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.
Sun Life donates $100,000 to support underrepresented researchers
Donation to Women's College Hospital establishes The Sun Life Awards for Excellence in Research
TORONTO, Feb. 24, 2021 /CNW/ - Sun Life is donating $100,000 to The Emily Stowe Society at Women's College Hospital Foundation to empower and support underrepresented communities. The donation will establish The Sun Life Awards for Excellence in Research. Preference will be given to researchers or scholars who identify as female or gender-diverse, are from the Black community and who specialize in diabetes or mental health research in the Black community.
This donation aligns with Sun Life's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) commitment to address health inequities in communities historically underrepresented from a funding and research perspective, and who see a greater risk of diabetes and mental health challenges.
"We continue to build on our DE&I commitments, ensuring everyone has equal access to opportunities and resources," said Jacques Goulet, President, Sun Life Canada. "Our purpose is to help Canadians live healthier lives, and we are actively working to remove systemic barriers that negatively affect the lives of Black, Indigenous and other underrepresented populations. Diabetes is Sun Life's global philanthropic cause, while the mental health crisis has been a growing concern for us in Canada. Establishing these awards will help future generations of researchers uncover new preventions, treatments and cures."
The Emily Stowe Society is named in honour of Dr. Emily Stowe, Canada's first woman doctor and the founder of Women's College Hospital. It is dedicated to breaking down barriers to careers in health sciences research. The Sun Life Awards for Excellence in Research will help increase the number of women and underrepresented scholars in health, research and leadership positions.
"It's with tremendous gratitude that we celebrate Sun Life's commitment to Women's College Hospital and the Emily Stowe Society," says Jennifer Bernard, President and CEO, Women's College Hospital Foundation. "In Canada today, women – and particularly women from diverse communities – continue to be underrepresented at all levels of the health sciences field. Without equity in the health research community, we simply cannot achieve equity in healthcare. The Sun Life Awards for Excellence in Research will help advance this mission for equity while attracting, advancing and retaining exceptional and deserving researchers at every stage of their career."
As a global industry leader committed to sustainability, Sun Life has a responsibility to help create lasting social change. Sun Life is taking actionable steps to remove systemic barriers for Clients, advisors, communities and employees.
Clients and the Community Sun Life is focused on creating an inclusive environment that reflects the diversity of our Clients and communities:
Signed on to the goals of the BlackNorth Initiative, led by the Canadian Council of Business Leaders Against Anti-Black Racism, to help remove systemic barriers that negatively affect Black Canadians.
Donated $60,000 to the Canadian Race Relations Foundation to support their effort in addressing discrimination, and an additional $40,000 to various charities supporting DE&I initiatives in Canada in 2020.
Signed the #DearEverybody agreement, a commitment to ensure our marketing is inclusive of people with disabilities and reflects everyone in our communities.
Employees Sun Life continues to build a culture where employees see themselves reflected at all levels of the company, and feel included and engaged:
Created numerous inclusion networks for colleagues to come together, share experiences and drive social change across the organization. The networks helped allocate donation funds to various Canadian charities.
Launched Inclusion Works, a peer-to-peer learning program, designed to train employees on unconscious bias, commit to conscious actions and enable acts of inclusion into their daily behaviours.
Reaffirmed our goal to have 25 per cent of underrepresented minorities at the vice-president level and above by 2025, with specific representation objectives for Black, Indigenous and People of Colour. Further, set a new goal to achieve gender parity at the vice-president level and above by 2025.
As outlined in Sun Life's 2019 Sustainability Report, our efforts in DE&I are directly aligned with our purpose, business strategy and ultimate success as a company.
Sun Life in the community At Sun Life, we are committed to building sustainable, healthier communities for life. Community wellness is an important part of our sustainability commitment and we believe that by actively supporting the communities in which we live and work, we can help build a positive environment for our Clients, employees, advisors and shareholders. Our philanthropic support focuses on health, with an emphasis on diabetes awareness, prevention, and care initiatives through our Team Up Against Diabetes™ platform; and mental health, supporting programs and organizations with a focus on building resilience and coping skills.
We also partner with sports properties in key markets to further our commitment to healthy and active living. Our employees and advisors take great pride in volunteering close to 12,000 hours each year and contribute to making life brighter for individuals and families across Canada.
About Sun Life Sun Life is a leading international financial services organization providing insurance, wealth and asset management solutions to individual and corporate Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of December 31, 2020, Sun Life had total assets under management of $1,247 billion. For more information please visit www.sunlife.com.
Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.
About Women's College Hospital Women's College Hospital is Canada's leader in advancing health for women and a global leader in conducting groundbreaking women's health research. As the first and only fully independent hospital focused on women, Women's is building on its 100+ year history as a trailblazer in identifying and addressing health gaps and delivering pioneering firsts for women, the vulnerable and the underserved.
Women's is also the only fully ambulatory, academic healthcare institution in Canada, with a provincial mandate to lead the way in improving the health system for all people. Women's achieves this by addressing the most pressing health system challenges facing Canadians today and proactively confronting the gender and social inequities that threaten people's health.
Women's College Hospital Foundation fuels the hospital's excellence in research and health care by connecting donors, partners, advocates and volunteers to its mission. We work to bring healthcare equity to the diverse communities in which we live and serve and, together, we are creating a healthier and more equitable world for women and for all.
Note to editors: All figures in Canadian dollars
Media Relations Contact: Meredith Mundick Manager, Corporate Communications T. 416-979-4048 meredith.mundick@sunlife.com
Laura Zarnke Senior Communications Officer Women's College Hospital Foundation 647-469-5136 Laura.zarnke@wchospital.ca
SOURCE Sun Life Financial Inc.
Pharmacists Gearing Up To Begin COVID-19 Vaccination
EDMONTON, AB, Feb. 24, 2021 /CNW/ - Alberta's community pharmacists are readying themselves to participate in Alberta's COVID-19 Immunization program. Today the province announced plans for expanding COVID-19 vaccination providers, which includes pharmacists working in community pharmacies able to offer vaccine to their patients Starting with a small group of Alberta pharmacies located in the Edmonton/Red Deer/Calgary corridor, vaccine will begin to be available starting in March, allowing seniors 75 and over an option to receive their COVID-19 vaccination from their trusted community pharmacist, with more pharmacies added as supply improves.
On February 16th, Alberta Health invited community pharmacists to begin applying to participate in Alberta's COVID-19 Immunization Program. By joining the program, community pharmacies were asked to confirm their readiness to meet provincial and public health expectations for the safe supply, storage, distribution, and administration of the vaccine. As the provincial vaccine supply increases, more pharmacies will be included to expand access to COVID-19 vaccine for Albertans across the province.
Community pharmacists in Alberta continue to play a vital role in supporting the health of Albertans throughout the pandemic, most recently having administered over 1 Million flu shots this season. Over the past 11 months, pharmacists have worked diligently to ensure that their patients continue to have access to needed medications, vaccinations, and trusted health information, despite the ongoing transmission of COVID-19 virus throughout the province. When other healthcare facilities temporarily closed, Alberta's community pharmacists rallied their efforts to ensure that pharmacies could remain open and available through increased safety and sanitization protocols.
As Alberta begins to see a glimpse of the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, community pharmacists know that there is still much work to be done. Over the next several month's pharmacists will keep offering vaccinations for individuals according to the priority phasing approach described by the Alberta government and will once more be ready to meet the needs of Albertans at home in their communities.
The Alberta Pharmacists' Association (RxA) is tremendously proud of the continued efforts of all Alberta pharmacists who continue to play an integral role in the safe provision of medication therapy during these challenging times in our healthcare system. RxA recognizes and thanks Alberta Health for its commitment to engaging with our organization towards a collaborative approach to achieving public health goals through community pharmacists, for the benefit of all Albertans.
For two decades, the Alberta Pharmacists' Association (RxA) has been a champion for pharmacists in Alberta. We play an integral role in expanding pharmacists' practice, and we continue to advocate on their behalf towards excellence in patient care.
SOURCE Alberta Pharmacists' Association
Faith and Tenacity Continue to Drive 91-Year-Old Founder of Boston Area Homeless Shelter
Boston, MA, February 25, 2021 — Sylvia Anthony firmly believes that life is a gift from God, and she’s been using her gift to impact more than a thousand homeless women and children through her nonprofit, Sylvia’s Haven, which she launched in 1987. At 91 years young, Sylvia remains steadfastly involved with Sylvia’s Haven, and hopes to inspire others to overcome life’s challenges and pursue their passions.
“When we do the right thing with the right motives, there is no limit to how far we can go with the help of God,” she writes in her poignant memoir, Till the End of Time. “My advice to you is never give up, whatever comes your way; it is all worth it.”
Sylvia had endured a difficult childhood that included an abusive father and a disinterested mother. Sylvia married young and remained in an abusive marriage until a divorce that left her alone to support her three children. Through her ambition and strength of character, Sylvia persevered, building a life for herself and her kids. After raising her children, Sylvia remarried — still, there was a void. She felt a calling to help young women, and her husband, Rick, encouraged her to follow her heart. Initially designed for homeless pregnant women, her shelter opened on January 25, 1987. Sadly, her husband lost his battle with cancer on March 30 of the same year, telling Sylvia before he died to “go get the girls.” And she’s been giving new hope to young, homeless women ever since.
Hers has been a lifetime woven with tragedy and triumph, but at Sylvia’s core burns a powerful source of courage and tenacity. She shares her remarkable story in Till the End of Time, which chronicles her early days as an unwanted child, born at the onset of the Great Depression; through her turbulent first marriage, which blessed her with three children; to finding love and discovering her divine purpose later in life. The book includes a chapter with testimonials from women who have been helped by Sylvia’s Haven, underscoring the impact of her unwavering dedication to others. Till the End of Time is the ultimate love story, woven with heartwarming memories, inspirational anecdotes and life lessons that will inspire readers to share their own God-given gifts with others.
Author Sylvia Anthony was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame on June 15, 2020. Invited to their museum in Seneca Falls, New York, she drove more than 350 miles for the appointment! Shortly thereafter, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Marquis Who's Who.
A woman of faith, courage, tenacity and love, Sylvia firmly believes that the “golden years” are a time to get busy. As the founder and president of Sylvia’s Haven, a shelter for women and children near Boston, she has helped transform over 1,100 lives in the past three decades. Sylvia refers to her organization as her “magnificent obsession.” Life hasn’t always been easy for Sylvia, but she believes that God not only gives her courage during times of hardship, but also keeps her healthy so that she may realize her dream to open up Sylvia’s Haven locations in all 50 states.
Till the End of Time rose to No.1 in four different categories when it was launched on Amazon and has received 5-star reviews.
