NBC Public Health Analyst: Invest in Our Children Now for the Sake of Our Country’s Future

New York, NY, November 19, 2020 — NBC public health analyst, pediatrician and activist Dr. Irwin Redlener has a powerful message for all of us: too many American children face insurmountable obstacles that keep them from achieving their dreams, and this “reflects a moral failure” and threatens our country’s economic viability and international influence going forward.

"I think of the children who dream big, who aspire to the same life goals as my own grandchildren, and who deserve to have the pathways and possibilities for their lives wide open,” writes Dr. Redlener in his poignant memoir and inspirational call to action, The Future of Us: What the Dreams of Children Mean for Twenty-First-Century America.

Inadequate education, barriers to health care and crushing poverty make it overwhelmingly difficult for many children to realize their dreams. Finding ways to alter these trajectories is serious, grown-up business, Dr. Redlener emphasizes, and it’s time for us to act.

In The Future of Us, Dr. Redlener draws upon his four decades of professional experiences to examine our nation’s health care safety nets and special programs that are designed to protect and nurture our most vulnerable kids, but that too often fail to do so. 

The book follows Dr. Redlener’s long, colorful career, from his work as a pediatrician in the Arkansas delta, to treating child abuse in a Miami hospital, to helping children in the aftermaths of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. He has served on the board of USA for Africa, cofounded the Children’s Health Fund with Paul Simon (and persuaded Joan Baez to play a benefit concert) and dined with Fidel Castro. He once sat across the table from Michael Jackson, and he has traveled with presidential candidates. But his most powerful source of motivation remains the children who face terrible adversities yet dream of becoming paleontologists, artists and marine biologists. Their stories are his springboard for discussing larger policy issues that hinder us from effectively eradicating childhood poverty and overcoming barriers to accessible health care. Persistent deprivation and the avoidable problems that accompany poverty ensnare millions of children and impact the health, prosperity and creativity of the adults they become. Dr. Redlener argues that we must drastically change our approach to meeting the needs of children ― for their sake and to ensure America’s resiliency and influence in an increasingly complex world.

It is Dr. Redlener’s hope that readers will emerge optimistic about our future, with a deeper understanding of how investing in children today will increase our chances of a successful tomorrow. Fighting for our nation’s children is far from a lost cause, and nothing could be more important. 

Author Irwin Redlener, M.D., is a pediatrician and founding director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University’s Earth Institute, which works to understand and improve the nation's capacity to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. In 2020, Dr. Redlener created the Pandemic Resource and Response Initiative at Columbia. He is a public health analyst for NBC and MSNBC, and recently partnered with Cher in CherCares, a new program that assists communities struggling with COVID-19.

Dr. Redlener is also President Emeritus and Co-Founder of the Children’s Health Fund, a philanthropic initiative that he created with singer/songwriter Paul Simon and Karen Redlener to develop health care programs in 25 of the nation’s most medically underserved urban and rural communities. He currently serves as a special advisor on emergency preparedness to New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, and regularly communicates with leadership in U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, as well as Homeland Security. 

He is also the author of Americans at Risk: Why We Are Not Prepared for Megadisasters and What We Can Do Now. For more information, please visit www.irwinredlener.org.

The Future of Us: What the Dreams of Children Mean for Twenty-First-Century America

Publisher: Columbia University Press

ISBN-10: 0231177577 

ISBN-13: 978-0231177573 

Available from Amazon.com

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Address Social Determinants of Health 

SALT LAKE CITY — Together with Utah’s leading health systems, Intermountain Healthcare (Intermountain) and United Way of Salt Lake (UWSL) have collaborated to improve the health and well-being of communities, improve coordination across health systems and reduce health care costs by addressing the upstream economic, education, and social factors that impact our health. Using an innovative multi-sector and comprehensive approach that addresses individual, community and systemic barriers, the partnership aims to improve outcomes for all Utahns – regardless of race, income, or ZIP code.

The new initiative builds on Intermountain’s pilot work over the past two years in Ogden and St. George, and aims to improve social determinants of health and drive better health outcomes by streamlining access to critical social services, and then removing barriers in areas such as housing, education, transportation, and jobs. The transformational partnership, supported by a $5M commitment made from Intermountain in 2019, brings together state health systems and partners including Select Health, HCA MountainStar, Molina Healthcare, University of Utah Health, the University of Utah Health Plans, Steward Health Care, Health Choice, the Utah Hospital Association, the Association for Utah Community Health, Get Healthy Utah, the Utah Department of Health, the Utah Health Information Network (UHIN), the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget, and Cambia Health Foundation.

“Prior to the pandemic, we recognized that poor health outcomes are not merely the result of individuals’ behaviors,” said Marc Harrison, President and CEO of Intermountain Healthcare. “They result from unrealized factors such as uneven economic opportunity or inequitable education and healthcare systems, and they create conditions that limit individuals’ choices. COVID-19 has merely served as a spotlight on the need for more equitable solutions that address the social needs of individuals and communities at large.”

For more than a decade, United Way of Salt Lake has been building partnerships dedicated to transforming the systems that keep children and families from achieving their potential through health, financial stability, and education. By bringing together Utah’s leading health systems, community partners, and stakeholders across multiple sectors, UWSL and the Promise Partnership of Salt Lake will develop scalable solutions for addressing social determinants of health and establish an integrated plan for accelerated and equitable outcomes throughout our communities.

“We know that improving outcomes for Utahns, especially those most impacted by the pandemic, requires all of us to work together differently,” said Bill Crim, President and CEO of United Way of Salt Lake. “The investment from Intermountain Healthcare allows us to continue our efforts to lead an inclusive recovery for kids and families in our community. Through our partnerships, systems are changing, and outcomes are improving, and we know it is possible to create a more equitable world in which everyone has the opportunity to thrive."

United Way of Salt Lake currently works within six school districts, nine communities and five state systems, with hundreds of businesses, educational and community partners, and thousands of volunteers engaged in this transformational work. For more information visit uw.org. 

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About UWSL: United Way of Salt Lake is working to create long-term change by harnessing the power of nonprofits, government, corporations, and thousands of individuals to work together and solve the most difficult problems we face as a community. Our goal is that every child succeeds, every step of the way. Learn more at uw.org. 

About Intermountain Healthcare: Intermountain Healthcare is a Utah-based, not-for-profit system of 24 hospitals (includes "virtual" hospital), a Medical Group with more than 2,400 physicians and advanced practice clinicians at about 160 clinics, a health plans division called SelectHealth, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is widely recognized as a leader in clinical quality improvement and efficient healthcare delivery. For more information visit intermountainhealthcare.org.

Intermountain Healthcare Catalyzes Unique Partnership to 

Address Social Determinants of Health 

SALT LAKE CITY — Together with Utah’s leading health systems, Intermountain Healthcare (Intermountain) and United Way of Salt Lake (UWSL) have collaborated to improve the health and well-being of communities, improve coordination across health systems and reduce health care costs by addressing the upstream economic, education, and social factors that impact our health. Using an innovative multi-sector and comprehensive approach that addresses individual, community and systemic barriers, the partnership aims to improve outcomes for all Utahns – regardless of race, income, or ZIP code.

The new initiative builds on Intermountain’s pilot work over the past two years in Ogden and St. George, and aims to improve social determinants of health and drive better health outcomes by streamlining access to critical social services, and then removing barriers in areas such as housing, education, transportation, and jobs. The transformational partnership, supported by a $5M commitment made from Intermountain in 2019, brings together state health systems and partners including Select Health, HCA MountainStar, Molina Healthcare, University of Utah Health, the University of Utah Health Plans, Steward Health Care, Health Choice, the Utah Hospital Association, the Association for Utah Community Health, Get Healthy Utah, the Utah Department of Health, the Utah Health Information Network (UHIN), the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget, and Cambia Health Foundation.

“Prior to the pandemic, we recognized that poor health outcomes are not merely the result of individuals’ behaviors,” said Marc Harrison, President and CEO of Intermountain Healthcare. “They result from unrealized factors such as uneven economic opportunity or inequitable education and healthcare systems, and they create conditions that limit individuals’ choices. COVID-19 has merely served as a spotlight on the need for more equitable solutions that address the social needs of individuals and communities at large.”

For more than a decade, United Way of Salt Lake has been building partnerships dedicated to transforming the systems that keep children and families from achieving their potential through health, financial stability, and education. By bringing together Utah’s leading health systems, community partners, and stakeholders across multiple sectors, UWSL and the Promise Partnership of Salt Lake will develop scalable solutions for addressing social determinants of health and establish an integrated plan for accelerated and equitable outcomes throughout our communities.

“We know that improving outcomes for Utahns, especially those most impacted by the pandemic, requires all of us to work together differently,” said Bill Crim, President and CEO of United Way of Salt Lake. “The investment from Intermountain Healthcare allows us to continue our efforts to lead an inclusive recovery for kids and families in our community. Through our partnerships, systems are changing, and outcomes are improving, and we know it is possible to create a more equitable world in which everyone has the opportunity to thrive."

United Way of Salt Lake currently works within six school districts, nine communities and five state systems, with hundreds of businesses, educational and community partners, and thousands of volunteers engaged in this transformational work. For more information visit uw.org. 

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About UWSL: United Way of Salt Lake is working to create long-term change by harnessing the power of nonprofits, government, corporations, and thousands of individuals to work together and solve the most difficult problems we face as a community. Our goal is that every child succeeds, every step of the way. Learn more at uw.org. 

About Intermountain Healthcare: Intermountain Healthcare is a Utah-based, not-for-profit system of 24 hospitals (includes "virtual" hospital), a Medical Group with more than 2,400 physicians and advanced practice clinicians at about 160 clinics, a health plans division called SelectHealth, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is widely recognized as a leader in clinical quality improvement and efficient healthcare delivery. For more information visit intermountainhealthcare.org.

Putting Healthcare Equity under the Microscope

VANCOUVER, BC, Nov. 19, 2020 /CNW/ - Arthritis Research Canada's Dr. Cheryl Barnabe, senior scientist of rheumatology, is a team member on a new grant that seeks to examine how changes in the use of emergency services during the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted the health of First Nations peoples, socially and materially deprived, remote, and older populations. 

This research will examine whether people used emergency department services less frequently during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how that affected the severity of health conditions and complications, such as deaths, when people did eventually seek care. The study will then determine whether those changes have been greater for people who are known to rely more heavily on emergency departments for their care, such as First Nations peoples, socially and materially deprived, remote, and older populations.

"In addition to public health measures including physical distancing, many patients who perceive hospitals as high-risk environments might avoid emergency department visits, even when seriously ill," said Dr. Barnabe. "This can lead to health issues becoming worse and harder to manage." 

Alberta and British Columbia have seen a marked decrease in emergency department presentations while pandemic control measures have been in place. Harms associated with decreased emergency department use may be greater for some populations, who rely more heavily on emergency departments for their care for illnesses like arthritis. 

"Not only do First Nations peoples have higher rates of arthritis, they are also less likely to get the care they need," Dr. Barnabe said. "Access to emergency departments is therefore very relevant and likely to affect their arthritis care."

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all aspects of our lives. Highlighting harms and inequities arising from pandemic-driven changes in care patterns and systems will allow policy- and decision-makers to reduce the negative consequences of efforts to manage COVID-19.  

About ARTHRITIS RESEARCH CANADA:

Arthritis Research Canada is the largest clinical arthritis research institution in North America. Our mission is to transform the lives of people living with arthritis through research and engagement. Arthritis Research Canada's scientific director, Dr. Diane Lacaille is leading a team of over 100 researchers, trainees and staff whose world recognized research is creating a future where people living with arthritis are empowered to triumph over pain and disability. Arthritis Research Canada is conducting research across Canada in British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec and is affiliated with five major universities: University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, University of Calgary, Université Laval, and McGill University. Arthritis Research Canada is leading research aimed at arthritis prevention, early diagnosis, new and better treatment, and improved quality of life. 

SOURCE Arthritis Research Canada

In the Midst of a Global Pandemic, ModiHealth Introduces the Bright, Hopeful Future of a Healthcare System Designed to Empower “Your Path to Healthy, Your Way”   

Discover the only integrative telemedicine and tele-wellness platform on the market engineered by experienced practitioners to support all aspects of health and wellness anywhere, anytimeSAN DIEGO, California – (November 17th, 2020): As the spread of COVID-19 places a strain on an already overwhelmed healthcare system, ModiHealth shines as the market’s first easy, accessible, and integrative whole-person care solution. Established by Doctor of Natural Medicine and celebrated speaker/ author Dr. Rachel Eva Dew, Ph.D. in partnership with renowned neurologist and engineer Randall Wright, MD., ModiHealth is a “one-stop-shop” with increased options for - and access to - quality care. Get support from top-rated healthcare providers and wellness practitioners nationwide through the first (and only) platform to offer both traditional telemedicine and proactive tele-wellness care options, connecting patients with a wide range of top-quality practitioners for virtual care exactly where and when they need it most.
“With the arrival of COVID-19, we are entering a healthcare crisis in which patient needs for medical, wellness, and mental health care services are increasing at an astounding rate,” explains Dr. Dew. “Telemedicine and telewellness are powerful solutions that enable both practitioners and patients to connect in a way that feels comfortable, convenient, safe, and supportive during these challenging times. At ModiHealth, we take this one step further by also offering whole-person health services like nutrition guidance, personal trainers, fitness classes, and lifestyle education options to support each person’s journey toward better health, optimal wellness, and well-being.” An intuitive, diverse platform, ModiHealth empowers individuals to take charge of their health and increase their quality of life by removing traditional barriers of time, access, and provider availability. ModiHealth’s tele-care offers easy access to appointment scheduling with top-quality care practitioners, including traditional medical doctors, complementary holistic/alternative providers, certified mental health practitioners, and health/wellness/fitness coaches. ModiHealth also enables users to proactively optimize their health and meet a wide variety of fitness/lifestyle goals with an extensive library of industry expert-led ModiHealth videos, classes, health tools, and resources unavailable anywhere else. Better health and well-being are just a few clicks away in a growing collection of industry expert-led online programs designed to provide the resources and in-depth guidance necessary to achieve specific health and wellness goals. Enjoy 24/7 instant access to pre-recorded programs created to manage a variety of health conditions and lifestyle changes, such as Stress Management, Balanced Nutrition, and Mindfulness. Plus, access a personalized streaming service offering innovative classes and videos designed to meet a spectrum of health, wellness, and wellbeing needs on one convenient website (and not available anywhere else!) New videos are released each week to help members continue their path to health and optimal wellbeing. Anytime, anywhere, dive into engaging courses on: 

• Yoga
• Pilates
• Meditation
• Guided Visualization
• Therapeutic Fitness
• Injury Prevention/ Recovery
• Healthy Cooking
• Stress Reduction
• Preventative Health
• Holistic Health
• Complementary, Natural/ Alternative Health
• Mindfulness
• Spiritual Growth
• And much more!

ModiHealth is completely HIPAA compliant and offers a truly flexible care choice that requires no travel or time off work. This is the only telemedicine and tele-wellness platform offering access to every type of practitioner, including physicians, physical therapists, mental wellness counselors, life coaches, personal trainers, and more. Dr. Randall Wright, MD., summarizes: “ModiHealth is designed to be an easy-access patient portal that fosters a holistic collaboration between traditional care providers and wellness practitioners.” Discover the future of health and wellness at Modiht.com. Browse a list of care providers, purchase innovative lifestyle programs, and take advantage of an on-demand streaming service offering lifestyle education, fitness classes, and health/wellness courses through a convenient annual membership. ModiHealth: Your path to healthy, your way!# # #  About ModiHealth: Founded in 2016 by Doctor of Natural Medicine Dr. Rachel Eva Dew, Ph.D. and Neurologist/Engineer Randall Wright, MD., ModiHealth is the only integrative telemedicine and tele-wellness platform on the market offering access to every type of practitioner, including physicians, physical therapists, mental wellness counselors, life coaches, personal trainers, and more. ModiHealth is the only online platform that offers a whole-person integrative care approach through both real-time telemedicine and tele-wellness consultations, in addition to supportive health and wellness programs/services. The extensive ModiHealth platform includes providers, practitioners, and wellness professionals in the fields of traditional medical care, integrative and alternative care, and mental health, along with nutrition experts, wellness coaches, fitness trainers, and more! Plus, users can expand their wellness and well-being through on-demand support from a health streaming service and specialized programs. Discover the future of virtual health and wellness at Modiht.com. ModiHealth: Your path to healthy, your way!

Carver 47 Food & Wellness Market on South Side of ChicagoReopens with Menu Designed by Artist & Chef Lizz Wright And Newly Remodeled Space by Little Black Pearl Founder Monica Haslipon

Carver 47 Introduces Autumn & Holiday-Themed Dinner BoxesTo Ring in the Spirit of Thanksgiving and Christmas 2020
Carver 47 Returns with Menu Favorites and New Products, Enhanced To-Go Service of Bottled Juices, Delicious Menu Items, HomeGoods from Specialty Market,Rotating Menu of Prepared "Heat & Eat" Meals for Home, Easy Online Ordering 
(Download Images of Lizz Wright, C47 Dinner Boxes & C47 Products: LINK)(View New Website for Carver 47: LINK)

Chicago, IL. -- Tuesday, November 17, 2020 -- Carver 47 Food & Wellness Market (C47)re-opens under the culinary direction of visionary chef and acclaimed vocalist Lizz Wright with a delicious nutrient-forward menu servicing the greater Chicago community. Housed inside the distinguished Little Black Pearl Art & Design Academy (North Kenwood, Chicago), C47's launch marks the first re-introduction for Chicagoans to access the Little Black Pearl campus since its closure over six months ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic. C47 opens with a fresh renovation designed by founder Monica Haslip and features her new large-format charcoal portrait in homage to the market's fundamental dignitary, the legendary Dr. George Washington Carver. C47's official public "Grand Opening" takes place at its new address of 1050 East 47th Street on Tuesday, November 24, 2020. An Exclusive Media Event & Ribbon Cutting Ceremony occurs on Monday, November 23 at 11am.
Lizz Wright is internationally renowned for her famed recording catalog and awe-inspiring vocal performances. Alongside an illustrious career as one of today's finest singers, Wright is a professionally trained chef and devoted gardener. Wright summons her Southern upbringing in Georgia and 20 years of European touring to inform the new C47 menu. Wright curates for Thanksgiving 2020 and Christmas 2020 a special limited-edition Holiday Dinner Box Series to bring joy and a festive feast to families' dinner tables this holiday season. 
C47 Autumn & Holiday Dinner Box Series Features:
Harvest Bowl: ($15 -- a festive meal for one person) (Herb Roasted Chicken with Gravy or Marinated Portobello Steaks with Gravy, Toasted Brown Rice, Baked Sweet Potato, Balsamic Onion, Curly Kale & Pomegranate Salad with Homemade Lemon Vinaigrette)
Gratitude Box: Thanksgiving 2020 (2 people: $60; 4 people: $120; 6-8 people: $180) (Roasted Leg of Lamb, or Roasted Pork Loin, or Root Vegetable Pot Pie with Cauliflower Cacio e Pepe, Pumpkin Soup, Farm Carrot Salad with Radicchio & Arugula)
Earthly Treasures: Christmas 2020 (2 people: $44; 4 people: $88; meatballs additional $15 per 2 person serving)(Lasagna Sotta Terra -- Vegetarian -- with Layers of Roasted Squash, Mushroom and Sundried Tomato with Brown Butter Sage Bechamel -- Optional Addition: Meatballs with Italian Sweet Peppers) 
(Lasagna al Cavolfiore -- Vegan -- Layers of Cauliflower Cream, Vegan Mozzarella, Homemade Vegan Pasta, Sauteed Kale, Pepita Pesto, Tomato, Onion Soubise) 
(Salad of Frisee and Red Leaf Lettuce with Fennel and Parsley -- Served with Orange Cranberry Vinaigrette and Homemade Focaccia Croutons)
*Weekly Dinner Boxes are $22 (per person) and Holiday Dinner Specials are $30 (per person). The Gratitude Box is available for orders from Monday, November 16th - Saturday, 21st at 12pm (Limited number of boxes will be sold). The Gratitude Box is available for pick up Tuesday, November 24 and Wednesday, November 25. Free delivery is available for the first 40 orders!
To download images of Lizz Wright, the C47 Dinner Boxes, and select C47 products, please click HERE.
Wright's journey as a graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute (New York City) has roots in her family's dedication to their land in Southern Georgia. Generations of the Wright family proudly sang while caring for their land. Wright's illustrious life has been one in pursuance of diverse passions for gardening, cooking, and ultimately, letting her voice pave the way to a lauded career. With C47, she invokes her relationship with the land to reclaim her power as an African. Providing nutritious meals with ingredients directly sourced from C47's onsite garden and local farms for her exquisite menu brings an empowering sense of belonging and change of narrative to the South Side of Chicago. 
"One must cultivate their own internal garden," says Lizz Wright. "I want people to come to C47 to feel loved and seen. We want to give people a moment for themselves. Especially during the holidays when stresses are high, C47 is a beacon of support to help families experience joy together at the dinner table. Food offers a sense of community and communion. The pureness of the ingredients allows for pathways of connection to the earth. Having C47 and a sustainable vegetable garden in the middle of Hyde Park is very healing. I feel the spirit of the neighborhood, and I'm blessed to be a part of it." 
C47 gathers diverse communities as a center for nourishment at the architectural wonder that is Little Black Pearl. A cornerstone of historic Bronzeville, entrepreneur and designer Monica Haslip established C47 in honor of legendary botanist and humanitarian Dr. George Washington Carver. Her intention is to create space for people of different backgrounds to come together, break bread, and feel valued while enjoying Wright's wholesome foods. 
Wright's Juices & Smoothies carry names that represent Carver's life story, spirituality, and love for nature, such as "Moses," "Green Glory," "The Orchard," "Redemption," and "Alternative Fuel." Juices & Smoothies are served clean with no added sugars or ice; simply produce, herbs, and spices as tasty compositions. Wright's new menu features All Day Breakfast with a variety of Waffles, Lunch & Take Home Meals, Rotating Weekly Dinners, Flatbreads, Sandwiches, Fresh Remedy Teas, and the Holiday-Themed Dinner Boxes. C47 further serves as a specialty market with local produce, fresh flowers, and handcrafted home goods. 
For more information, please visit:carver47.comblackpearl.org
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About Carver 47 Food & Wellness MarketCarver 47 and Little Black Pearl were founded by innovative Chicago business leader Monica Haslip. Her intention was to create a common space whose offerings of nourishing and accessible food could bring the bright and diverse people of Chicago together. A gifted designer, Haslip has created a service and meeting space like no other. Infused with art, green life, and a wonder-provoking mix of materials and colors, Carver 47 exudes an ambiance of urban passion and Southern influence. 
C47 is led by culinary artist and LBP board member Lizz Wright, who is widely known as an acclaimed jazz and folk singer-songwriter as well as a graduate of Dr. Annemarie Colbin's Natural Gourmet Institute of New York. At NGI, Wright learned to view food as both a medicine and a creative language. After graduation, she was prepared to be a private chef. She followed the chef's training course with an internship at Three Stone Hearth, a unique community-supported kitchen and market in Berkeley, California. 
C47's menu is informed by Wright and Haslip's rural Southern upbringings as well as their frequent international travel.
C47 re-opens with grace and of service to Chicagoans at its new location 1050 East 47th Street; the entrance just left of Little Black Pearl's front door. 

Simplicity of Non-Religious, Non-Discriminatory Spirituality

Houston, TX, November 18, 2020 — Spirituality is distinct from religion and does not discriminate. It cannot! says Ravi Kathuria.

To some, the term ‘spirituality’ sounds mystical or complex, Ravi says. “It’s my mission to share with the world, spirituality is stunningly simple and as natural as sleeping.” 

It’s also wholly inclusive and accessible to everyone regardless of caste, creed, religious beliefs, age, status, gender or sexual identity. No judgments. No preconditions, he adds.

By quieting our minds — by tapping into the spirituality that is inextricably woven into our DNA — we have the ability within ourselves to experience profound bliss, explains Ravi Kathuria. 

“Learn to quiet your mind is the simple message the ancient Indian sages gave mankind,” he says. “Their message was not religious. It was a scientific discovery about human nature that can raise the quality and experience of life.”

Ravi demystifies spirituality and distinguishes it from religion in his thought-provoking book, Happy Soul. Hungry Mind.: A Modern-Day Parable About Spirituality.

Not a “pedantic” book about archaic dogmas, Happy Soul. Hungry Mind. is an emotional and humorous, easy-to-read parable that shares a series of conversations between two old friends who enjoy spirited discussions about the human journey and life’s challenges. 

This format allows Ravi to organically capture the pressures of modern life and reveal techniques for calming the mind. He weaves in Spiritual Truths that boggle the mind and demonstrates how spirituality and modern living can synergistically and practically coexist. It may be the remedy we need in this world of stress and anxiety.

Ravi answers questions people have pondered for ages. “I share a definition of God that can  change the course of human history,” states Ravi. “It can make the world more peaceful.” 

Written for the modern reader, Happy Soul. Hungry Mind. is free from religious doctrines and makes spirituality accessible to the world’s 7 billion inhabitants. Spirituality benefits the religious and the atheists equally. You do not have to change your beliefs to benefit from spirituality, says Ravi. 

“This is not our grandfather’s religious spirituality,” Ravi adds. “This is modern, practical — and simple spirituality! It is time to awaken the world as it yearns for true spirituality.”

Author Ravi Kathuria has been drawn to spirituality ever since he was young. A business thought leader, management consultant and executive coach, he has been quoted by the likes of the Wall Street Journal, NPR and the PBS Nightly Business Report. 

His first book, How Cohesive is your Company? presented a holistic, cohesive management method that received great praise from top executives and business professors.

In his second book, Happy Soul. Hungry Mind., Ravi uses his analytical and intuitive skills to solve the complexity and confusion of spirituality. Happy Soul. Hungry Mind. is a work of spiritual genius. Ravi lives in Sugar Land, a suburb of Houston, Texas.

For more information, visit www.HappySoulHungryMind.com, or connect with the author on Facebook: @HappySoulHungryMind; Instagram: happysoul.hungrymind; Twitter: @HappySoulHungry; and YouTube: Happy Soul. Hungry Mind.

Happy Soul. Hungry Mind.: A Modern-Day Parable About Spirituality

Publisher: Seema Corp

ISBN-10: 0982147554 

ISBN-13: 978-0982147559                     

Available from Amazon.com

No. 1 Bestselling M.D. Reveals Ultra-Rapid, Drug-Free Techniques to Overcome Anxiety and Depression

San Francisco, CA, Nov. 18, 2020 — Numerous recent surveys indicate that depression and anxiety have doubled or tripled since the corona pandemic. In fact, according to the CDC, more than 40 percent of the population are experiencing “adverse mental conditions . . . associated with . . . Covid-19.” Top that with the realities of the pandemic—including fear of death, separation from loved ones, loss of employment, and intense political battles that trigger even more emotional vulnerability and despair. Now, world-renowned psychiatrist, Dr. David D. Burns, brings us a radical new approach to healing in his No. 1 Amazon bestselling book, Feeling Great: The Revolutionary New Treatment for Depression and Anxiety (PESI, Inc., ISBN: 9781683732884; $26.99, Hardcover). Selling more than 29,000 copies in the first two weeks since its release, Feeling Great reveals innovative techniques that make rapid change possible, even without drugs or therapy. 

Feeling Great emerged from 40 years of research and more than 40,000 hours treating individuals with severe depression and anxiety. This research revealed that negative feelings do not result in what’s WRONG WITH YOU—like a chemical imbalance in your brain or a “mental disorder”—but from what‘s RIGHT WITH YOU. And the moment you realize this, recovery will be just a stone’s throw away. 

Dr. Burns’ Feeling Good and Feeling Good Handbook have sold more than 5 million copies and have made cognitive therapy the most popular and most extensively researched form of therapy in the world. More than 50 percent of depressed people who read Feeling Good recover of improve dramatically in four weeks with no other treatment. The techniques in Feeling Great are even more powerful. 

In Feeling Great you will:

1. Learn how to change the way you think and feel;

2. Pinpoint and eliminate the powerful forces that keep you stuck; 
3. Discover why depression and anxiety are the world’s oldest cons;
4. Crush the 10 types of distorted thoughts that rob you of happiness and self-esteem.
 

Feeling Great feels wonderful! You owe it to yourself to feel GREAT!

David D. Burns, M.D., is an Adjunct Clinical Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine. His Feeling Goodand Feeling Good Handbook have sold more than 5 million copies worldwide. His weekly Feeling Good Podcasts are approaching three million download, and more than 50,000 mental health professionals have attended his workshops throughout the United States and Canada. Dr. Burns lives in the San Francisco Bay area. To learn more, visit www.feelinggood.com and www.FeelingGreattheBook.com.

Don’t Let COVID Prevent You from Protecting Your Eye Health

New York, NY, November 17, 2020 — Make a resolution to get your eyes checked before the new year arrives, advises Dr. Daniel Laroche, Director of Glaucoma Services and President of Advanced Eyecare of New York. While it’s easy to get swept up in the approaching holiday season, it’s still important to stay on top of regular doctor visits, including visits with your eye doctor.

People with conditions such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy that could lead to blindness if left unchecked need to stay particularly vigilant with their checkups. The pandemic shouldn’t keep you from visiting your doctor, but for patients over 60, Dr. Laroche advises it's better to stay home and do telehealth over the phone or video consultation until the pandemic flattens. He also encourages people to wear face masks on visits and maintain social distancing, even if they are in a health clinic, and if you’re high-risk, consider adding eye protection when in public spaces.

“Eyesight or human vision is one of the most important senses. As much as 80 percent of what we feel comes through our sense of sight. By protecting the eyes, people will reduce the chance of blindness and vision loss while also staying on top of any developing eye diseases, such as glaucoma and cataracts. A healthy brain function requires a healthy vision. The brain is our most essential organ, and it allows us to control other organs. Normal and healthy vision contributes to improved learning and comprehension for a better quality of life,” says Dr. Laroche.

Dr. Laroche says there is another critical issue that the pandemic has brought to the forefront and that is the issue of health care disparities among Black and Brown people. 

“Nationally, African American deaths from COVID-19 are nearly two times greater than would be expected based on their share of the population. In four states, the rate is three or more times greater. In 42 states, plus Washington, D.C., Hispanics make up a greater share of confirmed cases than their share of the population. In eight states it’s more than four times greater,” he says, adding: “In stark contrast, white deaths from COVID-19 are lower than their share of the population in 37 states.”

Dr. Laroche says there are several things that can be done to not only address but to help combat this issue:

1.  Increase the number of Black and Afro-Latino physicians worldwide.

2.  Implement universal health care.

3.  Increase wealth and education which produces better health.

4.  Provide a living income stipend for poor people to access food and reduce malnutrition.

5.  Eliminate racism to reduce stress.

6.  Identify white supremacist organizations as terrorist groups.

7.  Recommend all corporations have people of color in the top management and leadership positions.

8.  Eliminate sole reliance on standardized testing as the criteria to be used at entry to magnet schools. 

9.  Provide more funding to reduce homelessness and for mental health.

10. The government should also require medical school, research and hospital funding to diversify and benefit people of color.

About Dr. Daniel Laroche

Dr. Laroche is an exceptional glaucoma specialist in New York. He studied and received his bachelor's degree from New York University and a medical doctorate with honors in research from Weil Cornell University Medical College. He underwent a medical internship at Montefiore Hospital and finished his ophthalmology residency at Howard University Hospital in Washington D.C., where he was the chief resident in his third year. He later completed his glaucoma fellowship at New York Eye and Ear. 

For more information about Dr. Laroche, please call 212-663-0473 or visit: www.advancedeyecareny.com.

India's COVID-19 testing strategy will help control future spurt of infection, says GlobalData 

Several countries globally are now going through a second wave of COVID-19 infection. India is ranked second in terms of the confirmed COVID-19 cases globally. However, India has drastically ramped up its COVID-19 testing capacity, which will help it control future spurts of infection or future waves, says GlobalData, a leading data analytics and research company. 

India, which reached the two million overall testing milestone on 14 May 2020, achieved the one million daily testing milestone on 21 August. India now has the capacity to conduct 1.5 million daily tests. As of 17 November, the country conducted more than 120 million tests, the third-highest cumulative testing after China and the US. However, India’s per million testing stands at more than 91,000, which is still less than developed countries.  

According to GlobalData’s ‘Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pharma Executive Briefing – November 10, 2020’, India conducted more than 7.8 million tests between 03 November and 10 November, which is highest among all countries for that timespan.  

Prashant Khadayate, Pharma Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “India is relying on testing as a crucial tool to control the spread of infection as part of its Test, Track, and Treat strategy for early identification of cases and to limit transmission to others. With enhanced testing, India's overall positivity rate is also decreasing, which clearly shows that testing will play a crucial role until vaccines are available.”  

According to GlobalData’s COVID-19 dashboard, as of 17 November 2020, India has 8,845,127 confirmed cases, and the dashboard forecasts 33,473,349 confirmed cases in a low transmission risk scenario by 29 November 2020.  

Testing is being focused on symptomatic individuals, symptomatic or asymptomatic and high-risk contacts (in family and workplace, elderly ≥ 65 years of age, immunocompromised, those with co-morbidities, etc.) of laboratory-confirmed cases. 

Mr Khadayate concludes: “Considering the start of winter and festival season, India should be well prepared to face rapid growth in the spread of COVID-19 or a second wave of infection. It is pleasing that India has already ramped up daily testing capacity, which will really help it to contain the infection to the best possible extent.”