House-Passed American Rescue Plan Includes Key United States of Care Policy Priorities
Today, United States of Care applauded the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which includes a number of United State of Care’s most important policy priorities.
“Over the past year, United States of Care has made substantial recommendations to policymakers based on peoples’ needs to fight the pandemic and build a better, more equitable health care system in its wake,” said Emily Barson, Executive Director at United States of Care. “Whether it’s the $46 billion to help local and state public health workers engage in contact tracing and testing activities or our advocacy to ensure people are able to provide for themselves and their loved ones during the pandemic, we're proud that so many of our suggestions made it into the House-passed American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. We urge the Senate to follow suit and provide people with the support that’s needed – and widely popular among Democratic and Republican voters – to put an end to this pandemic and allow our health care system to emerge from this crisis stronger than before.”
The House passed rescue proposal aligns with previous United States of Care recommendations, including:
$7.6 billion to HHS to set up a permanent public health workforce, or Health Care Ready Reserve, with funds for state, local, and territorial health departments.
USofCare, along with our Entrepreneurs Council co-chair John Driscoll, advocated for the establishment of a Health Care Ready Reserve.
In January 2021, USofCare's recommendations called for "funding to scale and implement the nation’s vaccine distribution capabilities" to the tune of $20 billion. USofCare’s vaccine distribution recommendations also explicitly focused on “underserved areas” listed in the bill.
$1.75 billion for funding for grants for community mental health services.
On July 15th, 2020, USofCare called for robust investment in behavioral health to ensure mental health services remain open, operational, and able to provide care during the pandemic.
People who are laid off or experience reduced hours are eligible for subsidies that cover 85% of their COBRA costs through the end of September 2021.
In January 2021, USofCare recommended that the full cost of COBRA assistance should be covered on a temporary basis for those who have lost job-connected health insurance.
$1 billion to educate the public on the vaccine in order to boost confidence in it.
Encourage Medicaid expansion in states that have yet to implement it by having the federal government pay an extra 5% of all of a state’s Medicaid costs for two years.
USofCare urged policymakers to create incentives for states to expand Medicaid via a 100% Federal Medical Assistance Percentage match for those enrolled in expansion populations on several occasions including April 14, 2020, July 15, 2020, and December 3, 2020.
Ensure that no one buying coverage from the Marketplace would pay more than 8.5% of their income for health insurance.
In January 2021, USofCare made this exact recommendation.
$20 million for youth suicide prevention.
USofCare called for confronting our nation’s suicide epidemic in its December 3rd transition memo.
$620 million for AmeriCorps to serve communities disproportionately impacted by COVID–19.
“USofCare thanks our Board, Founder’s, and Entrepreneurs Council members for providing their expertise and guidance in shaping our policy recommendations,” added Barson. “This week’s tragic milestone in the U.S. of 500,000 COVID-19 deaths is the latest reminder of the devastating toll of this pandemic and the need for decisive action from the federal government. We wholeheartedly agree with the overwhelming majority of the American people from both political parties in favor of the American Rescue Plan.”
Fieldwork Brewing Company Expands San Ramon LocationWith Increased Indoor Taproom Capacity and New Food Program at City Center Bishop Ranch
Berkeley, Calif. -- Wednesday, February 24, 2021 -- An ambassador for craft beer in Berkeley, California, Fieldwork Brewing Company expands its San Ramon location with an additional 900 square feet of increased indoor taproom capacity at City Center Bishop Ranch in the Tri-Valley region servicing the greater East Bay cities of San Ramon, Danville, Alamo, and Dublin/Pleasanton. The Fieldwork Taproom and Beer Garden at City Center Bishop Ranch will feature a 3,300 square feet indoor taproom and 2,700 square feet outdoor beer garden. Fieldwork Brewing at City Center remains open until their Grand Opening set for spring 2021. "We are excited to expand our indoor space at City Center Bishop Ranch to add 40 additional seats and a kitchen so we can offer our patrons high-quality foods from our Culinary Director Jeffrey Amber's new menu. City Center will be the latest Fieldwork location to feature our full menu, and we're thrilled to be able to provide great menu items along with our fresh, locally brewed beer," says Barry Braden, Co-Founder and Owner of Fieldwork Brewing Company. "Fieldwork has quickly become a popular place for the community to meet and spend time. Everyone knows how good their beer is and we are excited that this expansion will allow them to introduce their food menu at City Center, which is equally fantastic," says Alexander Mehran, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer of Sunset Development Company, Owner and Operator of City Center Bishop Ranch. Lauded as a "Rising Star Chef" by San Francisco Chronicle, Chef Jeffrey Amber (Culinary Director, Fieldwork Brewing Company) leads Fieldwork Brewing's food program following his pioneering work as Executive Chef at Bi-Rite, Culinary Director at MIXT, Executive Chef at Chow, among other restaurant ventures. For the Fieldwork Taproom and Beer Garden menu at City Center Bishop Ranch, Amber sources exceptional organic ingredients from Bay Area farmers to serve seasonally-focused dishes and support the local sustainable agricultural ecosystem. The centerpiece of Fieldwork's menu is Neapolitan-inspired pizza cooked with organic flour from Central Milling (Logan, Utah) and fresh whole peeled organic tomatoes sourced from Rob DiNapoli (Los Gatos, Calif.). Spring vegetables and artisanal meats shape the opening menu with 10 different pizza styles. Starters include many health-conscious options, and a children's menu is available. The Fieldwork Taproom and Beer Garden at City Center Bishop Ranch full menu can be downloaded at this LINK. Brewing well over 500 unique beers since opening its West Berkeley brewery in February 2015, Fieldwork brews with as much a sense of purpose as a sense of place as they honor Northern California's magnificent outdoor landscapes with an array of idiosyncratic beers. The esteemed brewing team led by Head Brewer and Co-Founder Alex Tweet focuses on innovation for its ever-evolving roster of highly aromatic and well-balanced beers. Based on seasonality and consistent quality, Fieldwork forges its own path brewing beers they simply love to drink. Walking into Fieldwork Brewing locations is never the same experience twice with their ambitious brewing program featuring signature IPAs, Double IPAs, lagers, pale ales, sours, stouts, etc. Bay Area regulars and out of town visitors can always rely on enjoying an onslaught of beer varieties with the tasting menu in constant rotation. Some beers reappear and others never repeat. The Fieldwork Taproom and Beer Garden at City Center Bishop Ranch features upwards of 18 beers on the menu. For more information regarding Fieldwork Brewing Company, please visit fieldworkbrewing.com and instagram.com/fieldworkbrewingco. About Fieldwork Brewing CompanyEstablished in 2015, Fieldwork Brewing Company is a craft brewery based in Berkeley, CA brewing for the regional Northern California marketplace. Available at their West Berkeley, Napa, Sacramento, San Mateo, Monterey, San Ramon, and Corte Madera taprooms/beer gardens, Fieldwork beers are also on draft at the finest local craft beer focused restaurants and bars. Fieldwork is the 10th fastest growing private company on San Francisco Business Times' "100 Fastest Growing Private Companies in the Bay Area" for 2018, and Inc. magazine ranked Fieldwork at No. 604 on its 2019 Inc. 5000 list of "America's Fastest-Growing Private Companies." Fieldwork's downtown Napa location expands to the Oxbow Public Market Annex in spring 2021, and the midtown Sacramento taproom is in The Handle District. In summer 2017, Fieldwork opened beer gardens in San Mateo and Monterey. The Fieldwork Taproom and Beer Garden at City Center Bishop Ranch (San Ramon) opened in 2018, and The Fieldwork Taproom at Town Center Corte Madera opened in 2020. Fieldwork's latest releases can be enjoyed by sampler flight, beer by the glass, and filled "to go" in growlers and crowler cans. Special Release cans are available onsite and for delivery while supplies last at each location. Fieldwork proudly supports select regional non-profits through the release of benefit beers such as Koalaty Time Double IPA, March On Hoppy & Strong, Crayon Box Double IPA, 924 Double IPA, Oakland Pride IPA, Golden Rule Double IPA, and Fetch Pale Ale.
Powerful True Story Inspires Others to Seek Adventure, Turn Each Day into a Gift
Fort Wayne, IN, February 24, 2021 — Brittany Moser’s short life was not defined by how she died, but rather, by how she lived each day to the fullest and the profound impact she had on those around her. Brittany died from a rare condition, Addison’s disease, in 2017 at the age of 32. She had been a happy-go-lucky flight attendant, soaring high above reality, when her diagnosis suddenly brought her down to earth.
Rather than buckle under the weight of fear, she chose to be fearless and embarked upon the adventure of a lifetime with her best friend — her father. Free and Fearless: The Amazing Impact of One Precious Lifeis Brittany’s unforgettable story as told by her father, Philip Moser.
“This book is not about the grief of losing a child, but about making the most out of what we are given and living our lives positively and not out of fear,” Moser writes. “Brittany inspired me, an ordinary farm boy, to explore life, to climb mountains and to write a book.”
Free and Fearless is an honest, poignant account of Brittany’s legacy and the ripple effect that her outlook on life had on everyone who knew her. Philip hopes that by hearing her story, readers will be inspired by Brittany’s contagious spirit and unwavering desire for new adventures and experiences — even in the shadow of an incurable illness.
Among Brittany’s valuable life lessons that Philip shares with readers are:
1. How precious life is and how we can affect the people around us; 2. How an open mind and a positive attitude can inspire us to do things we never thought possible; 3. How to move out of our comfort zones and into a challenging existence that can turn each day into an exciting gift to be explored; 4. How to not let fear control us, and to use our abilities to seek unique, positive and inspiring adventures; 5. To embrace change as a natural part of life; 6. And finally, that we won’t be remembered by our things or our savings accounts, but by how we made other people feel.
“I want to share the same inspiration that I received for 32 years,” Philip added. “In the end, love truly does conquer all, and Brittany wanted us to know that.”
Author Philip Moser grew up on a farm in Angola, Indiana. After high school, he began working in different aspects of the grocery business, a career that continues to this day. He and his wife, Marilyn Wells, raised two incredible daughters, Camille and Brittany.
Bladder Cancer drug shortage resolved with health canada approval
VERITY-BCG™ bladder cancer treatment available for Canadian patients in the Spring
TORONTO, Feb. 24, 2021 /CNW/ - Verity Pharmaceuticals Inc. is pleased to announce that it has received a notice of compliance with conditions (NOC/c) from Health Canada for the VERITY-BCG™ (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin [BCG]: Strain Russian BCG-I). This approval is welcome news for patients and health care providers who have endured a Canadian and global shortage of this important bladder cancer drug.
Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is a proven immunotherapy of choice for bladder cancer. It is used as first-line intravesical therapy following tumor resection of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Primary producers of BCG announced shortages within the last decade, leading to a worldwide scarcity of the treatment. This new source of BCG from Verity Pharma is expected to be available by mid 2021.
"Canada's multi-year BCG drug shortage will now be a thing of the past with this approval," said Howard Glase, Chief Executive Officer, Verity Pharma. "We know these drug shortages were leading to rationing and dose sparing of this crucial bladder cancer drug and patients had delayed or even cancelled treatments. Canadian patients will now have full access to this life-saving therapy."
According to an article by the National Centre for Biotechnology Information, "physicians treating patients affected by non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) have been in shock during the last six years since manufacturing restrictions on the production of the first-option medicine, Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), have resulted in worldwide shortages."i
Bladder Cancer Canada states that bladder cancer is the 5th most common cancer in Canada and almost 12,000 people will be diagnosed with bladder cancer this year alone.
Verity has partnered with Serum Institute of India, which manufactures BCG. Serum Institute is the world's largest manufacturer of vaccines.
"Verity is proud to continue bringing critical drugs to Canadians. VERITY-BCG™ is an example of our expertise in supplying life-saving therapeutic options to help fulfill unmet patient needs," said Glase.
About VERITY-BCG™
VERITY-BCG™ is an adjuvant therapy after transurethral resection (TUR) of a primary or relapsing superficial papillary urothelial cell carcinoma of the bladder stage Ta (grade 2 or 3) or T1 (grade 1, 2, or 3), without concomitant carcinoma in situ. It is only recommended for stage Ta grade 1 papillary tumors, when there is judged to be a high risk (>50%) of tumor recurrence.
Founded in Canada and owned by Canadians, and with a head office in Mississauga, Ontario, Verity Pharmaceuticals is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on providing therapeutically relevant agents to the Canadian healthcare community. Our mission is to provide access to prescription products that are in short supply or have not yet been made available in Canada.
Verity Pharmaceuticals works with best in class global pharmaceutical manufacturing partners to ensure that product quality and availability is a constant deliverable. We are also committed to supporting programs, initiatives and organizations that help improve health, expand research opportunities, and promote education within the Canadian healthcare community.
Here are Adora’s top 5 DIY tips for healing, alchemy, and soul work:
Essential Oil Alchemy. When we breathe pure essential oils in the proper formulation we can literally elevate our mood and emotional response in the moment. The powerful connection between olfaction and our brain’s limbic center regulates much of our physiology, specifically mood, memory, and emotion. The moment an essential oil is inhaled, it opens and expands the mind-body connection. This allows for new healthier patterns and neural-pathways to form and shift the trajectory of our emotional response when we are triggered by overwhelming or stressful experiences. Adora developed the Elixirs 4 Quantum Living collection to elevate emotional balance, mental clarity, physical vibrancy, and spiritual awakening. The fully nano-emulsified blend of the highest grade essential oils, vibrational infusions, and CBD work to create an open pathway and tap into the highest positive energy level that always exists around us.
Beauty and Abundance Ritual. How we care for our body temple is just as important as caring for our emotions, thoughts, and belief systems. Here is a ritual for both. It is designed to bring an infusion of vibrant expression to all of one’s intentions.
Meditation with Two Alchemical Interventions from the Plant and Mineral Kingdoms. Crystals and essential oils offer complimentary healing frequencies. When meditating, they have a beautiful affinity to penetrate through to the cellular level and our DNA. These alchemical interventions expand the benefits of meditation. This is where we have an incredible opportunity and potential for sustainable healing and quantum shifts in consciousness. Join our complimentary Seeds of the Spirit weekly healing meditations.
Follow a Guided Path in your Healing Journey. Often we get stuck in patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that cause unrest. In their upcoming book Detox. Nourish. Activate: Plant & Vibrational Medicine for Energy, Mood & Love, Adora Winquist and Dr. Lulu Shimek, leaders in the field of alternative medicine, outlines a three-step system designed to heal trauma at the core level. Their guidance provides a series of introspective explorations, meditations, plant-based formulas, and profound insight for the path of self-discovery and self-mastery.
Discovery Session. This complimentary 15-minute private session offers the opportunity to meet with Adora and explore the potential of working together. Adora will share her philosophy on healing, alchemy and the journey of self-mastery. The discovery session is time to share an intention for your healing process and identify the synergy of initiating the journey of “soul work” together.
About Adora Winquist:Since 1990, Adora Winquist has used her gifts to help awaken and evolve the consciousness of humanity. Serving a mission of activating and uniting all kingdoms of life on our planet, she is a visionary in the nascent field of Quantum Alchemy and a pioneer in the field of vibrational medicine and aromatherapeutic healing. She is known for establishing one of the first brands to combine aromatherapy and energy healing on a national scale, evolving it into a world-renowned, award-winning company. She is the co-author of“Detox, Nourish, Activate: Plant and Vibrational Medicine for Energy, Mood, and Love.” This revolutionary book guides readers along the path of self-mastery and the ultimate expression of their personal truth. Among a full collection of products and services, she offers facilitation, education, and guided ceremony/meditation, along with custom vibrational medicine/aromatherapy blends atAdoraWinquist.com. When she isn’t supporting others on their healing journey, Adora can be found spending time with her alpha-male counterpart and two young daughters. Follow @AdoraWinquist on Instagram for healing guidance, upcoming events, and more. Adora Winquist: Awaken, Anchor, and Actualize the Spark of Your Divinity.
Oldest Outdoor Group in US Challenges You to Spend 2 Hours Outside Each Week—6 Survival Tips
New York City, NY, February 24, 2021 — This winter, the Appalachian Mountain Club (www.outdoors.org), the oldest outdoor group in the United States, challenges you to spend two hours of outdoor exercise every week (social distancing, of course). Even though the entire country is experiencing two fewer weeks of snow cover compared to 100 years ago, wherever you live in America, getting outdoors regularly will provide mental benefits as well as physical ones. Despite the fact winter may be fundamentally shifting, AMC’s Colby Meehan, Leadership Training Manager, reveals six survival tips for thriving, surviving and basking in everything Mother Nature has to offer during winter 2021:
1. Plan your adventure: Avoid a 911 emergency by mapping out your exact route, choosing an alternate route for emergencies and calculating how long your roundtrip excursion will be. Make a trip plan and bring things like high-energy snacks and water for a more enjoyable day out.
2. Find the forecast:Check the forecast before you go by listening/watching/reading your favorite weather predictions in advance. This will help you prepare for the appropriate climate while you are out and about. Observe weather changes as they emerge and change your plan for the day as needed to avoid severe weather.
3. Dress appropriately: Carry the right gear based on the weather predictions to pack appropriately. Understanding how to layer for winter makes a world of difference. Avoiding fabrics like cotton and opting for ones like polyester or wool can turn a miserable, risky outing into a pleasant one. For good measure, take extra pairs of gloves, mittens and socks for especially cold temperatures.
4. Build a safe and protected outdoor living space: To guarantee a fun and safe small gathering under COVID conditions, you can create the perfect outdoor living space on a variety of different budgets. Fire pits are affordable, secure heat sources, and waterproof seating offers comfort while keeping you dry. Prep meals in advance so you can focus on fun and enjoy your time outside. Maintain social distancing guidelines (at least 6 feet apart) from other campsites when making your own.Finally, remember the Leave No Trace principles when you leave, which ask you to carry out anything that does not belong in nature.
5. Outdoor recreation and wellness: Winter brings a multitude of activities and sports. It can be as advanced as snowboarding and skiing; but you can also have a blast without snow by jogging, picnicking or hiking. Studies show that spending at least 120 minutes outdoors every week boosts your well-being.
6. Explore the city outdoors: City dwellers also have ways to revel outside during COVID. Whether you decide to walk around your neighborhood for 20 minutes a day, take up birdwatching in a local park for an afternoon or even study the surrounding architecture, time spent outside is good for you.
The mission of the Appalachian Mountain Club is to foster the protection, enjoyment and understanding of the outdoors. They envision a world where our natural resources are healthy, loved and always protected, and where the outdoors occupies a place of central importance in every person’s life. For more information, please visit www.outdoors.org.
Dismantle Social Constructs and Discover the Life You Were Meant to Live
Las Vegas, NV, February 24, 2021 — What better way to tackle existential angst than with a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia? Or perhaps a more constructive way might be to take an introspective deep-dive into the ideologies you hold as true and ask yourself, “Is this the life I chose, or the one chosen for me?”
Christina Dylag’s Tiny Little Boxes: How to Cope with Existential Dread by Way of Ice Cream and Other Means takes readers on a soul-searching journey peppered with humor, philosophical musings and plenty of ice-cream-flavored metaphors to help them uncover any preconditioned social constructs and learn to distinguish between personal fact and fiction.
“A life constructed for us by society can be satisfying for a while, but at a certain point, the tension between who we want to be and who we are becomes unbearable,” Christina writes. “We want to follow our dreams and find fulfillment. We settle instead for a destiny carved for someone else. When we search for answers in religion or romance, we are still left with a nagging sense of emptiness.”
Christina’s book delivers a vastly different approach to the world of self-help. It’s unique, funny and fresh, with a free-flowing narrative that mirrors the fluidity of a stream of consciousness. Much of the book centers on the topic of straying from the norm and carving out a new and highly individualized path.
The result is a mind-broadening nudge that gives readers permission to live, to explore, and to break the barriers of their own little boxes. This book was written to expose and unravel the ideologies that we as humans unconsciously hold as truth, Christina explains. Tiny Little Boxes delves into our predetermined belief systems and how we might reassess or re-approach our conditioned world. Beyond our inherited notions of success, the self and existence lies a more expansive sense of freedom.
Christina Dylag is a writer and co-owner of Velveteen Rabbit, an award-winning craft cocktail bar in Las Vegas which has been featured in Forbes, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bon Appetit, Saveur, Vice, Maxim, Playboy, and others. Christina is 70 percent water, roughly 30 percent sushi and a shy whisper of human form. She lives in Las Vegas and will likely be survived by her giant pet rabbit, Steve.
For more insights from the author, please visit www.Nihilisticecream.com, or follow the author on Instagram (@nihilisticecream) or on Facebook (@nihilisticecream).
Tiny Little Boxes: How to Cope with Existential Dread by Way of Ice Cream and Other Means
Looking Forward! Spring Love is Going to Burst the Pandemic Bubble – Dr. Liza Leal
For many of us, 2020 was the year from hell and 2021 is the year that hell froze over.
But the terrible impacts of this record-setting winter are going top fade away with Spring. And there is a quick and reliable way to improve the love and warmth in our lives and get some badly needed help to relieve the stress and pain and isolation we are all feeling from covid.
You can turn your loved one’s mind onto something fun by telling them “Let’s go out!” and by telling them why you love them,
Receiving a letter from someone you love that expresses gratitude not only increases the desire for closeness and intimacy, but can also trigger renewed interest and commitment to the relationship.
And it’s proven that one of the best and simplest ways to help create a deeper connection in a romantic relationship is to make a plan for a fun time together and deliver the offer in a love letter to the person you desire.
Even though you may be alone when you write a love letter, you will feel like you are in the company of the one you are writing to. The same warm feeling occurs in the person who receives this letter.
You can write a short “Love Letter” in seven short easy steps. Get out a blank sheet of paper or open a computer screen and write down one or more sentences for each of the following seven elements.
Describe to them they ways you love them that makes you feel cherished.
Tell them the specific things you like hearing them say and do, especially when they talk about you to other people.
Tell them how they made you feel when they provided you with emotional support during a tough time, a recent crisis or a difficult experience you went through recently.
Tell them that how you respect and admire how they are different (and better) than you in one or more ways. Recognize and praise them for these differences.
Tell them where and how you appreciate the way they communicate well with you. Recognize them for the things they have said and tell them how they made you feel.
Tell them how much you love to spend time with them doing the things you enjoy to do together. Tell them how you cherish those certain moments that you share together pursuing a common interest.
Tell them how you are attracted to them physically, and how much you are interested in and wanting to be physically intimate with them.
If you can be specific and sincere when you write these ideas down, you are well on your way to sharing a lifetime of love with your partner.
Now sign the letter and send it.
Follow Up and Take Action
You will dramatically improve the love you receive in return by taking additional action to reinforce the feelings you just identified.
Raise the heat by taking action. Think about the seven things your partner likes the most that you do and take actions to deliver more of it in spades.
Make a date!
And if instead of doing this just once a year at Valentine’s Day, decide to make this a regular feature of your life. Pay more attention to the key areas that influence the state of your relationship and jumpstart your romance to achieve greater intimacy.
Practice makes perfect.
Ask your partner what you can do to make their day better or easier. Say these three powerful words to your partner more often: “I love you”. Show affection to your partner on a regular basis.
Two people may love each other, yet not like or accept everything about each other as they are. Think about going to town and focusing on the positive things you do like about your partner. Stop yourself when you start to criticize or complain. Force yourself to say something positive instead. Compliment them. Commend their strength, their action, their self-control, whatever it is that they do.
Tell them, “I am here for you. I will stand by you” Encourage them to develop their full potential.
Feed them what they love. Create new habits and expand the activities they enjoy the most. Form new habits to help you both get by in hard times. If restrictions keep you from going out, have a weekly date at home. Turn on the music and be silly, or dance with your partner in the kitchen, or make brunch on the weekend if your partner usually cooks. Enjoy a change of scenery by taking a walk in a new location or a park, taking a drive together, and going for a hike. To a new location or destination.
Indulge them in what they love.
Learn about your partner’s favorite hobbies and support them in their enjoyment of the topic. Figure out a way to spend time with them both of you doing what the other loves. .
Listen More to Achieve Greater Understanding
Ask how they feel about something and then keep your mouth shut. Listen and learn. Let them rant and rave all they want. No talking at all. Don’t say anything except “uh huh”. Just shut up and listen and learn what your partner believes, desires, feels, and hopes. The more you listen, the more you will know and the better you will really understand, and the more you will truly be able to experience true love.
These seven elements are the foundations of emotional intimacy. They are crucial for all couples, especially those affected by chronic pain and other ongoing health issues.
Together, they form a solid roadmap for greater love – a solid path on which you and your partner can walk together hand in hand through the current pandemic and beyond.
Cupid’s Challenge, Embracing, Restoring Love, Affection, Intimacy and Respect Through the Challenges of Chronic Pain,
Liza Leal, M.D.
List $16.95
113 pages paperback
First Printing, 2021 ISBN-13: 978-1-951805-62-3 print edition ISBN-13: 978-1-951805-63-0 ebook edition Published by Waterside Productions
Dr. Liza Leal is board certified in Family Medicine from the American Board of Family Medicine, and lives and practices in Sugarland, Texas. She is the Chief Medical Officer of Meridian Medical Dental Healthcare and Meridian Health Institute. She received her medical degree from the University of Texas Medical School and completed her internship and residency at the Christus St Joseph Hospital in Houston. She is an active blogger and podcaster on integrated and functional approaches to health. She is also the author of the book Living Well with Chronic Pain (2015) and coauthor of the book Stem Cells Made Simple (2018) with Dr. Duncan Foulds.
Dr. Leal, knows firsthand the devastation of living in chronic pain, she was diagnosed at the age of 23, her third year in medical school and was in a wheel chair the next few years. During her final year in residency, she learned to thrive again, giving up her yellow canary scooter for a pair of high heels, going from 204 lbs to 130 lbs, like many suffering from chronic illness and stress she had to change her habits to learn to live and thrive which is why she chose a path of integrated and functional medicine to help her patients get their life back too.
Instagram @everydayhealthhacker
YouTube Dr. Liza Leal
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Facebook @everydayhealthhacker
Midlife Moments of Reckoning Propel Absorbing Story of One Man’s Struggle for Integrity and Peace
Seattle, WA, February 24, 2021 ― Imagine being trapped on a roller coaster. Your adrenaline rush is long gone; your feelings of insignificance and isolation are magnified. You’re stuck in an endless loop of steady climbs and sudden drops, and no one can navigate this journey except for you.
From award-winning author Wayne M. Johnston comes The Home Stretch, a powerful coming-of-age story for grownups that poignantly captures the complex crises that often accompany middle age — such as reconciling our past and present selves, retiring from careers we love, becoming our parents’ caregivers and contemplating our own mortality.
The Home Stretch is told through the eyes of everyman Bill Smith (loosely based on Johnston himself) who, throughout his life, is confronted with extraordinary circumstances. Raised in a religious cult, Bill’s unconventional upbringing and strained relationship with his father inform his life experiences and contribute to his overwhelming urge, from a young age, to simply escape this life altogether.
Bill struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts, and embarks upon a career navigating the rough waters of the Pacific on a tugboat. His tales of weathering gale-force winds and violent storms at sea provide metaphorical undercurrents for Bill’s fraught relationship with his father, his failed early marriage, his father’s descent into Alzheimer’s and his own battle with leukemia, which he is told will kill him.
Just when Bill has come to believe he has put the worst of it to rest, he learns something more about his father that opens everything up again, except this time, Bill’s sister is the victim.
Johnston’s thoroughly absorbing, reality-based story offers candid glimpses into life-defining moments of reckoning that many of us will have to face head-on. The Home Stretch serves as a stark reminder that the peace we hope for as we age is often shoved aside to make room for another crisis, but it is also an ultimately inspiring tale woven with themes of forgiveness and survival.
Wayne M. Johnston taught English, Creative Writing and Publications at La Conner High School for 19 years. Prior to that, he worked on tugboats for 22 years, usually as chief engineer, towing freight barges between Canadian and West Coast American ports. In 2011, he won the Soundings Review First Publication Award for his essay, “Sailing,” and has published other essays locally. For his debut novel, North Fork, he drew from years of experience reading student journals to reproduce the way kids voice serious matters to a trusted adult. North Fork was released in 2016 as a YA novel. The story is told through the voices of three 17-year-olds as journal entries for their English class. Bill Smith, the protagonist in The Home Stretch, is their English teacher, and The Home Stretch (book two in a planned trilogy) is his back story.
Johnston lives with his wife, Sally, on Fidalgo Island in Washington State where he is working on another book.
AbbVie's SKYRIZI® for the Treatment of Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis now Publicly Reimbursed across Canada
SKYRIZI® is an interleukin-23 (IL-23) inhibitor used for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.1
In clinical studies, SKYRIZI® significantly improved levels of skin clearance after just 16 weeks and maintained clearance at one year (52 weeks).1
Prince Edward Island lists SKYRIZI® on its Pharmacare Formulary effective February 22, 2021.
SKYRIZI® is now listed for public payer coverage across all Canadian jurisdictions.
MONTRÉAL, Feb. 24, 2021 /CNW/ - AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), a global, research and development-based biopharmaceutical company, announced today that SKYRIZI® (risankizumab) is now listed as a special authorization drug on the formulary of Prince Edward Island for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. With the addition of the PEI formulary listing, SKYRIZI® is now listed for public payer coverage in all Canadian jurisdictions.
SKYRIZI® is part of a collaboration between Boehringer Ingelheim and AbbVie, with AbbVie leading development and commercialization globally.
"New psoriasis treatments, which improve the quality of patients lives, are always welcome. In clinical trials, SKYRIZI® demonstrated high levels of skin clearance and persistence of effect. It is great news to know that people living in PEI with moderate-to-severe psoriasis, can now access this drug under the provincial formulary," shares Dr. Catherine Rodriguez, MD, FRCPC, Dermatologist.
Psoriasis is a chronic condition affecting 125 million people worldwide, including 1 million Canadians, and many patients despite treatment still do not reach their goals or lose treatment response over time.2-4 The most common form is plaque psoriasis, which affects approximately 90% of patients. 5
"Psoriasis is a burdensome disease. The first biologic was approved in 2004 in Canada. Since then, research on different triggers of the disease has led to other classes of medication. The newest are the IL-23 inhibitors that have greatly improved outcomes", states Dr. Ron Vender, MD, FRCPC, Dermatologist. "Working with SKYRIZI for four years, as I was involved in the clinical trials, I have witnessed that many of my SKYRIZI patients have experienced complete skin clearance - and with only four maintenance doses per year, the effects last. Ontario was the first province to publicly reimburse SKYRIZI - so good to hear that it is now accessible to all Canadians coast-to-coast."
As psoriasis causes a great physical, emotional, and social burden, quality of life in general is often significantly impaired. Early diagnosis and appropriate therapy give the best chance to prevent psoriasis patients from unnecessary suffering, and irreversible disability. Optimum therapy also reduces societal costs of the disease. 6
Information regarding specific reimbursement criteria may be found by consulting the link below:
About SKYRIZI® SKYRIZI® is a novel, humanized immunoglobulin monoclonal antibody designed to selectively inhibit IL-23, a naturally occurring cytokine involved in inflammatory and immune responses.1 On April 17, 2019, SKYRIZI™ received a NOC from Health Canada for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in patients who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy, based on results from clinical studies showing significant improvement in levels of skin clearance after just 16 weeks and at 52 weeks with every 3-month dosing in more than 2000 adult patients.1 Four pivotal Phase 3 studies, ultIMMa-1, ultIMMa-2, IMMvent and IMMhance evaluated more than 2,000 patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.4 Canadians living with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis were well represented in all four of the pivotal clinical trials leading to Health Canada's approval, showing the Canadian leadership in this clinical development program.
About AbbVie in Dermatology For more than a decade, AbbVie has worked to uncover new solutions and improve care for people with serious skin diseases. With a broad clinical trial program, we continue to actively research and adapt to the evolving needs of the dermatology community and advance our pipeline to help people achieve their treatment goals and live beyond their skin disease.
About AbbVie AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, virology, women's health and gastroenterology, in addition to products and services across its Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.ca and www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvieCanada and @abbvie on Twitter or view careers on our Facebook or LinkedIn page.
References:
1.
SKYRIZI® (risankizumab) [Canadian Product Monograph]. AbbVie Corporation, September 24, 2020.
