure,” she explained.

    Sharing Best Practices for a Sense of Community

    Amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the shift to telemedicine challenged clinicians to provide care remotely, whether that be for symptom management or for integrative approaches. Interestingly, some clinicians say the use of telemedicine had a positive effect in increasing collaboration and information sharing within the MS field, as the unknowns associated with COVID-19 generated a need for experts to share timely data relating to the virus and overall best practices with one another.

    Mitzi Joi Williams, MD, CEO, Joi Wellness Group Multiple Sclerosis Center, spoke on this increased sense of community within the MS field since the onset of the pandemic and over the course of 2021. Williams noted that her colleagues were not afraid to share findings and information from registries, whereas in the past, the scientific community had cultivated a sense of protectiveness in terms of clinical data that had yet to be published.

    “The information sharing that has emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic has really been amazing, and to see the collaboration from people from different academic centers, from the academic centers in the community, to across the pond, across the world, across the globe, has really been astounding,” Williams told NeurologyLive®.

    Social media has been crucial in establishing this sharing of information and collaborative attitude, allowing experts in the MS field to share information quickly and freely via online platforms like Twitter, Williams said. Monthly webinars and conferences also aided in the dissemination of updated data, with experts then able to implement practices in real time.

    “I hope this collaborative approach amongst MS specialists, general neurologists, and my colleagues around the globe stays,” Williams said. “There has been this amazing unity amongst everyone to try to find the scientific answers we need to be able to adequately care for our patients. We’ve seen a lot of synergy with people creating registries fairly quickly—a lot of things that we thought couldn’t get done are absolutely getting done, [and] a lot of things we thought couldn’t be done remotely are absolutely being done remotely.”

    Zackowski spoke on ongoing work of the NMSS to improve this collaboration and sharing of information as it pertains to wellness, which includes the development of the Wellness Research Group and 3 different subgroups: physical wellness, nutritional wellness, and psychosocial wellness.9-11 Information published online is tailored specifically to patients or clinicians, making it easier to access veritable, valuable sources, Zackowski said, noting that patients “do not need to be scientists” in order to understand findings from ongoing studies. This is not, however, a foolproof method for getting the word out about wellness, particularly due to the need for practices and information to be adjusted for individual patients.

    “The idea of integrating just those 3 areas is challenging—and that’s not really addressing everything—there’s so many symptoms that people have with MS that I think can be addressed by different wellness approaches,” Zackowski said. “I think it’s really hard to get the message out to people about what to do because there’s no regulatory body on how to make sure the standards are the same everywhere, and that’s something we as a society are trying to grapple with a little bit more.”

    Need for Increased Research

    Although there is good reason to be excited about these integrative approaches, clinicians themselves also agree that there is a need for extended research that aims at understanding and optimizing these methods. As of now, clinicians use their better judgement, paired with what’s been observed in the literature and through the help of their multidisciplinary teams. There is no current law-abiding guideline that the community has developed or strictly follows.

    “When you talk about exercise, diet, or even cognitive rehabilitation, no one knows exactly the right dose, Zackowski stressed. “How much do you need as a person with MS to address your particular issue? We do this automatically with medications because the FDA dictates that you have to put a particular dose and explain what that dose is. In the wellness area, we need to address those things, we need to understand the dose, the intensity, the setting that this is done in, and how that approach will be effective in people who have more than one symptom.”

    Despite advances in research in recent years, the space is stilling being held back. Without backing from pharmaceutical companies or industry leaders, it has been difficult to conduct large scale trials that further help validate these methods. These groups have yet to formally recognize integrative wellness as something that has significant therapeutic benefit, especially since the data thus far has been hard to quantify.

    That, ultimately, leaves supporters of integrative wellness practices like Bostick and Zackowski to fend for themselves in terms of powering research, or forces them to turn to organizations such as the NMSS in hopes of acquiring funding and materials.

    “I’m thinking of getting pharmaceutical companies interested in this combined approach that uses a medication and a wellness strategy,” Zackowski said. “This might be another way to encourage greater funding for this, but it will take time and money to get this understood better. We are right on the forefront though—we’re at a place where this can be studied now, and I’m encouraged by that.”

    A Look Ahead

    In addition to the need for increased research, there remain complexities in the integration of dietitians into standard of care, according to Bostick. “Out in the community, there are dietitians everywhere. At this point, the obstacle is that continuing education hours are expensive and difficult to obtain. There’s not been a reason for a dietician to justify becoming educated and informed on this topic, because they’ve not yet been welcomed into the comprehensive care team,” she said.

    Bostick added that once the talents of these specialists are more appreciated, they may go back to their communities and advocate for these roles as well as provide information for newcomers to feel more comfortable. While a dietitian may have a broad knowledge of nutrition, they may not be as equipped at that moment to treat the MS-specific component. “Broadly speaking, multiple sclerosis is not discussed in our education and training. That’s the obstacle,” she said.

    Much like how the efficacy of drugs continues to be optimized in post hoc analyses, it will only be a matter of time before similar studies to further validate these wellness approaches. Overall, the commitment to these nontraditional, forward-thinking ideas represents the general trend within the medical system in recent years to treat the patient from a complete holistic perspective that addresses all downstream aspects of the disease, and not just the root cause.

    This contribution to HCPLive’s 2021 This Year in Medicine series comes from sister publication NeurologyLive®.

    REFERENCES
    1. Latimer-Cheung AE, Pilutti LA, Hicks AL, et al. Effects of exercise training on fitness, mobility, fatigue, and health-related quality of life among adults with multiple sclerosis: a systematic review to inform guideline development. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2013;94:1800-1828. doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2013.04.020
    2. Fitzgerald KC, Tyry T, Salter A, et al. Diet quality is associated with disability and symptom severity in multiple sclerosis. Neurology. 2018;90:e1-e11.doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000004768.
    3. Farinotti M, Vacchi L, Simi S, Di Pietrantonj C, Brait L, Fillipini G. Dietary interventions and multiple sclerosis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;12:CD004192. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004192.pub3
    4. Skovgaard L, Bjerre L, Haahr N, et al. An investigation of multidisciplinary complex health care interventions–steps towards an integrative treatment model in the rehabilitation of people with multiple sclerosis. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2012;12:50. doi:10.1186/1472-6882-12-50
    5. Alphonsus KB, Su Y, D’Arcy C. The effect of exercise, yoga and physiotherapy on the quality of life of people with multiple sclerosis: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Complement Ther Med. 2019;43:188-195. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2019.02.010
    6. Rensel MR. Wellness Practices That Can Improve Multiple Sclerosis Outcomes. August 14, 2017. Accessed December 10, 2021. https://consultqd.clevelandclinic.org/wellness-practices-that-can-improve-multiple-sclerosis-outcomes/
    7. Petajan JH, Gappmaier E, White AT, Spencer MJ, Mino L, Hicks RW. Impact of aerobic training on fitness and quality of life in multiple sclerosis. Ann Neurol. 1996;39(4):432-41. doi:10.1002/ana.410390405
    8. Mokry LE, Ross S, Ahmad OS, et al. Vitamin D and Risk of Multiple Sclerosis: A Mendelian Randomization Study. PLoS Med. 2015;12(8):e1001866. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001866
    9.Wellness and Lifestyle Research. NMSS website. Updated 2021. Accessed December 10, 2021. https://www.nationalmssociety.org/Research/Research-News-Progress/Wellness-and-Lifestyle
    10. Society-Supported Wellness Research Group Publishes Strategies for Improving Diet Studies in People with MS. NMSS Website. April 27, 2020. Accessed December 10, 2021. https://www.nationalmssociety.org/About-the-Society/News/Society-Supported-Wellness-Research-Group-Publishe
    11. Fitzgerald KC, Sand IK, Senders A, et al. Conducting dietary intervention trials in people with multiple sclerosis: Lessons learned and a path forward. Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2020;37:101478. doi:10.1016/j.msard.2019.101478

  • Vets are connecting to mental health care. Is it enough?

    Vets are connecting to mental health care. Is it enough?


    By Mona Dougani

    Cornelia Vincent still struggles with the trauma she experienced years ago when a grenade pierced the tower where she was on guard while serving 10 months in Afghanistan with the U.S. Army.

    The explosion left the former unit supply specialist in the military police force with a shrapnel wound on her wrist and a gash on her head.

    Vincent, who’s now in her 30s, suffers from internal scars, too, trying to deal with a stew of stress and unresolved emotions that roil inside her long after she completed her stint in the Army from 2011 to 2014.

    “I was 20 when I went there,” Vincent said recently while describing the incident that occurred in October 2011. “I turned 21 in Afghanistan, and I was upset because they only gave me a bowl of ice cream.” 

    Though Vincent describes her time in the military as an amazing experience, she and others face severe mental health challenges associated with serving in combat long after they come home. Current events, such as the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan in August, can be triggering for many veterans.

    “Mental health is a serious thing. It was hard for me to even come out and say that to people because a lot of people didn’t know that I was going through that,” Vincent said. “I just hid it well. I think being exposed to those things and trying to get the help now, it’s important.”

    According to a 2015 study from the National Institutes of Health that surveyed war veterans who served in both Afghanistan and Iraq, 43 percent of those participants screened positive for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depression and alcohol misuse. 

    Selfie Cornelia Vincent took while serving in the Army. Photo credit: Cornelia Vincent

    Connecting vets to services

    Connecting vets to services

    Kenneth Marfilius, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and an assistant professor in social work at Syracuse University who specializes in military mental health, said he has heard a range of emotions from Afghan veterans recently. 

    “It’s not one-size-fits-all,” Marfilius said. “I’ve heard anger, I’ve heard an increase in fatigue and irritability, some level of sadness, so the profound sense of loss, grief, and suffering are certainly overwhelming. It’s normal for them to be experiencing all types of difficult unexpected emotions.”

    To help veterans cope with these emotions in North Carolina, organizations such as NC Serves and Veterans Bridge Home offer a range of services. 

    Brooke Dickhart is executive director of the Joel Fund, named for her late father, a Vietnam-era veteran who struggled with PTSD, substance use and depression. She’s also the Triangle network director for NC Serves, helping ensure veterans get back on their feet. 

    The Joel Fund specifically supports those who are readjusting to life at home and connects servicemen and women with their community through art classes and other events.

    NC Serves, on the other hand, is a network of nonprofits connecting veterans with requested services across the entire state. The organization also focuses on six social determinants of health for veterans including education, health care, employment, social enrichment, benefits and financial needs. 

    There are many ways that the military community, family members, and caregivers can get connected to services, according to Dickhart. 

    “They can self-refer through the NC Serves website, they can also call in, and that phone number is also on the website. Another way that they can be connected to services is through another provider,” Dickhart said. “We can go into the NC Serves network, create a referral, and send it to the appropriate organization who can provide some financial assistance for them.”

    In North Carolina, NC Serves has four network locations: 

    “One of the great things about it is they only have to tell their story one time if that’s all they want. They don’t have to constantly be repeating themselves because of the way the system works. We take notes, we have all that information. When we send a referral to the appropriate provider, they can see that information.”

    Both organizations do what they can to connect servicemen and women with mental health services in different health care settings.

    “We have great partnerships with organizations that offer mental health services,” Dickhart said. “One provider that comes to mind that we work very closely with is the  Steven Cohen clinic down in Fayetteville. They will do telehealth and I believe they’ve started doing some in person appointments. 

    “The VA is not part of the network, but we do work closely with suicide prevention at the VA.” 

    Refugees served, too

    The recent U.S. pullout from Afghanistan also was challenging for those who were not in the military, but connected to the conflict in other ways.

    That’s the case for Hamid, whose surname is not being used for safety reasons. He’s an Afghan refugee and former interpreter for the U.S. Army who told NC Health News in an interview in both English and Farsi that his mental health has suffered immensely.

    “You know, it’s really hard,” Hamid said. “It’s like, I lost my mind. I can’t focus on anything you know, right now and I’m talking with you. So I couldn’t focus, you know? It’s like, I have lost my mind. We are depressed.”

    Hamid has been able to receive assistance from the Interpreting Freedom Fund, which aims to help former Afghan interpreters and other allies fleeing to Charlotte. One specific program Hamid was able to receive help through is Operation Connect Vet, a nonprofit that takes former interpreters who have arrived in the United States, and connects them back to military personnel that they worked with overseas.  

    “I really appreciate them,” Hamid said. “They came yesterday to the airport and they had a really good welcome and then they brought us to our new home today and spent the whole day with me, and took me everywhere so I’m really happy for that.”  

    ‘We got to do better’

    For many such as Vincent, taking that first step toward getting help can be difficult, especially when there are cultural barriers.

    “I never really necessarily went in talking to somebody the way I should have, but it was hard because back when I was 21, I did not know where I could actually get the resource,” Vincent said. “I didn’t even really know that I had these things going on.”

    Cornelia Vincent (right) at an event with other members of the Queens University Troops club on campus. Photo credit: Cornelia Vincent

    “This is just what was going on in my mind. I’m an African American woman, I just speak from my culture, when I say that a lot of our community don’t really believe in having mental health and going, seeing the therapist and stuff like that, though our generation now is breaking that barrier, which is great.”

    It was not until Vincent moved to Charlotte and began attending Queens University of Charlotte that she got connected to the resources and services that had an impact. A faculty member at Queens told her about Veterans Bridge Home.  

    “They do more than just provide services for therapy,” Vincent said. “They help you with finances or grant assistance, or places to live, jobs. I’ve used their services a few times.”

    She strongly encourages other veterans struggling with such issues to check out the services. 

    Along with seeking help from Veterans Bridge Home, Vincent also does free on-campus therapy at Queens University of Charlotte.

    Though North Carolina is bolstering up services for the military community, Vincent questions whether the military is providing enough mental health services for veterans of war.  

    “I hate to say this, I don’t think it’s enough,” Vincent said. “I know, they put up the suicide hotline number and I know they say that, but I think with this state of mind and things that are really transpiring not just overseas but in the country, I feel like there needs to be more put out there and maybe more advocates to go speak to the soldiers and really do a welfare check on each other because this is getting a little bit more crucial, right?”

    “I’ve actually lost one, two, three — I lost four other people that I served alongside to suicide. It’s heartbreaking because none of these people got healed. I feel like it’s not funny, it’s not a joke. I feel like ‘people, we got to do better.’”

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    North Carolina Health News

     

    Finally, at the bottom of the story (whether web or print), please include the text:

     

    North Carolina Health News is an independent, non-partisan, not-for-profit, statewide news organization dedicated to covering all things health care in North Carolina. Visit NCHN at northcarolinahealthnews.org. (on the web, this can be hyperlinked)

    by Mona Dougani, North Carolina Health News
    December 8, 2021

    1

  • Local health care systems provide update on compliance with NYS COVID-19 vaccine mandate

    Local health care systems provide update on compliance with NYS COVID-19 vaccine mandate

    BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Regional wellbeing treatment units have furnished an update on compliance with the New York State COVID-19 vaccine mandate for well being care employees.

    In August, previous New York Governor Andrew Cuomo introduced a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all health treatment workers in the condition.

    In early October, a federal choose dominated the condition experienced to make it possible for wellbeing care staff to find exemptions as a lawsuit challenging the necessity proceeded in court docket.

    In late Oct, a federal appeals panel upheld the state’s vaccine mandate for overall health treatment workers and reversed the federal judge’s choice.

    In November, the New York State Section of Well being despatched a letter to well being care suppliers throughout the state that explained starting November 22, those who ended up previously granted religious exemptions had been necessary to have documentation of a very first dose COVID-19 vaccination or a valid health-related exemption.

    Monday evening, Catholic Wellness and Kaleida Wellbeing provided updates on compliance with the mandate.

    Catholic Wellbeing said about 185 associates, or less than 2{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of the workforce, stay unvaccinated.

    “Any unvaccinated Catholic Wellness associate coated underneath the vaccine mandate who has not obtained a health-related exemption or deferral, is remaining terminated based on the needs of the condition mandate,” a launch says.

    We carried out an aggressive training marketing campaign, which include having our infectious disease specialists and other vaccine advocates go device-to-unit and office-to-section to deal with any questions or fears our personnel experienced about the COVID-19 vaccine. Dozens of men and women were being vaccinated in the previous week by yourself, and we are grateful to all those who stepped up to shield by themselves and our patients and extended-phrase care inhabitants.

    – William Pryor, Catholic Wellness Executive Vice President & Main Administrative Officer

    Kaleida Health and fitness explained it terminated 100 workers Monday who ended up earlier granted a spiritual exemption and selected not to get an initial vaccination dose by the NYS deadline of December 5. Combined with the November deadline, Kaleida Wellness stated it has terminated around 200 personnel in full because of to the mandate.

    “Kaleida Health intends to continue being open and provide entry to solutions throughout the business. We continue to increase means and submit positions so that we can go on to be there for the group,” a release claims.

    Owing to the reduction in workforce which led to a reduction of staffed beds, and a rise in COVID-19 circumstances, Kaleida Overall health is suspending non-necessary elective inpatient surgeries at Buffalo Standard Healthcare Middle and Millard Fillmore Suburban Healthcare facility.

    We keep on to consult with our doctor leadership as well as surgical leadership teams to handle the quantity of elective inpatient surgeries on a each day basis that demand an right away remain. This will guarantee that, as a well being technique, we are appropriately controlling affected individual treatment and local community need amid this current surge in COVID-19 scenarios.

    – Dr. Michael Mineo, main clinical officer for Buffalo Basic Healthcare Center and Millard Fillmore Suburban Healthcare facility

    7 Eyewitness News reached out to ECMC for remark on compliance with the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, we have not listened to back. In September, ECMC declared it put around 7{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of its full workforce on unpaid depart as a outcome of the vaccine mandate.

  • Abrams’ entry into 2022 race sets up health care as a pivotal issue

    Abrams’ entry into 2022 race sets up health care as a pivotal issue

    Democrat Stacey Abrams’ entry Wednesday into the 2022 Georgia gubernatorial race almost guarantees that health care will be a leading issue in the campaign.

    Abrams, who narrowly lost to Brian Kemp in the 2018 race, pushed Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act as a top priority in that campaign.

    As governor, Kemp has taken a much narrower path toward increasing the Medicaid rolls, and has opposed expanding the program in the standard ACA fashion, as most states have done.

    Abrams

    Instead, he has proposed a plan to extend Medicaid to more low-income adults, but this plan has strict eligibility requirements – such as holding a job or fulfilling some alternative obligation. That means it would cover far fewer people than standard expansion would. And the Biden administration, which must approve such a state plan, has raised questions about those requirements.

    If Kemp gains the Republican nomination, and Abrams is the Democrats’ pick, “it sets up a stark contrast on health care,’’ said Laura Colbert of the consumer advocacy group Georgians for a Healthy Future.

    Georgia is one of 12 states that have not expanded Medicaid, as Republican leaders have called the move too costly.

    Kemp

    Kemp issued a quick response to the Abrams announcement.

    “Next November’s election for governor is a battle for the soul of our state,” he said. “I’m in the fight against Stacey Abrams, the failed Biden agenda and their woke allies to keep Georgia the best place to live, work and raise a family.”

    The AJC reported in October that an advocacy group founded by Abrams launched a seven-figure ad campaign urging Kemp to give struggling Georgians a boost by supporting an expansion of Medicaid.

    The ads by Fair Fight featured three front-line health care workers who accused Kemp of “playing politics” by opposing an expansion of the program.

    Brian Robinson, a Republican strategist, noted that Abrams “campaigned heavily on Medicaid expansion in 2018 and she’ll do so again. It’s an issue that unites all Democrats and independents and poaches some Republicans. Polling shows a majority of Georgians support it, and that’s the kind of topic a nominee is looking for in a general election to contrast with the opponent.”

    An Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll in 2019 showed that 71{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of Georgians supported expansion.

    Any Democrat running for governor would promote health care issues, said Bill Custer, a health insurance expert and retired Georgia State University professor. Medicaid expansion “is clearly an issue important to Georgians,” he said.

    But congressional passage of the Democrats’ Build Back Better legislation, which contains an alternative to cover low-income uninsured people, would take some steam away from the Medicaid expansion fight, Custer said.

    The U.S. Senate is considering the legislation, which has already passed the House. As currently proposed, it would offer coverage in the health insurance exchange for poor residents in the 12 non-expansion states, though changes could be made in the measure to win some senators’ support.

    Another potential campaign dividing line is abortion. Abrams has opposed abortion limits, while Kemp signed a Georgia bill in 2019 that outlawed most abortions once a doctor can detect a fetal heartbeat — usually about six weeks into a pregnancy and before many women know they’re pregnant. Some of the bill’s critics in the medical community say the term “fetal heartbeat” is misleading.

    A federal judge in 2020 ruled the Georgia law unconstitutional.

    Demonstrators outside Supreme Court.                        Photo: KHN/Getty

     

    The U.S. Supreme Court, though, is hearing a potentially landmark case involving abortion. The justices Wednesday heard the most serious legal challenge to abortion rights in a generation.

    And judging from the questions asked by the justices, it appeared possible — even likely — that a majority of them could vote to turn the thorny question of whether to allow abortion, and under what circumstances, back over to individual states, Kaiser Health News reported. The high court’s Roe v. Wade decision effectively legalized abortion nationwide in 1973.

    In the 2022 campaign, Abrams may point to her work on helping to pay off people’s medical debt.

    The political organization she leads, Fair Fight, told the Associated Press in October that it has donated $1.34 million from its political action committee to the nonprofit organization RIP Medical Debt to wipe out debt with a face value of $212 million owed by 108,000 people in Georgia, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.