COVID-19 Shines A Bright Light On Disparities In Health Care Among People Of Color
New York, NY, August 14, 2020 ̶“During the coronavirus pandemic, people should guard their eyes with glasses or face shields to protect their eyes from virus infection,"said Dr. Daniel Laroche, Director of Glaucoma Services and President of Advanced Eyecare of New York. People also need to know, even though there are many concerns about COVID-19, common-sense precautions can significantly reduce the risk of infection, he says, adding: “Wash hands frequently, follow good contact lens hygiene and avoid rubbing or touching our mouth, nose, and especially our eyes.'' Dr. Laroche is also affiliated with the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, Island Eye Surgical Center, and New York University.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also changed the way people visit their doctors. 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. “Eyesight or human vision is one of the most important senses. As much as 80% 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 COVID-19 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 forty-two 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 thirty-seven 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 healthcare.
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 supremist 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.
LAS VEGAS– AUGUST 14, 2020 -- The Nevada Donor Network Foundation (NDNF) is pleased to announce the appointment of David Marlon as its new foundation chair. Marlon brings over 30 years of healthcare experience in both substance abuse treatment and insurance. As foundation chair, Marlon will help advance NDNF’s vision to drive growth in the healthcare sector and expand transplantation services in Nevada by establishing a transplant institute as well as support the mission of Nevada Donor Work to maximize the gift of life and health through organ, eye and tissue donation.
“Too many times I hear that for ‘real’ healthcare, Nevada residents need to go to California,” said Marlon. “Las Vegas is of the size that we can support organ transplantation beyond kidneys. NDNF is leading the effort to expand transplantation capabilities in our city.”
Marlon is the founder of one of the most successful addiction recovery centers in the country, Solutions Recovery in Southern Nevada. He is the CEO of Vegas Stronger and CrossRoads of Southern Nevada, a local detox and outpatient treatment center. His years of experience have helped support and continue developing this vital community resource. During his time at Sierra Health Services, Marlon managed all reinsurance contracts including interface with the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) and the Organ Transplant Centers of Excellence.
In addition to his new foundation board chair position with NDNF, Marlon serves as the president of the Southern Nevada Association of Addiction Professionals (SNAAP) and serves on the boards of HELP of Southern Nevada, the Las Vegas Rescue Mission, Serving Our Kids Foundation, and the UNLV Soccer Foundation. He founded the CARE Coalition and The Solutions Foundation, both of which combat substance abuse in southern Nevada and help raise awareness about addictive behavior and its consequences. Marlon also helped establish Mission High School, the first recovery high school in the nation, and is helping champion the fight against the opioid epidemic through his foundation, Vegas Stronger. He has also served on the Nevada Attorney General’s Substance Abuse Working Group.
Marlon’s work in the recovery sector earned him the Inspired Excellence Award from Las Vegas HEALS.
In 2018, he received the National Advocacy Award from the Association for Addiction Professionals
(NAADAC). He is a graduate of the Vegas Chamber of Commerce Leadership Las Vegas program, receiving a commendation from City of Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman and received the Community Counseling Center of Southern Nevada’s Vanguard Award.
Marlon earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the State University of New York and holds a master’s degree in Business Administration and a master’s degree in Counseling, both from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He is currently pursuing his Doctorate degree in psychology.
About Nevada Donor Network
Nevada Donor Network is a federally designated 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organ procurement organization (OPO) committed to maximizing the gift of life and health through organ and tissue donation. Established in 1987, Nevada Donor Network is one of only 58 OPOs in the U.S. serving more than 3 million people in the state of Nevada and 113,000 potential transplant recipients across the country. We work collaboratively with hospital staff and community partners to promote research and provide a strong support network to courageous donor families who’ve turned loss into hope.
At Nevada Donor Network, we encourage Nevadans to help individuals in need of life-saving transplants through education, research and action. Nevada Donor Network is a member of Donate Life Nevada, an affiliate of Donate Life America, whose state-wide efforts encourage Nevadans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors. For more information, please visit www.nvdonor.org
What Time Is It? I have always struggled to be on time. Somehow, my natural tempo sends me to places either 10 minutes early or 5 minutes late, leaving me bored out of my skull (what can you actually do in 10 minutes?) or harried and flush with embarrassment. I have always assumed that this was my superpower (hey, superpowers can be bad — just because they’re not good doesn’t mean they’re not superpowers), and all I could do was fight to be the person that shows up annoyingly early every time. It was exhausting, and I never understood why others found it so effortless.Then, the pandemic taught me that my bad superpower has a flip side, and in a situation like the one we are currently in, it’s a good superpower. And, like many superpowers, I got this one from my parents.I grew up unschooled in an off-the-grid home in rural Maine, with a feminist mother who took flack for deciding to be a full-time mom and a self-employed dad who kept us safe and fed. Unschooling varies by household, but in ours it meant that we spent most of our time doing whatever we wanted. We read books, built unstable treehouses, roasted apples over an open fire, played in the swamp, went over rickety bicycle jumps we constructed out of half-rotten boards and a couple large rocks, etc. So our sense of time was thoroughly disconnected from what the rest of society called ‘time’ — because it was based upon the emergent rhythms of our activity.The Williams kids, corralled momentarily for this photo in the late 1980s. At the same time that we were throwing rotten apples at each other until we got bored and decided to go pick blueberries on the barrens because we wanted a snack, children our age were having their activities dictated by an external clock (we are doing Science now, but in a couple minutes a bell will ring and we’ll have three minutes to fully switch from doing Science to learning how to type, and no snacks because it’s not 11:32 a.m. yet, which is the Time For Food). In other words, we obeyed our interests and bodily desires — and, sometimes, our parents — while other children were being taught to obey the bell.As we grew up, those children transitioned to obeying other proxies for society’s time: their watch, the machine for punching into work, the exact moment that the bus will pass your stop if you’re not there to catch it, the time their kids have to be at school or risk a tardy slip. I, on the other hand, grew up to be finally introduced to the fact that an invisible and intractable force was now running my life — and I always struggled to be on time.Then, many years later, in graduate school, my friend and colleague Crystle Martin introduced me to Gell (1992). Gell “divided time up into what he termed A-series time, or standardized time as measured by a clock, and B-series time, or time that is run by the punctuation of activity” (Martin et al., 2012, p. 229). I remember thinking, “Hah — I grew up in B-series time!” Now, the pandemic has upended the structures I had developed in the A-series time of universities, and I’ve realized just how much I relied upon various proxies for time to stay productive.At first, I couldn’t focus on anything, and all the little rituals and plans and ways of keeping myself working (most of which focused on where I was when) were useless. After all, while society as a broad structure is still running on A-series time, our individual lives are running on B-series time — with all the familiar A-series structures fallen by the wayside. No longer is there a place that indicates work (driving to the office signifies that it is Time to Work) — there is only this one place (home) that signifies everything, and thus nothing. And the nearest proxy for time — my computer clock — does not anchor me into the familiar pattern of a day. It’s 9:50 am eastern, and who cares?So, I have let myself fall back into the soft fluffy B-series time of my childhood. Rituals and plans have drifted away. I haven’t worn my watch in weeks, and I ignore the little proxies for time sprinkled around my home. Instead, I have reverted to obeying my interests and bodily desires, just as I did as a barefoot, curious, creative kid. For those of us academics learning to work away from the Ivory Clocktower (brilliant phrase coined by the brilliant Ana Ndumu) and needing to learn (or re-learn) how to strive in unstructured, organic rhythms, I’ve outlined how I manage in this new B-series world.First, I am fortunate enough that I have a job that I generally enjoy — so I have projects that are interesting and make me want to get right into B-series time and a sense of flow (e.g., Nakamura & Csikszentmihalyi, 2005). But even interesting projects have to be organized, so I have a Magic Method from the brilliant Susan Winter — but you have to promise to continue reading past the first sentence of the next paragraph, because it will make you snort in disbelief. (I know this to be true because the first time Susan Winter explained it to me, I snorted in disbelief. Then came back to her two months later and said, “I can’t stay organized — what should I do?!” And she explained it again, and I didn’t snort, and now I’m a firm believer.) So just give me a little time to properly explain before you dismiss the Method. Promise? Okay, here we go!I use a Google spreadsheet. (Yep, let that snort out — get it over with!) Each column represents a week of time (proxies for time are useful, sometimes), and each row represents a different type of obligation, grouped within a meta-goal (e.g., Goal 6: teaching INST 728F). So today (a Tuesday), I had this week’s column to guide me, and then I had the beautiful luxury of choosing which project or obligation I want to work on right now — which activity should I punctuate my life with? Which makes me feel excited about jumping in and getting busy? Below are two of my meta-goals for this week and next — and you can see that there are obscure notes to myself alongside hyperlinks to make sure I have quick access to the most relevant digital information about that cell or row.My spreadsheet: metagoals to the far left, subdivided into smaller obligations one column to the right of that, then weekly tasks for those obligations.So within today (a Tuesday), I had the current week’s column to guide me: this is what I want to accomplish this week. And then I allowed myself the beautiful luxury of choosing which project or obligation I want to work on right now — which activity should I punctuate my life with? Which makes me feel excited about jumping in and getting busy? When I do some work on a cell (say, Project mmPlay for this week — memoing video data), I highlight the cell yellow to indicate I’ve done some of it. When I complete the task (memo the entire second video, and export memos to share with the research team), I highlight it green — and then I ignore it for the rest of the week!I also have a couple of odd rows, like “One-Off Service” — if an editor asks me to review a journal article, I can go directly to that row and see if I have a spare cell to tuck it in. All the cells are full for the next two months? Welp, too bad, can’t review. There’s also a row called “Annoying Bits” where I put the administrative paperwork (like filling out the travel reimbursement paperwork that has stopped piling up but is still piled up). Committees sometimes share a row, but my doctoral students get their own– sometimes it just says “weekly meeting,” but other times it says “Don’t forget to read that draft BEFORE the meeting!”Then, at the end of the week, I move over any task I’ve left incomplete to the next week’s column (or ignore it as ultimately unnecessary), and “hide” the column so that my new week is the most prominent column. And, just to add a dash of gamification, before I hide the old column, I count up the green cells — total number of tasks I completed that week, which tends to be between 12 and 20—and transfer that number of dollars into my bank account that is for FUN STUFF ONLY. If the slow accumulation of guilt-free money into a fun-only stash doesn’t motivate you, find something that does. Maybe 5 minutes of pleasure reading for each completed task, so you can store them up and finally dig into those cosy mysteries you’ve been putting off. Or 5 minutes of Netflix—I recommend Keeping Up Appearances for an oldie-but-goodie (completing six tasks gets you an episode!). Or 5 minutes of the peculiarly peaceful Animal Crossing. Whatever you choose, take pleasure in adding up your completed tasks each week, and using your thoroughly deserved awards regularly.So each individual day of my week is guided by my spreadsheet, but driven by my immediate interest (and see the Footnote and image below) — and I can work on what I’m most interested in until B-series time bops me on the head and says, “Your stomach is growling! Punctuate this activity with the activity of eating!” Often, after such a call by my bodily functions, I realize that I’m tired of working on that project — so I scribble a few notes to remember where to pick up next time, color the cell in appropriately, and move on to something else I feel like doing. Or I bite the bullet and do one of those Annoying Bits, just to give my brain something different-feeling to focus on.My Complice list for a single day — meetings and goals from my spreadsheet.Now, here are is the single concession I make to A-series time: every single A-series time commitment I make (whether the weekly family zoom session, teaching my online class, a research meeting, a planned grocery trip, etc.) goes directly on my calendar, and I get alerts on my phone 10 minutes beforehand. (The school bell that kept kids on track in school, and reminded them that A-series time runs their lives, has now transitioned to a phone ding!) This way, I can otherwise ignore proxies for time, and I have 10 minutes to help myself transition from the interrupted B-series activity to the upcoming A-series one. That’s it — that’s all the A-series concessions I make. The rest of my life is B-series.The world is a complicated mess right now — but accepting that my life is now B-series time has helped me ebb and flow with the new normal. Embrace motivation, interest, enjoyment, and necessities, and try a life that isn’t wrapped around your familiar proxy for A-series time. Give into the urge to do what you feel like doing, in the moment that you feel like doing it, and see what happens. It might just turn out that B-series time is your new favorite tempo....Acknowledgements: Thanks to: Joan B. for helping me realize that my bad superpower had turned good; the fall semester’s students in my Games & Learning class for our discussion about A-series and B-series time; and my old research lab’s chapter Playing Together Separately (Martin et al., 2012) for getting my brain to mesh the two together. Additional thanks to Ana Ndumu and Jordan T. Thevenow-Harrison for their brilliant feedback on the original version, and to Mia Hinkle for her encouragement to dust this off and get it out there. #BlackTransLivesMatterFootnote: As I’m looking over my spreadsheet each morning, and letting my interests guide me (or any hard deadlines for the day, like reading that integrated paper), I put the things that seem most interesting into my daily task list in https://complice.co [Complice __title__ Complice Website]. Complice was designed specifically to avoid stale task lists — that is, the constant accumulation of additional un-done tasks from day to day until your list is 3,007 individual tasks long and you decide to never look at it again. If you tend towards guilt-inducing stale tasks lists, try Complice — it complements the spreadsheet perfectly, because the spreadsheet gives you the long-term view and the weekly view, and Complice gives you the daily view (and some lovely co-working rooms!).References Gell, A. (1992). A-series:B-series::Gemeinschaft:Gesellschaft::Them:Us. The anthropology of time: Culture construction of temporal maps and images (pp. 286–293). Oxford: Berg.Martin, C., Williams, C., Ochsner, A., Harris, S. King, E., Anton, G., Elmergreen, J. & Steinkuehler, C. (2012). Playing together separately: Mapping out literacy and social synchronicity. In G. Merchant, J. Gillen, J. Marsh & J. Davies (Eds.), Virtual literacies: Interactive spaces for children and young people (pp. 226–243). London: Routledge.Nakamura, J., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2002). Concept of Flow. In C. R. Snyder & S. J. Lopez (Eds.), Handbook of Positive Psychology (pp. 89–105). New York: Oxford University Press, Inc.
###About the University of Maryland College of Information StudiesFounded in 1965 and located just outside of Washington, D.C., the University of Maryland College of Information Studies (UMD iSchool) is top-ten ranked research and teaching college in the field of information science. UMD iSchool faculty, staff, and students are expanding the frontiers of how people access and use information and technology in an evolving world – in government, education, business, social media, and more. The UMD iSchool is committed to using information and technology to empower individuals and communities, create opportunities, ensure equity and justice, and champion diversity. https://ischool.umd.edu/
True Story of Survival Opens Minds and Dialogues about Mental Health
New York NY, August 14, 2020 — Mark Henick stood precariously on the wrong side of the railing on a crumbling, concrete overpass. The bridge spanned two realities and, for Henick, had become a symbol of escape — in one form or another. A voice behind him tried to help. A crowd gathered. Siren lights flashed in his peripheral vision. Surrounded but still alone, Henick let go.
So-Called Normal: A Memoir of Family, Depression and Resilience from Mark Henick is a vital and triumphant story of perseverance and recovery by one of North America’s foremost advocates for mental health
Henick’s near-death experience on the overpass that night would alter his emotional orbit just enough that his exit from a psychiatric ward following that suicide attempt in 2003 would be his last. His transformation didn’t happen overnight — it was a gradual process punctuated with new challenges and setbacks — but slowly, his patterns reversed and he began a profound, “upward” spiral toward recovery.
So-Called Normal chronicles Henick’s youth and the events that led to that fateful night on the bridge and the experiences and transformation that followed. It is a vivid and personal account of a boy who had to deal with the breakdown of his parents’ marriage, an abusive stepfather, bullying and trauma — all while trying to navigate his progressively worsening mental health. In the backdrop is a community that didn’t talk about mental illness, one where silence and maintaining the comforts of “normal” was paramount. So-Called Normal is not a “misery memoir” about suicide — it’s a gripping, inspirational story of survival.
Author Mark Henick’s TEDx talk about being saved from death by a stranger is one of the most watched in the world and has been viewed millions of times. His search for “the man in the brown jacket” whose bravery and strong arms kept him from falling to his death went viral around the world (and was successful!). Henick has been on television and radio and has written many articles on mental health. He has hosted more than 60 intimate conversations about mental health with notable public figures and celebrities on his podcast, So-Called Normal, and has executive produced and hosted the Living Well podcast for Morneau Shepell. Henick has served on the board of directors for the Mental Health Commission of Canada, and was the president of a provincial division of the Canadian Mental Health Association — the youngest person in either role. He has worked as a frontline clinician, a program manager and the national director of strategic initiatives for CMHA. Currently the CEO and principal strategist for Strategic Mental Health Consulting, Mark Henick is in high demand as an international keynote speaker on mental health recovery.
Deep Flavors Makes Delicious Kosher Cuisine Accessible for Home Cooks
Dallas, TX, August 14, 2020 — If you love cooking kosher or simply enjoy trying new foods and creating memorable meals in your home kitchen, Deep Flavors: A Celebration of Recipes for Foodies in a Kosher Style from Kenneth M. Horwitz offers an abundance of tempting dishes designed for cooks, whether Kosher or non-Kosher, with helpful tips for proper preparation.
“Cooking is worth some effort and attention to detail,” Horwitz writes. “The positive reactions from family or guests, as well as your own enjoyment, will make it worthwhile.”
“Effort” and “attention to detail,” however, don’t have to equate with “difficult.” In fact, throughout Deep Flavors, Horwitz shares his wisdom for sourcing ingredients and breaking recipes into simple steps — and how to do some of this prep work well in advance so that delicious meals can be served in spite of hectic schedules.
Between the covers of Deep Flavors, Horwitz offers an eclectic menu that includes traditional Jewish dishes plus other regional and international favorites reinterpreted to observe some or all of the rules for kosher foods. The result is a diverse anthology of recipes that will appeal to broad audiences everywhere — Jewish and otherwise.
Horwitz, a CPA by trade, explained in an interview with Today’s CPA that, “My approach to cooking is really an extension of what I do in my professional practice. I solve problems. One of the ‘problems,’ at least in my house, is that since we maintain a kosher house, but eat eclectically, is how to convert recipes so that they are kosher …”
Horwitz’s Texas State Fair Blue Ribbon-winning Spinach/Mushroom Lasagna, for instance, is a completely original vegetarian lasagna accessible to Jews and vegetarians, with a unique twist on ingredients that gives it a complex flavor profile. Even recipes for classic foods such as brisket and roast turkey contain newly imagined taste combinations and techniques to elevate them while maintaining recognizable hallmarks of each dish. Another recipe that epitomizes the standard set by Horwitz, yet remarkably simple to execute, is the Dill French Toast: savory, unique, and delicious.
Horwitz’s ultimate goal was to create recipes that are easy to read and easily followed by any-one with a basic knowledge of cooking. He provides detailed instructions with enhanced explanations and alternatives, additive for both the novice and the more experienced cook.
A Readers’ Favorite reviewer, who gave Deep Flavors a 5-star rating, referred to the book as “… an essential addition to any cookbook fanatic's collection and to anyone who believes in spending the time and effort to make the ‘food’ experience a real work of art …”
With 51 years in a general tax and transaction practice as a CPA and lawyer, Ken Horwitz developed a creative and focused approach to finding and fixing problems — a skill that translates well to the development of and modification of recipes based on traditional family favorites but tailored to one’s personal tastes and dietary needs.
His professional drive and the care given to his work have earned him multiple awards, including the Honorary Fellow for a lifetime of distinguished service and the 2017 Chairperson of the Year by the Texas Society of CPAs. Currently residing in Dallas, Texas, Horwitz enjoys sharing his passion for cooking with his wife and his children’s families. Horwitz believes that one of the highest compliments he has received came from a longstanding client who uses numerous lawyers. He said, “Ken, you are the only lawyer we use whose work we have not had to fix.” Horwitz’s goal is for Deep Flavors to reach that same standard.
Deep Flavors Publisher: Inspire on Purpose ISBN-13: 978-1-941782-51-4 ISBN-10: 1-941782-51-5 Available from Amazon.com
Addiction treatment in central Canada takes another leap forward
Aurora Recovery Centre Welcomes New Faces To The Team
GIMLI, MB, Aug. 14, 2020 /CNW/ - Aurora Recovery Centre has upped its game once again.
With laser focus on moving forward in reshaping the face of treatment and recovery in central Canada, the 70-bed treatment centre in Gimli, Manitoba has welcomed two new faces to the Aurora team, while saying goodbye to an original member.
With a career spanning 35 years, Neal Berger, an expert and veteran of treating substance use and mental health disorders across North America, comes on board in the position of Executive Consultant and Staff Development and Training.
Berger is widely known across the continent for his work with governments and treatment centres. From 2015 through 2018, Berger was a member of the Canadian government's Recovery Expert Advisory Group, whose mandate was to conduct research regarding how individuals with Substance Use Disorders attain and maintain recovery in Canada.
He was one of the founders of Edgewood Treatment Centre in Nanaimo, B.C. in 1994, and Cedars at Cobble Hill in 2005. Berger was a member of the Federal Health Minister of Canada's International Roundtable tasked with developing strategic policy initiatives to reduce the human and financial costs associated with addiction. He is currently president of the International Society for Excellence in Recovery Management.
"It is hard to explain succinctly just how fortunate we are to have Neal Berger join our team," Steve Low, President of Aurora, said. "His is one of the great minds in addiction treatment, and more importantly, recovery management systems."
"What this man has done for this field, and with whom he has done it — to be able to tap into that is a blessing to anybody."
Also joining the Aurora team is Darryl Stein, BA Economics, as Director of Business Development. With a proven record in sales and management at executive levels in Fortune 500 businesses, Stein will help Aurora manage and grow its referral connections.
"Darryl is a passionate, fierce recovery advocate and has an incredible track record to draw upon in the business sector. We are thrilled he has agreed to join us," said Low.
The changes come as the centre says farewell to a founding face of Aurora. Ian Rabb, former Director of Business Development, Public Relations and Interventionist / Addictions Specialist, founded Aurora Recovery Centre in 2015. He resigned following years of promoting Aurora as the option for private-care treatment in central Canada.
"We really want to honour Ian for who he is, and what he has done," said Paul Melnuk, Aurora owner and cofounder. "He was one of the original visionaries of Aurora. He put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this place, and we wish him well."
Low agreed.
"Ian gave an incredible contribution to our centre's coming to life and getting this far. He will be missed, and his efforts always appreciated."
The changes continue to drive Aurora's push to reach and help more people find solutions to their substance use issues. With a philosophy embedded in Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care, Low and owner Paul Melnuk continue to retool the centre on the Western shores of Lake Winnipeg. In the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, the two and their loyal staff members have been busy making changes to programming, while adding clinical staff in sync with the science- and evidence-based best practices used by the top centres in North America.
Multi-disciplinary options for treatment, with a strong emphasis on inclusion of families in the process of healing, are Aurora's signature focuses.
"If we take care of our members and families first, offering them the best help available, then the business end will take care of itself. I really believe that," says Melnuk. "Good management is all about bringing in the best staff possible to accomplish that."
Aurora Recovery Centre is an addiction treatment centre in Gimli, Manitoba that offers treatment for substance use and mental health disorders.
SOURCE Aurora Recovery Centre
Meet the Award-Winning Beauty Brand Built On Empowering Shoppers to Define Beauty for Themselves, All While Giving Back 10% of Annual Profits
Established by a self-made mom-preneur, Manna Kadar Beauty creates bold impact with luxurious, multi-functional products and an unshakeable philosophy of philanthropyIRVINE, Calif. – (August 13, 2020): Beauty can refresh, inspire, and enhance self-confidence. When you look good, you feel good, and whether your concept of beauty is minimalist or total glam, Manna Kadar Cosmetics (MKC) is designed to simplify the process. Founded by self-made, self-funded minority mom-preneur Manna Kadar, the MKC family of brands includes Manna Kadar Beauty, Goddess by Manna Kadar, Beauty and the Bump, Haute Dog luxury pet products, Mason Man Skincare, and Manna Kadar Luxe Bath and Body. Each curated line creates a full 360 luxury experience, offering uniquely formulated beauty solutions that delight the senses and elevate your surroundings. Now, meet the bold-spirited innovator behind the award-winning, three-step Beauty Simplified System and an Inc. Magazine “Top 5,000” brand that gives back 10% of annual profits to those in need. “Feeling beautiful and beautifying your space can be so impactful on your day,” explains Kadar. “I’ve found that by really listening to the product issues men and women experience, it’s possible to create high-quality, luxury options capable of changing a person’s entire outlook. I’m here to help empower customers to be the best version of themselves, whatever that looks like for them.” Born in Paris, France, then raised in Lincoln Heights, California, Kadar learned to define beauty - and life - for herself. A natural-born entrepreneur and multi-tasker, Kadar juggled owning and growing her own business at the age of 16, while at the same time earning a degree in Finance and Distribution Management from USC. She has gained power through education, and today she empowers and educates customers to create beauty efficiently and effectively all while raising a family and growing her 6 brands into globally recognized names. Establishing what would become the MKC empire, she built a business around empowering customers to define and create their own concepts of beauty. Today, Kadar’s six beauty brands offer a complete luxury experience for men, women, and pets. Her Beauty Simplified System provides instructions to help makeup lovers of all skill levels coordinate their products and create easy, gorgeous looks in just 7 minutes. With bestsellers like LipLocked Priming Gloss Stain, Manna Kadar Beauty simplifies and streamlines the makeup process, offering feel-good luxury products that are built for real life. Each long-lasting, multi-functional option is made to go the distance, helping women feel beautifully confident in the boardroom or on the playground. Successful, in part, because of the sacrifices of others (particularly by her mom and grandmother), Kadar now seeks to give back by advancing local and global causes. That includes supporting families of sick children (through a non-profit called Miracles for Kids), along with donating more than 30,000 beauty products to those in need. She also serves on the boards of both Goodwill and USC Women in Business, in addition to helping combat today’s greatest social injustices through volunteer work with Gen Next. Shop the complete MKC collection online at MannaKadarCosmetics.com, or browse in-person at Ulta and more than 40,000 other retail stores nationwide. Discover “beauty simplified” on the brand’s website, with products designed to prime, polish, and perfect in minutes. Also, explore Kadar’s personal favorites, along with new arrivals, beauty accessories, and gift sets. Get to know Kadar @anna_with_an_m on Instagram, plus discover the latest product releases and brand developments @MannaKadarBeauty.# # #About Manna Kadar Cosmetics:Developed by 20-year beauty industry expert Manna Kadar, Manna Kadar Cosmetics (MKC) is a family of six lifestyle brands - Manna Kadar Beauty, Goddess by Manna Kadar, Beauty and the Bump, Haute Dog luxury pet products, Mason Man Skincare, and Manna Kadar Luxe Bath and Body - each with a timeless aesthetic and iconic products. Manna Kadar Beauty offers a complete line of long-wear, double-duty items designed to minimize and simplify the makeup application process. The brand’s award-winning Beauty Simplified System distinguishes a three-step approach - prime, polish, and perfect - that requires 7 minutes or less. As a company, MKC is committed to working together with uncompromising ethics, thoughtful candor, and 100% accountability to its customers and team members. Giving back 10% of its annual profits to local and global philanthropic organizations, learn more about the brand dedicated to creating bold impact at MannaKadarCostmetics.com. Discover the latest product releases and brand developments @MannaKadarBeauty on Instagram.
Brilliant New Natural Addiction Therapy Device Hits US Market
Nashville, TN, August 13, 2020 ---Every 11 minutes, somebody dies from substance addiction in the US. Now, the company that brought you ZeroSmoke, a revolutionary product which helped millions quit smoking and achieved over $20M in sales in its first year, brings a new product to market, based on the same principles, designed to alleviate cravings and withdrawal caused by addiction. AcuMed’s new device is the only do-it-yourself kit available that can ease these symptoms without the need for a prescription for more drugs.
AcuMed’s kit is based on the science of auricular therapy,, which has been in use for decades: its effectiveness in humans is backed up by numerous clinical trials and studies. It consists of a patented small magnetic clip that creates calibrated pressure on a specific point on the ear. Auricular therapy, based on the same principles as acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine and neurological reflex therapies discovered in Europe, works on the energetic correspondence between parts of the outer ear with parts of the body.
The kit teaches users how to identify selective ear reflex points and attach the clip correctly for maximum effectiveness. It begins to work within a few minutes of application and continues to work on the systems involved in cravings and withdrawal from opioids. AcuMed for Addiction is creating an integrated system which offers this product and many other resources to assist people in fighting addiction and finding necessary professional help.
Our emergency addiction packages will be donated through non profit organizations across the country starting in October 2020. Visit our website now to order your free emergency kit at www.tryacumed.com. Affordably priced full kits will be available in major retail chains beginning in January 2021. The company has already rolled out new products based on the same therapy, that harness the benefits of auricular therapy, including motion sickness, weight loss (suppresses appetite), optimal sleep quality, increased HRV and improved management of stress and anxiety.
Online Community Helps Retired Career Women Redefine their Futures, Tap into their Potential and Blaze New Trails
New York, NY, August 13, 2020 — How do the dizzying ramifications of the pandemic, politics and the global financial market affect the 75+ million US retirees in the New World Order—including nearly 10 million women who were trailblazers in the workplace back in the ’70s? Erica Baird and Karen Wagner, two successful lawyers now retired, are the cofounders ofLustre.net, an online community for modern career women devoted to redefining retirement. Baird and Wagner are anything but “invisible” and definitely don’t consider themselves “retired,” in the mainstream sense of the word—instead, they are role models for how to “style retirement” today and are full of opinions on how their demographic should be treated. Here, theyshare four take-action strategies for confronting this major transition and shaping a new path forward:
1. Take charge of the next third of your life. Retirement can be overwhelming, but it’s less daunting when you recognize that it’s not the end: it’s the beginning of a new beginning. It’s OK if you don’t have a plan, but you do have to face a new reality. Upon entering retirement in your 60s, you might not realize that you’re quite likely to live—in good health and in great mind—for another 30 years. This new paradigm is unprecedented and presents exciting opportunities. You are part of a brand-new demographic. You are also a member of a generation of trailblazers. If you embrace this new paradigm, you can blaze a new trail that allows you to continue to be a vital member of society and, in the process, change entrenched mindsets and expectations about retirement.
2. Create your new identity. Retirement doesn’t define you; however, it does change the way society perceives you and the way you might perceive yourself. During your decades in business, you fought to come out as a woman and your work became an integral part of your identity. Now that you’ve left your 40+-year career, who are you now and what is your value? How do you show up in the world without your job to define you? Don’t let this identity crisis paralyze you. You forged a work identity, now you need to do it again. Your past achievements create a platform for your future. You have assets—skills, experience, different perspectives—that will help you shape the reinvented you.
3. Embraceyour age as your power. Having worked for decades, you are now older and wiser. You are no longer interested in crashing the ceiling. You have arrived. And you have power that only age can give. You know you don’t want your grandfather’s retirement. You can use your new powers to create a different kind of retirement that suits you. You can defy stereotypes about age and create new images of older women. You can challenge assumptions about what the next third of your life should look like. Remember: we used our power to change the workplace when we started out. We’re starting new again. Now we have a different kind of power. Let’s use it again to change retirement.
4. Find your new purpose.Purpose plays an important role in retirement. It is a key part of being visible, valued and engaged in the world. It also has a key role in your reinvention. In the old retirement paradigm, with its short runway, purpose did not play a central role. In the new paradigm, the runway is long and options are not limited solely on the basis of age. In order to take down the barriers to our continuing role in the wider world, we all need to challenge current stereotypes, recognize our skills are no less valuable today than they were the day before we retired, and advocate for our perspectives and experience which are relevant today and to future generations.
Lustre.net is an online forum founded by Erica Baird and Karen Wagner, two retired attorneys. Together, Baird and Wagner are on a mission to redefine retirement for modern career women by confronting outdated concepts, defying stereotypes and raising our collective voices to ensure that retirement for all of us is shaped by women, for women. Baird and Wagner want women to “tap into our experiences and passions, forge new identities, and find new purpose—and pass on what we know to the next generation.”
Virologists Strongly Encourage Getting the Flu Vaccine This Year, Now More Important Than Ever
St. Jude Virus Experts Warns as a COVID Vaccine is Still in Development, We Need to Utilize the Available Flu Vaccine
MEMPHIS, TENN. – As the number of COVID cases tops 5 million in the United States and the potential for a dual influenza and COVID season this fall, virology experts withSt. Jude Children’s Research Hospitaloffer a critical reminder that it’s important to get a flu shot as soon as it becomes available next month. The CDC has recommended Americans receive this year’s influenza vaccine in September to build immunity for the upcoming flu season.
“The combination of both the coronavirus and influenza virus swirling together throughout the U.S. this fall and winter has the potential to exacerbate the strain on an already struggling public health system,” warns Richard Webby, Ph.D., flu virologist at St. Jude Children’s Hospital and the World Health Organization. “The two viruses cause initial symptoms that are difficult to distinguish, have their biggest effect on the elderly and those with similar underlying conditions, and, at the severe end of the disease spectrum, cause competition for similar life-saving hospital equipment.”
Dr. Webby recently appeared on CNN New Day and made these and other comments warning Americans to get a flu shot in a CNN guest opinion piece, “Why it’s vital to get your flu vaccine this year.” He is also director of a World Health Organization influenza Collaborating Center responsible for recommending the makeup of each year's flu vaccine.
“Let me state this as clearly and unambiguously as possible: get the flu shot starting in September. Don't wait for reports of a spike in the influenza virus before taking advantage of the vaccine. Getting the flu shot at the beginning of the season allows for the time needed to build up immunity and protection from this year's influenza virus,” wrote Dr. Webby.
Stacey Schultz-Cherry, Ph.D., a virologist with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, recently spoke toThe New York Times and is leading the National Institute of Health fundedCenter of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance charged with the effort to develop a universal flu vaccine. As numerous studies are being conducted to test the effectiveness of a vaccine to guard against COVID, experts indicate that the development of a COVID-19 vaccine is different than one for the flu.
“A vaccine for COVID-19 is a little bit different from a flu vaccine. We’ve had experience with flu vaccines, and you have established platforms, but COVID-19 is a new virus no one has seen before and you have to take more precautions,” saidStacey Schultz-Cherry, Ph.D., a virologist with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “It may not be something people want to hear, but the worst thing to do is release a COVID vaccine that’s not safe because we were in a hurry. We’re looking at the impact on different populations because we don’t know all the complications and long-term effects. That will be the next thing we’ll need to address. The genie is out of the bottle, but we can still control how the genie behaves.”
TRAIN IT RIGHT NEWSLETTER
Sign Up and get a free 7 day Train it Right HIIT Program!
I have always struggled to be on time. Somehow, my natural tempo sends me to places either 10 minutes early or 5 minutes late, leaving me bored out of my skull (what can you actually do in 10 minutes?) or harried and flush with embarrassment. I have always assumed that this was my superpower (hey, superpowers can be bad — just because they’re not good doesn’t mean they’re not superpowers), and all I could do was fight to be the person that shows up annoyingly early every time. It was exhausting, and I never understood why others found it so effortless.Then, the pandemic taught me that my bad superpower has a flip side, and in a situation like the one we are currently in, it’s a good superpower. And, like many superpowers, I got this one from my parents.I grew up unschooled in an off-the-grid home in rural Maine, with a feminist mother who took flack for deciding to be a full-time mom and a self-employed dad who kept us safe and fed. Unschooling varies by household, but in ours it meant that we spent most of our time doing whatever we wanted. We read books, built unstable treehouses, roasted apples over an open fire, played in the swamp, went over rickety bicycle jumps we constructed out of half-rotten boards and a couple large rocks, etc. So our sense of time was thoroughly disconnected from what the rest of society called ‘time’ — because it was based upon the emergent rhythms of our activity.
The Williams kids, corralled momentarily for this photo in the late 1980s.
My spreadsheet: metagoals to the far left, subdivided into smaller obligations one column to the right of that, then weekly tasks for those obligations.So within today (a Tuesday), I had the current week’s column to guide me: this is what I want to accomplish this week. And then I allowed myself the beautiful luxury of choosing which project or obligation I want to work on right now — which activity should I punctuate my life with? Which makes me feel excited about jumping in and getting busy? When I do some work on a cell (say, Project mmPlay for this week — memoing video data), I highlight the cell yellow to indicate I’ve done some of it. When I complete the task (memo the entire second video, and export memos to share with the research team), I highlight it green — and then I ignore it for the rest of the week!I also have a couple of odd rows, like “One-Off Service” — if an editor asks me to review a journal article, I can go directly to that row and see if I have a spare cell to tuck it in. All the cells are full for the next two months? Welp, too bad, can’t review. There’s also a row called “Annoying Bits” where I put the administrative paperwork (like filling out the travel reimbursement paperwork that has stopped piling up but is still piled up). Committees sometimes share a row, but my doctoral students get their own– sometimes it just says “weekly meeting,” but other times it says “Don’t forget to read that draft BEFORE the meeting!”Then, at the end of the week, I move over any task I’ve left incomplete to the next week’s column (or ignore it as ultimately unnecessary), and “hide” the column so that my new week is the most prominent column. And, just to add a dash of gamification, before I hide the old column, I count up the green cells — total number of tasks I completed that week, which tends to be between 12 and 20—and transfer that number of dollars into my bank account that is for FUN STUFF ONLY. If the slow accumulation of guilt-free money into a fun-only stash doesn’t motivate you, find something that does. Maybe 5 minutes of pleasure reading for each completed task, so you can store them up and finally dig into those cosy mysteries you’ve been putting off. Or 5 minutes of Netflix—I recommend Keeping Up Appearances for an oldie-but-goodie (completing six tasks gets you an episode!). Or 5 minutes of the peculiarly peaceful Animal Crossing. Whatever you choose, take pleasure in adding up your completed tasks each week, and using your thoroughly deserved awards regularly.So each individual day of my week is guided by my spreadsheet, but driven by my immediate interest (and see the Footnote and image below) — and I can work on what I’m most interested in until B-series time bops me on the head and says, “Your stomach is growling! Punctuate this activity with the activity of eating!” Often, after such a call by my bodily functions, I realize that I’m tired of working on that project — so I scribble a few notes to remember where to pick up next time, color the cell in appropriately, and move on to something else I feel like doing. Or I bite the bullet and do one of those Annoying Bits, just to give my brain something different-feeling to focus on.
My Complice list for a single day — meetings and goals from my spreadsheet.Now, here are is the single concession I make to A-series time: every single A-series time commitment I make (whether the weekly family zoom session, teaching my online class, a research meeting, a planned grocery trip, etc.) goes directly on my calendar, and I get alerts on my phone 10 minutes beforehand. (The school bell that kept kids on track in school, and reminded them that A-series time runs their lives, has now transitioned to a phone ding!) This way, I can otherwise ignore proxies for time, and I have 10 minutes to help myself transition from the interrupted B-series activity to the upcoming A-series one. That’s it — that’s all the A-series concessions I make. The rest of my life is B-series.The world is a complicated mess right now — but accepting that my life is now B-series time has helped me ebb and flow with the new normal. Embrace motivation, interest, enjoyment, and necessities, and try a life that isn’t wrapped around your familiar proxy for A-series time. Give into the urge to do what you feel like doing, in the moment that you feel like doing it, and see what happens. It might just turn out that B-series time is your new favorite tempo....Acknowledgements: Thanks to: Joan B. for helping me realize that my bad superpower had turned good; the fall semester’s students in my Games & Learning class for our discussion about A-series and B-series time; and my old research lab’s chapter Playing Together Separately (Martin et al., 2012) for getting my brain to mesh the two together. Additional thanks to Ana Ndumu and Jordan T. Thevenow-Harrison for their brilliant feedback on the original version, and to Mia Hinkle for her encouragement to dust this off and get it out there. #BlackTransLivesMatterFootnote: As I’m looking over my spreadsheet each morning, and letting my interests guide me (or any hard deadlines for the day, like reading that integrated paper), I put the things that seem most interesting into my daily task list in 
