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  • Some Planters nuts recalled in 5 states over potential listeria

    Some Planters nuts recalled in 5 states over potential listeria

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    Hormel Foods has voluntarily recalled two types of Planters nuts in five states over concerns about potential contamination from the bacteria listeria. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Hormel Foods has voluntarily recalled two types of Planters nuts in five states over concerns about potential contamination from the bacteria listeria

    • The food manufacturer is recalling some 4-ounce packages of honey roasted peanuts and 8.75-ounce cans of deluxe lightly salted mixed nuts

    • The recall only impacts products shipped to Publix supermarkets in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina and to Dollar Tree stores in Georgia and South Carolina

    • Listeria infections can be serious and sometimes fatal in young children, elderly people and individuals with weakened immune systems and can cause miscarriages and stillbirths in pregnant women

    The food manufacturer is recalling some 4-ounce packages of honey roasted peanuts and 8.75-ounce cans of deluxe lightly salted mixed nuts.

    The recall only impacts products shipped to Publix supermarkets in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina and to Dollar Tree stores in Georgia and South Carolina.

    The recalled honey roasted peanuts have a “best if used by date” of April 11, 2025, while the mixed nuts have a date of April 5, 2026.

    All of the potentially contaminated items were produced at one of Hormel’s facilities in April, the company said.

    There have been no reports of illnesses related to the products, Hormel said in a news release Friday.

    Listeria infections can be serious and sometimes fatal in young children, elderly people and individuals with weakened immune systems. In pregnant women, they can cause miscarriages, stillbirths, premature births and potentially fatal infections in newborns, according to the Mayo Clinic.

    The effects of listeria infections may be mitigated with prompt antibiotic treatment.

    Other people can be infected by listeria but rarely become seriously ill. Symptoms may include fever, chills, muscle aches, nausea and diarrhea. 

    Roughly 1,600 people are infected with listeria each year, with about 260 dying, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

    Hormel is advising customers who purchased the recalled products to discard them or exchange them at the store. 

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    Ryan Chatelain

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  • Thousands of grandparents are raising their grandchildren in Tampa Bay counties

    Thousands of grandparents are raising their grandchildren in Tampa Bay counties

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The role of parent does not always fall to a child’s mother or father. In Tampa Bay counties, there are thousands of  grandparents taking on that role.

    What You Need To Know

    • Joan Broughton is raising six of her grandchildren permanently

    • The Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County (JWB) is hosting a series of family-friendly events across Pinellas County to celebrate and support grandparents raising their grandchildren

    • According to the ACS, in Pinellas County just over 6,000 grandparents are the sole providers for their grandchild or grandchildren

    • Mid-County Grand Families Event is happening Saturday, May 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Pinellas Park Performing Arts Center. It is located at 4951 78th Ave. N., Pinellas Park

    Joan Broughton knows the job of being a parent well. She has three children.

    In her St. Petersburg home, a 16-year-old boy sits at her dining room table.

    “This is Daevon,” said Broughton. “Only no one calls him Daevon. What does everybody call you, baby?”

    He smiles and says, “Jack.”

    Despite Jack calling Broughton momma, he is not her son. He is her grandson.

    He is diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

    “It is harder for you with your hands,” said Broughton, ripping the plastic around an eight pack of juice boxes. “Momma got it, and I will open up your juice because you can’t do it.”

    Tuesday and Thursday are good days in her home, because her church family brings over food, like the pizza they were eating when we visited.

    “Right now, since I do not have to cook, wash dishes and whatever, I can actually do homework and spend time with them,” said Broughton.

    She said the word them because Jack is not the only one coming home from school, hungry for dinner.

    “How was school?” said Broughton, as three more kids, elementary aged, walk up her front steps and into the house.

    There is Diezel, Dominic, and Arianna. They all make themselves a plate and happily talk about their day at school.

    Minutes later, Da’Mya comes in and begins helping with homework. She is the oldest of Broughton’s grandchildren.

    Finally, the door swings open one more time, and in walks Annie, smiling. She is in middle school.

    In total, Broughton has six of her grandchildren permanently living under her roof.

    “So you got first grade, third grade, fifth grade, ninth grade, senior and eighth,” said Broughton, pointing to each one as they eat or do homework.

    In a few months, Broughton will take in a seventh grandchild, and within a year, most likely, an eighth grandchild.

    “When school starts, I will have seven. I will have seven,” she repeats, closing her eyes. “I will have seven. I don’t know how, but…”

    Broughton’s children had kids young, work unusual schedules, and are working to support themselves right now. That is why, from the birth of her first grandchild, Broughton and her husband Tyrone chose to take on the roles of caregivers.

    “Thirty-nine years,” said Broughton, when asked how long she and Tyrone had been married. “And we dated for three.”

    But then tears fill her eyes, and she begins to weep. The high school sweethearts will not make 40, because this past year Tyrone died of a heart attack.

    “I still don’t believe he is gone. I still don’t know why God took it from me,” said Broughton.

    The hardest job in the world, that of being a parent, has now been made harder because she must be both the father and mother.

    In April, she decided to seek out help by attending a Grandfamilies event hosted by the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County.

    “Sometimes they’re taking care of the children informally,” said Yardis Garcia, Community Engagement Manager, Juvenile Welfare Board. “They’re not the formal provider. So we want to make sure that we have legal organizations that they can ask questions.”

    Garcia says in Pinellas County, there are almost 6,000 grandparents who are the sole providers for their grandchildren. Twenty-two percent of those families live below the poverty line.

    The reason as to why grandparents are having to parent their grandchildren varies from family to family.

    “Unfortunately, we have mental health issues in our communities substance abuse, domestic violence, family separation for a lot of reasons that are affecting our families,” said Garcia.

    Despite those hardships, there are many resources available within the county. 

    Overall, many of the grandparents watching their grandkids do it willingly, knowing they are the best chance for their grandkids to grow up healthy and happy.

    “That misconception of they’re just taking care of them because it is a task they were they were forced to do that. They are there because they want to raise those kids. They want to make sure that they’re getting the resources and they’re thriving in their school, in their community and in their homes,” said Garcia.

    Broughton’s home is certainly a place of learning, love and laughter. She just has one hope for each of them.

    “Each one of them, I just want to be productive citizens. I’m not going to sit here and say they must be a doctor, they must be a lawyer. That’s not for everyone. But I want them to be God fearing good people,” said Broughton.

    The last Grandfamilies Event of the year is happening on May 4 with over 46 community resources available. It is happening from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Pinellas Performing Arts Center.

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    Erin Murray

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  • Anger may increase the risk of heart disease, stroke

    Anger may increase the risk of heart disease, stroke

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    Being angry is bad for your health. Even a brief amount of anger could negatively impact blood vessels, increasing the risk of stroke and heart disease, according to a new study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

    What You Need To Know

    • A brief episode of anger may negatively impact blood vessels

    • Blood vessels’ inability to relax increases the risk of stroke and heart disease, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association

    • The new study bolsters an AHA finding that mental well-being can positively or negatively affect a person’s health

    • Anxiety and sadness have also been linked with heart attack risk

    “Observational studies have linked feelings of negative emotions with having a heart attack or other cardiovascular disease events,” Columbia University Irving Medical Center Dr. Daichi Shimbo said in the journal article accompanying the study results. “The most common negative emotion studied is anger, and there are fewer studies on anxiety and sadness, which have also been linked to heart attack risk.”

    For the study, researchers randomly assigned 280 adults to one of four emotional tasks for eight minutes. They either had to recall a personal memory that made them angry, a personal memory that made them anxious or read a series of depressing sentences that evoked sadness or count repeatedly to induce a state of emotional neutrality.

    The researchers then assessed the cells lining their blood vessels both before and after the assigned task to determine if the vessels’ ability to dilate was impaired or if it increased cell injury or the cells’ capacity to repair.

    The only one of the four tasks that caused impairment to blood vessel dilation was recalling a personal memory of being angry.

    “We saw that evoking an angered state led to blood vessel dysfunction, though we don’t yet understand what may cause these changes,” Shimbo said.

    Blood vessels’ ability to relax is important for proper blood flow, according to the American Heart Association. Impaired blood vessels may increase the risk of atherosclerosis, of cholesterol building up in the artery walls, which may increase the risk of stroke and heart attack.

    The new study bolsters an AHA report from in 2021 that found mental well-being can positively or negatively affect a person’s health.

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    Susan Carpenter

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  • Parkinson’s Moving Day takes over

    Parkinson’s Moving Day takes over

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    COLUMBUS, Ohio — Sunday was Parkinson’s Moving Day and in honor of the title, that’s exactly what the community gathered to do.

    What You Need To Know

    • According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, nearly 90,000 people living in the U.S. are diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease

    • Moving Day is an event to shed a light on PD while also sharing the importance of movement to individuals living with PD

    • Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s Disease

    The Parkinson’s Foundation in Columbus, along with other community partners, shared resources to individuals living with Parkinson’s disease while also incorporating movement. 

    “The one thing we know about Parkinson’s is you’ve got to move,” said Melissa Carlson, owner of pDnextsteps, an exercise wellness program for people living with Parkinson’s Disease. 

    Carlson leads the Moving Day participants in some of her exercise moves she teaches at her facility because she knows just how important movement is. 

    “Exercise is the only thing that has been proven to slow the progression and at least change the trajectory of people living with Parkinson’s. When you move better, you feel better. You have a better quality of life,” said Carlson. 

    She has seen first-hand how exercise can change lives. 

    “I have seen people come into my facility using a walker and they’re no longer using a walker,” said Carlson. 

    Columbus city council member Nancy Day-Achauer was one sponsor for the event. Moving Day is special to her because her husband is living with Parkinson’s disease.

    “It’s really special for us to be able to bring awareness to Parkinson’s, to use my position as an elected official, to bring awareness to something that so few people truly understand,” said Day-Achauer. 

    Spreading awareness and moving your body is the goal.

    “We really need to bring awareness because there are a lot of people out there with Parkinson’s symptoms and they don’t even know it because they’re not the typical symptoms. So we hope this day will help raise awareness and it’s also a great opportunity for us to be out there and move because movement is what helps us with Parkinson’s symptoms,” said Day-Achauer.

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    Kennedy Chase

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  • Milk is safe, despite bird flu fragments, FDA says

    Milk is safe, despite bird flu fragments, FDA says

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    The Food and Drug Administration said the U.S. milk supply is safe, despite this week’s finding of bird flu fragments in 20% of commercial milk samples.

    The majority of milk samples that tested positive for the strain of avian flu known as H5N1 were in areas with infected dairy herds.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Food and Drug Administration said the U.S. milk supply is safe

    • Testing earlier this week found bird flu fragments in 20% of commercial milk samples

    • The FDA said pasteurization and the diversion or destruction of milk from sick cows has kept the U.S. milk supply safe

    • The agency continues to conduct tests

    “To date, the retail milk studies have shown no results that would change our assessment that the commercial milk supply is safe,” the FDA said Thursday.

    The FDA and U.S. Department of Agriculture said pasteurization and the diversion or destruction of milk from sick cows has kept the U.S. milk supply safe.

    On Tuesday, the USDA said it had found the H5N1 virus in livestock in Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico and Texas.

    Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, also known as bird or avian flu, can be transmitted by wild birds to domestic poultry and other bird and animal species, the FDA said. They do not normally infect humans, though sporadic infections in people have occurred.

    The FDA is currently conducting egg inoculation tests to determine if infectious virus is present in milk. Early research from the National Institutes of Health indicates there is no infectious virus in milk sold commercially.

    “Positive results do not necessarily represent actual virus that may be a risk to consumers,” the FDA said in a statement on its website. “Additional testing is required to determine whether intact pathogen is still present and if it remains infectious, which would help inform a determination of whether there is any risk of illness associated with consuming the product.”

    The Centers for Disease Control has not found any cases of H5N1 beyond the one known case related to direct contact with infected cattle.

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    Susan Carpenter

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  • Florida hemp industry could face an uncertain future

    Florida hemp industry could face an uncertain future

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    CLEARWATER, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis could soon sign SB 1698 into law.

    It caps the potency of THC in hemp products, prohibits businesses from manufacturing or selling products that contain more than .3% Delta-9 and places limits on other cannabinoids. 

    State Rep. Tommy Gregory is one of the bill sponsors and says it’s about safety.

    “I think that the overall limit, in terms of per container, is based on that logic to say ‘if you took everyone in this container and you were an adult who didn’t normally use Delta-9 THC, marijuana or synthetic cannabinoids,’” Gregory said. “That would get you to a place you probably don’t want to go beyond.”

    What You Need To Know

    • Gov. Ron DeSantis could soon sign a SB-1698 into law; it caps the potency of THC in hemp products

    • State Representative Tommy Gregory is one of the bill sponsors and says it’s about safety

    • Matt Wetzel, who runs a hemp shop in Clearwater Beach, said his son’s condition was helped by hemp

    One hemp shop owner, Matt Wetzel, has a store in Clearwater Beach.

    He isn’t just worried about the future of his hemp shop, but about the entire industry in the state and how the bill would limit CBD products for people who use them for health issues. His own son uses CBD without THC for a very rare medical condition.

    Matt, Emma Wentzel and their son Jameson, who uses CBD without THC for a very rare medical condition. (Wentzel family)

    Wetzel’s son Jameson Wetzel had a rough start in life. When he was a baby, he would overheat to the point of having seizures and even stopped breathing. His mother, Emma Wetzel, recalled how terrifying it was.

    “He got really warm, lethargic when I went to put him in bed,” Emma Wetzel said. “He curled up in a ball and then he breathed really loud and let the breath out and he stopped breathing.”

    Eventually, they would learn that the boy was suffering from Febrile Status Epilepticus. It’s a condition where seizures caused by a fever last 30 minutes or longer. He also had a hard time regulating his body heat. His parents say he has had fevers as high as 105 degrees.

    One day, Matt Wetzel heard a news report about CBD, made from a cannabis plant, but it’s not psychoactive, meaning it doesn’t make you high.

    It was being used to help people with seizures. The family lived in Wisconsin then, where it wasn’t legal, but in Colorado it was. The parents made the desperate move to help their son. Eventually, they started giving him CBD.

    “After a couple of days, we saw an immediate transformation,” Matt Wetzel said. “It was like…he was running, he was chasing birds, he was our little boy again.”

    They eventually moved to Florida and now worry about the new legislation and that it might destroy hemp shop owners across the state.

    “Gov. DeSantis needs to make a decision. Is he going to let something like this from happening again to another family because we are going to go right back to when Jameson was 1-year-old?” Matt said.

    The parents say CBD is the reason their son is here today, flourishing and living life to the fullest.

    Wetzel said if the legislation goes into effect in October, they might have to move to a more CBD friendly state like Georgia.

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    Jeff Van Sant

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  • “Game changer” – asthma drug provides new option for people with food allergies

    “Game changer” – asthma drug provides new option for people with food allergies

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — For 33 million Americans, going out to eat, grocery shopping, and even school lunch time can be a source of anxiety.

    According to the group Food Allergy and Research Education (FARE), that’s how many people in the U.S. have food allergies.

    A study led by Johns Hopkins Medicine found a drug used to treat allergic asthma can offer relief.

    It’s called Xolair, and the principal investigator said stage one of a three-stage study found 67% of people who got regular injections were able to tolerate a fairly large amount of peanut, compared to seven percent in a placebo group. More than half could tolerate other foods that caused reactions.

    What You Need To Know

    • The FDA recently approved Xolair, a medicine used to treat allergic asthma, for use to reduce the risk of severe reactions in people with food allergies

    • A study led by Johns Hopkins Medicine showed a significant amount of participants who received Xolair injections were able to tolerate a fairly large amount of their allergen

    • Doctors say this offers an exciting alternative for patients whose main options have been avoiding certain foods and carrying EpiPen  
    • The parents of an eight-year-old Wesley Chapel girl who recently began injections say they’re hopeful their daughter will be able to enjoy the same activities as other kids once she builds tolerance 

    “Going from what we did before, which was primarily just tell patients they had to avoid what they were allergic to and carry their epinephrine in case they had an accidental exposure, to where we are now with this drug, it really is a potentially life changing medicine for many, many patients,” said Dr. Robert Wood, director of the Pediatric Immunology and Rheumatology Division of Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore.

    Wood said the first stage of the study was specifically designed to bring back to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to potentially approve Xolair for use to treat food allergies. The FDA did just that in February, making it the first medication to get approval to help reduce allergic reactions to a number of foods after accidental exposure.

    Accidental exposure is something Layan Alabsi’s family has worked to prevent for almost her whole life. Her parents said she was diagnosed with a severe dairy allergy when she was a year old.

    “It’s been seven years since then. It’s been hard,” said Layan’s father, Humam Alabsi. “It did limit our social interaction. We’re not able to eat in restaurants. It’s hard for us eating, and she’s not enjoying it. It limited us going to parks or other places because of cross contamination.”

    Alabsi said Layan has needed to use an EpiPen three times in her life, and two of those happened last year. In one instance, he said she nearly died after trying her little sister’s ice-cream.

    “She already stopped breathing. She lost consciousness,” he said. “Thank God, she stayed with us, but I cried a lot that day.”

    The other time, just touching an eraser used by a classmate who’d eaten snacks with dairy in them was enough to trigger a reaction and land Layan in the hospital once again.

    “It’s hard for me as a mom, especially in the kitchen,” said Layan’s mother, Dania Alhyasat. “It’s like, when I want to eat something dairy, it’s like I will always clean my hand, brush my teeth, wipe the surface with Clorox wipes.”

    Twice a month, Layan and her family make the hour and a half to two-hour drive from their home in Wesley Chapel to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. Her parents said she’s getting oral immunotherapy for her allergies there and recently got her first injection of Xolair.

    “This is such a game changer. We were waiting for years for something to happen in this field, something that we can use as a treatment to lessen the severity of the reaction or to prevent food allergy from developing,” said Dr. Panida Sriaroon, medical director for All Children’s Food Allergy Clinic.

    While that last part hasn’t happened yet, she said patients are excited about this new option. 

    According to the FDA, Xolair was originally approved in 2003 to treat allergic asthma. Wood said that’s also when a study involving a similar drug showed promise in treating food allergies. He said his team and others have done smaller studies through the years signaling this medicine could prevent food reactions. Wood said Xolair’s original use is not so different from its new one.

    “The way that it works is that when you develop an allergy, your immune system develops something called IGE antibodies, and this drug is specifically called ‘anti-IGE’. So, it literally blocks, it sops up the IGE that’s in your bloodstream so that it can no longer interact with the food if you’ve had, say, an accidental exposure that would normally lead to an allergic reaction,” Wood said.

    Sriaroon said injections are given every two-to-four weeks to patients with life-threatening allergies.

    “It’s not a cure,” she said. “So, Xolair will only increase the threshold of someone developing a reaction. In other words, they have a less chance of having severe reactions in case of accidental exposure.”

    For families like Layan’s, that’s huge. 

    “I’m not greedy,” said Alabsi. “I’m not hoping that she’ll consume dairy like other kids. I’m just hoping that it would be safe for her to enjoy life like other kids.”

    “I see taking my daughter to a birthday party,” said Alhyasat of where she envisions her daughter to be a year from now. “She can celebrate her best friend’s birthday party, eat a cake with her sitting with her friends in the cafeteria, living her normal life as a child.”

    That’s something Layan said she looks forward to, as well.

    “When me and my best friend went to Urban Air, I can’t even eat anything or, like, eat pizza,” she said. “It’s kind of hard because I really want to be with friends and not be alone.”

    Wood said stages two and three of the study are ongoing, and the next step for Xolair is working through the process of insurance approvals.

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    Sarah Blazonis

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  • Birth doula advocates for better Black maternal health outcomes

    Birth doula advocates for better Black maternal health outcomes

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    RALEIGH, N.C. – According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy related cause than white women.

    Wednesday is the final day of Black Maternal Health Week, which is recognized every year from April 11 to 17. It’s a way to raise awareness about that inequity and improve Black maternal health in the future.

    The CDC says that disparity in maternal health outcomes can be due to variation in quality of health care, underlying chronic conditions as well as structural racism and implicit bias in the health care system.

    What You Need To Know

    • According to the CDC, Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy related cause than white women

    • Black Maternal Health Week is recognized every year from April 11 to 17

    • Jekisha Elliot, a Triangle area birth doula, believes health care isn’t a one size fits all type of situation

    • Elliott says educating people about a variety health care resources, like doulas and midwives, can improve birth outcomes for everyone

    Jekisha Elliot has been a birth doula for about three years now and runs Jendayi Doula Services.

    “What can we do to make this a comfortable journey for you so that you have a great birthing experience,” Elliott said.

    Elliott often incorporates yoga and stretching into her clients’ services.

    “That will really help to open up your hips as well,” Elliott said.

    As a birth doula, she helps women and families on their reproductive journeys.

    “Having a doula helps to reduce the risk of a C-section. It reduces the amount of labor by 41 minutes. It also increases your chances of breastfeeding successfully. So these are all things that have been studied and have been proven,” Elliott said.

    She’s always been passionate about serving others, and this work also allows her to advocate for people during a life changing chapter.

    “This is a really special moment. It’s an intimate moment. And so, just being able to be with families during this time where a lot of people don’t get to experience that,” Elliott said.

    For Elliott, health care isn’t a one size fits all type of situation.

    “A lot of doctors, they get training and things like that but life is changing. The world is changing. I think we all have to be aware of people’s culture and things they would like,” Elliott said.

    When it comes to childbirth, she says she’s seen the impact a narrow approach can have, especially on marginalized communities.

    Jekisha Elliott helps guide a client during some stretching exercises. (Spectrum News 1/Kyleigh Panetta)

    “A lot of times women, especially women of color, have to advocate for themselves because our concerns are not heard. They’re dismissed. There’s many Black women who have lost their lives either before, during or after childbirth just because their concerns weren’t heard,” Elliott said. “They want to see someone in the room with them that looks like them and that can help advocate for them and encourage them to feel strong through this journey.”

    She believes as more people learn what doulas can offer, and as more insurance companies cover these types of services, it’ll only improve birth outcomes for women and children of all backgrounds.

    “We just need to have more of a movement behind it so that it’s pretty much equitable for everybody. It doesn’t just matter that it’s affecting the African American, the Black and brown community. This should be an issue for everyone,” Elliott said.

    According to the CDC, 80% of pregnancy related deaths in the United States are preventable, and there are things that can be done to change that number beyond expanding access to health care resources like doulas. The CDC says identifying and addressing social factors that influence maternal health can improve birth outcomes. That includes things like unstable housing, transportation access, food insecurity, substance use and violence among others.

    The CDC is also working to promote its “Hear Her” campaign to raise awareness about the potentially life-threatening warning signs during and after pregnancy as well as improve communication between patients and their doctors.

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    Kyleigh Panetta

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  • Parc Center for Disabilities receives largest private donation in history

    Parc Center for Disabilities receives largest private donation in history

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Parc Center for Disabilities received its largest private donation in the organization’s more than 70 year history.

    Local philanthropists Tom and Mary James donated $2 million to the center which CEO Michelle Detweiler says will go to a new Children’s Services Center.

    What You Need To Know

    • Groundbreaking for new Children’s Services Center set for May

    • Construction will take roughly 18 months 

    • Parc Center for Disabilities offers Children’s Services, Adult Day Training and Residential Care

    • MORE: Children’s Services 

    To date, Parc Center for Disabilities serves just over 200 kids across its three programs. Each early-learning classroom has multiple teachers and caretakers and children, both with and without disabilities, are part of each class.

    “The more we learn about child development and early intervention, this is when it happens,” Detweiler said, referencing a group of 3-year-old students. ”This will dictate their success in life.”

    Children’s services are currently housed inside of a 1970s era building on the organization’s St. Pete campus. The building’s small classrooms and aging structure, Detweiler says, are both restrictive to how many children they can serve and also expensive.

    “It’s not efficient and it’s costing us a lot of money,” she said.

    The new Children’s Services Center will have a preschool, three specially designed playgrounds and space for therapeutic services. The new center will also house their caregiver relief program, among others.

    Detweiler says the new facility will allow them to serve more children. They plan to break ground in May and construction is expected to take about 18 months.

    The Parc Center for Disabilities also serves hundreds of adults through its residential and adult day training programs.

    Recently, the center received $6 million in funding to help expand the adults programs. 

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    Angie Angers

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  • White House proposes new rules for short-term health insurance

    White House proposes new rules for short-term health insurance

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    Short-term health insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage for preexisting conditions and take advantage of other loopholes in the Affordable Care Act under new rules the Biden administration proposed Thursday.  

    What You Need To Know

    • Short-term health insurance would be limited to four months under a new rule the White House proposed Thursday

    • Temporary heath insurance coverage providers will also need to explain what is and what is not included

    • As many as 1.9 million Americans have short-term health insurance that provides temporary coverage as they transition from one source of health insurance to another

    • People who currently have short-term health insurance can renew their policies according to the terms of their current plans; the new rules will take effecct in 60 days

    “Some types of insurance plans, like short-term limited-duration insurance, don’t provide comprehensive coverage,” White House domestic policy adviser Neera Tanden, said Wednesday during a briefing about the new rules. “Importantly, they don’t have to comply with critical ACA protections” such as covering preexisting conditions.

    Short-term insurance plans are intended to provide temporary coverage to people as they transition from one source of health insurance to another, Tanden said. As many as 1.9 million people are enrolled in short-term health insurance, according to the White House.

    Calling short-term plans “junk insurance,” Tanden said they mislead consumers into thinking they are buying full-coverage health insurance when in reality their coverage is capped or health conditions are not included at all.

    The new rule would limit short-term care to no more than four months. Insurance companies will also have to provide clear disclaimers that explain to customers what is and is not covered and provide information on how to buy additional coverage.

    People who are currently enrolled in short-term plans will be able to keep that coverage and renew it according to the terms of their current plan. The new rules will take effect in 60 days.

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    Susan Carpenter

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  • Nationwide Children’s facility expansion includes therapy dog program

    Nationwide Children’s facility expansion includes therapy dog program

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    COLUMBUS, Ohio — Nationwide Children’s Hospital has a new corner for patients and families coming for their appointments featuring Butterfly PAWS, an expanded facility and therapy dog program.

    The hospital opened its “Canine Corner” on the first floor earlier this month.

    What You Need To Know

    • The hospital currently has 10 facility and therapy dogs on its campus, but with the expansion of the Butterfly PAWS program, it will ultimately have 10 facility dogs and 70 therapy dogs 

    • Facility dogs are trained to the highest level, from birth to two years old before supporting any patient care

    • Therapy dogs are trained pets the have met criteria based on credentialing from Canine Good Citizen, Alliance of Therapy Dogs or Therapy Dog International

    • The hospital partners with Canine Companions, who placed facility dogs Hudd II, Beck and Boltz

    The hospital currently has 10 facility and therapy dogs on its campus, but with the expansion of the Butterfly PAWS program, it will ultimately have 10 facility dogs and 70 therapy dogs with a larger team of community and staff volunteers with the certified dogs.

    Facility dogs are trained to the highest level, from birth to two years old before supporting any patient care. These dogs are trained to use treatments used by clinical staff to help patients reach their highest level of function and well-being. 

    Nationwide Children’s current facility dogs are called MDs and include black labrador retriever Hud II, golden retriever Beck and yellow labrador retriever Boltz.

    Therapy dogs are trained pets that have met criteria based on credentialing from Canine Good Citizen, Alliance of Therapy Dogs, or Therapy Dog International to serve patients, staff and families through social and comfort interactions.

    “Research shows that spending just five minutes with a dog can lower cortisol and stress. Especially in a hospital setting, we know that affects everyone. We are thrilled to be impacting the culture of our hospital and supporting emotional well-being for our patients, families and staff,” said Melissa McMillen, CTRS, program manager of the Butterfly PAWS program and Hud II’s handler. “Since we started working with our first dog in 2006, our facility dogs and their clinical therapist-handlers have helped countless patients and their families, from providing motivation in physical therapy and aiding in the development of fine motor skills, to improving assertive communication and self-esteem. We look forward to all the milestones still to come.”

    The hospital partners with Canine Companions, who placed Hudd II, Beck and Boltz. Canine Companions have placed more than 7,800 service dogs since 1975.

    “Our dogs can often provide more support and opportunities for therapists to reach our patients in ways we can’t during a typical therapy session,” said Rochelle Krouse, CTRS, recreational therapist at Nationwide Children’s and Beck’s handler. “We are eager to collaborate with our community to increase access to this important kind of care and continue to foster the bond between people and dogs.”

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    Madison MacArthur

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  • FDA delays decision on Eli Lilly Alzheimer’s drug, wants further review

    FDA delays decision on Eli Lilly Alzheimer’s drug, wants further review

    [ad_1]

    The Food and Drug Administration’s decision on approving a closely watched Alzheimer’s disease drug developed by Eli Lilly and Co. has been delayed as the agency asks an advisory panel to weigh in, the drugmaker said Friday.

    What You Need To Know

    • The FDA’s decision on approving a closely watched Alzheimer’s disease drug developed by Eli Lilly and Co. has been delayed as the agency asks an advisory panel to weigh in, the drugmaker said Friday

    • Lilly said the FDA informed it that it wants to further understand the safety and efficacy of donanemab and will convene a meeting of its Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee.

    • The FDA was widely expected to authorize the drug this month

    • Lilly’s clinical trial of more than 1,700 people found the donanemab slowed cognitive and functional decline in patients with early symptomatic Alzheimer’s by 35% at 76 weeks compared to those who took a placebo

    Lilly said the FDA informed it that it wants to further understand the safety and efficacy of donanemab and will convene a meeting of its Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee.

    The FDA was widely expected to authorize the drug this month. Lilly called the delay “unexpected” and noted it is unusual for an advisory committee to be called upon after the anticipated FDA action date.

    It’s not yet known when the meeting will take place. Lilly said the FDA’s decision will be delayed at least into the second quarter of 2024. 

    The FDA told Spectrum News it cannot comment on possible or pending product applications or approvals.

    “We are confident in donanemab’s potential to offer very meaningful benefits to people with early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease,” Anne White, executive vice president of Eli Lilly and Co., said in a statement. “It was unexpected to learn the FDA will convene an advisory committee at this stage in the review process, but we look forward to the opportunity to further present the … results and put donanemab’s strong efficacy in the context of safety.”

    Lilly’s clinical trial of more than 1,700 people found the donanemab slowed cognitive and functional decline in patients with early symptomatic Alzheimer’s by 35% at 76 weeks compared to those who took a placebo, and all groups of trial participants saw improvement.

    Given as a monthly intravenous infusion, the drug targets amyloid plaque that builds up between nerve cells in the brain.

    About 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    More than three-quarters of all participants in the study achieved amyloid clearance at 76 weeks, compared to 0.3% in the placebo group.

    There, however, were side effects with donanemab, including brain swelling in 24% among those who took the drug. There was brain bleeding in 31.4% of participants in the donanemab group and 13.6% in the placebo group.

    While Lilly said the majority of the side effects were mild to moderate and resolved or stabilized with appropriate management, three participants died from brain swelling.

    If authorized by the FDA, donanemab would become the third Alzheimer’s drug in its class to hit the market in the United States. Regulators granted accelerated approval to Leqembi, developed by Eisai and Biogen, in January 2023. 

    In 2021, the FDA approved Aduhelm, made by the same two companies. That authorization was controversial because there was weak evidence showing it would benefit patients. Biogen announced in January it was abandoning its ownership rights to the drug.

    Note: This article was updated to include the FDA’s response.

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    Ryan Chatelain

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  • FDA delays decision on Eli Lilly Alzheimer’s drug, wants further review

    FDA delays decision on Eli Lilly Alzheimer’s drug, wants further review

    [ad_1]

    The Food and Drug Administration’s decision on approving a closely watched Alzheimer’s disease drug developed by Eli Lilly and Co. has been delayed as the agency asks an advisory panel to weigh in, the drugmaker said Friday.

    What You Need To Know

    • The FDA’s decision on approving a closely watched Alzheimer’s disease drug developed by Eli Lilly and Co. has been delayed as the agency asks an advisory panel to weigh in, the drugmaker said Friday

    • Lilly said the FDA informed it that it wants to further understand the safety and efficacy of donanemab and will convene a meeting of its Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee.

    • The FDA was widely expected to authorize the drug this month

    • Lilly’s clinical trial of more than 1,700 people found the donanemab slowed cognitive and functional decline in patients with early symptomatic Alzheimer’s by 35% at 76 weeks compared to those who took a placebo

    Lilly said the FDA informed it that it wants to further understand the safety and efficacy of donanemab and will convene a meeting of its Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee.

    The FDA was widely expected to authorize the drug this month. Lilly called the delay “unexpected” and noted it is unusual for an advisory committee to be called upon after the anticipated FDA action date.

    It’s not yet known when the meeting will take place. Lilly said the FDA’s decision will be delayed at least into the second quarter of 2024. 

    The FDA told Spectrum News it cannot comment on possible or pending product applications or approvals.

    “We are confident in donanemab’s potential to offer very meaningful benefits to people with early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease,” Anne White, executive vice president of Eli Lilly and Co., said in a statement. “It was unexpected to learn the FDA will convene an advisory committee at this stage in the review process, but we look forward to the opportunity to further present the … results and put donanemab’s strong efficacy in the context of safety.”

    Lilly’s clinical trial of more than 1,700 people found the donanemab slowed cognitive and functional decline in patients with early symptomatic Alzheimer’s by 35% at 76 weeks compared to those who took a placebo, and all groups of trial participants saw improvement.

    Given as a monthly intravenous infusion, the drug targets amyloid plaque that builds up between nerve cells in the brain.

    About 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    More than three-quarters of all participants in the study achieved amyloid clearance at 76 weeks, compared to 0.3% in the placebo group.

    There, however, were side effects with donanemab, including brain swelling in 24% among those who took the drug. There was brain bleeding in 31.4% of participants in the donanemab group and 13.6% in the placebo group.

    While Lilly said the majority of the side effects were mild to moderate and resolved or stabilized with appropriate management, three participants died from brain swelling.

    If authorized by the FDA, donanemab would become the third Alzheimer’s drug in its class to hit the market in the United States. Regulators granted accelerated approval to Leqembi, developed by Eisai and Biogen, in January 2023. 

    In 2021, the FDA approved Aduhelm, made by the same two companies. That authorization was controversial because there was weak evidence showing it would benefit patients. Biogen announced in January it was abandoning its ownership rights to the drug.

    Note: This article was updated to include the FDA’s response.

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    Ryan Chatelain

    Source link

  • Pasco veteran says adaptive sports helped him overcome a life-changing injury

    Pasco veteran says adaptive sports helped him overcome a life-changing injury

    [ad_1]

    LAND O’ LAKES, Fla. — A lifelong drive to give back – that’s what Sualauvi Tuimalealiifano III said led him to join the Army at 18 years old.

    “I wanted to, more than anything, give back, and the Army was one thing I always had in mind to do,” said Tuimalealiifano.

    What You Need To Know

    • Army veteran Sualauvi Tuimalealiifano became paralyzed from the shoulders down after being injured during a deployment in Afghanistan in 2007 

    • Tuimalealiifano said he isolated himself at home for four years after his injury

    • He said fellow service members helped pull him out of isolation by introducing him to adaptive sports and the Warrior Games

    • Tuimalealiifano was part of the Team USA wheelchair rugby team to win gold at the 2016 Invictus Games in Orlando

    Born in American Samoa, his family moved to Hawaii when he was young.

    The Army was also a way to provide. By 2007, 28-year-old Tuimalealiifano was married and the father of three young children. He was nearing the end of his third deployment – this time, in Afghanistan – when he was thrown from a humvee.

    “I broke my neck from C5, C6, and I was paralyzed from the shoulders down,” he said. “I did what most of us do and went to a dark place, and I sat there. I sat in that, in those four walls in Hawaii, my home in Kapolei, for about four years.”

    Tuimalealiifano, who said physical activity had always been a way of life for him, describes the time after his injury as a nightmare.

    “The only thing that gets us going and keeps us going is a mission and a vision, something greater than ourselves. It’s the reason why we joined the service – to accomplish and do much more,” Tuimalealiifano said. “And now, we are alone and isolated and there is no mission.”

    He said it was fellow service members from the U.S. Special Operations Command‘s MASP team (military adaptive sports program) who helped pull him out of that by introducing him to adaptive sports and the Warrior Games. 

    “They still showed that there are adaptive sports to be played. There’s still a world still to see and people still to be spoken to, stories that can help mend things,” Tuimalealiifano said.

    His sport of choice: wheelchair rugby.

    “It’s the fastest-growing adaptive sport there is, and I think that’s a lot to do with the impact and hard hitting. It’s a fast sport. It’s an amazing sport,” he said. 

    Tuimalealiifano said he and his family moved to Tampa Bay in 2015. That’s also when he got connected with Semper Fi & America’s Fund, a non-profit that provides financial help to veterans, service members, and their families dealing with major injuries and illnesses. It helped Tuimalealiifano get a special wheelchair designed for adaptive sports.  

    “There’s a lot of things that they’ve helped us out with. There’s a lot of stuff that they work outside of the box of what the VA can or cannot provide, which they do amazing. But the Fund comes in when covering down on equipment like these rehabbing equipment, which helps me get strengthened and back into the game,” Tuimalealiifano said, motioning to pieces of equipment in his living room.

    He became the first person with the tetraplegia form of paralysis to compete in the Invictus Games held in Orlando in 2016 as part of the wheelchair rugby team. That year, Team USA beat Denmark to take home the gold.

    “We were able to take gold from the Brits and enjoyed every bit of it,” Tuimalealiifano said, referring to the previous games’ champs.

    Tuimalealiifano said medical issues and an injury have kept him out of the game for three years. He’s working to recover, and said his message to others facing struggle is that there’s always hope and there’s always help.

    “The mission is now far more difficult than the others,” he said. “It’s because you don’t have, you know – your spirit’s been tested, your soul has been challenged, your body has been disabled. And now, what can you do with that?”

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    Sarah Blazonis

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  • Advocates concerned about Alabama ruling’s impact on fertility treatments

    Advocates concerned about Alabama ruling’s impact on fertility treatments

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    The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law, a decision critics said could have sweeping implications for fertility treatment in the state.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that frozen embryos created during fertility treatments should be considered children under state law

    • Justices issued the ruling Friday in a pair of wrongful death cases brought by couples who had frozen embryos destroyed in an accident at a fertility clinic

    • Justices said an 1872 state law allowing parents to sue over the death of a minor child “applies to all unborn children, regardless of their location”

    • The ruling brought a rush of warnings from groups and advocates who said it would have sweeping implications for fertility treatments in the state

    The decision was issued in a pair of wrongful death cases brought by three couples who had frozen embryos destroyed in an accident at a fertility clinic. Justices, citing anti-abortion language in the Alabama Constitution, ruled that an 1872 state law allowing parents to sue over the death of a minor child “applies to all unborn children, regardless of their location.”

    “Unborn children are ‘children’ … without exception based on developmental stage, physical location, or any other ancillary characteristics,” Justice Jay Mitchell wrote in Friday’s majority ruling by the all-Republican court.

    Mitchell said the court had previously ruled that fetuses killed while a woman is pregnant are covered under Alabama’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act and nothing excludes “extrauterine children from the Act’s coverage.”

    The ruling brought a rush of warnings about the potential impact on fertility treatments and the freezing of embryos, which had previously been considered property by the courts.

    “This ruling is stating that a fertilized egg, which is a clump of cells, is now a person. It really puts into question, the practice of IVF,” Barbara Collura, CEO of RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, told The Associated Press Tuesday. The group called the decision a “terrifying development for the 1-in-6 people impacted by infertility” who need in-vitro fertilization.

    She said it raises questions for providers and patients, including if they can freeze future embryos created during fertility treatment or if patients could ever donate or destroy unused embryos.

    Sean Tipton, a spokesman with the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, said at least one Alabama fertility clinic has been instructed by their affiliated hospital to pause IVF treatment in the immediate wake of the decision.

    Dr. Paula Amato, president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, said a decision to treat frozen fertilized egg as the legal equivalent of a child or gestating fetus could limit the availability of modern health care.

    “By insisting that these very different biological entities are legally equivalent, the best state-of-the-art fertility care will be made unavailable to the people of Alabama. No health care provider will be willing to provide treatments if those treatments may lead to civil or criminal charges,” Amato said.

    Gabby Goidel, 26, who is pursuing IVF treatment in Alabama after three miscarriages, said the court ruling came down on the same day she began daily injections ahead of egg retrieval.

    “It just kind of took me by by storm. It was like all I could think about and it was just a very stressful thing to hear. I immediately messaged my clinic and asked if this could potentially halt us. They said we have to take it one day at a time,” Goidel said.

    She said her clinic is continuing to provide treatment for now, but said it will let her know if they have to change course.

    Goidel said she turned to IVF and preimplantation genetic testing after the multiple miscarriages related to genetic issues.

    “Without IVF, I would have to probably go through several more miscarriages before I even had an option of having a baby that is my own,” she said.

    The plaintiffs in the Alabama case had undergone IVF treatments that led to the creation of several embryos, some of which were implanted and resulted in healthy births. The couples paid to keep others frozen in a storage facility at the Mobile Infirmary Medical Center. A patient in 2020 wandered into the area and removed several embryos, dropping them on the floor and “killing them,” the ruling said.

    The justices ruled that wrongful death lawsuits by the couples could proceed. The clinic and hospital that are defendants in the case could ask the court to reconsider its decision.

    Michael Upchurch, a lawyer for the fertility clinic in the lawsuit, Center for Reproductive Medicine, said they are “evaluating the consequences of the decision and have no further comment at this time.”

    An anti-abortion group cheered the decision. “Each person, from the tiniest embryo to an elder nearing the end of his life, has incalculable value that deserves and is guaranteed legal protection,” Lila Rose, president and founder of Live Action said in a statement.

    Chief Justice Tom Parker issued a concurring opinion in which he quoted the Bible in discussing the meaning of the phrase “the sanctity of unborn life” in the Alabama Constitution.

    “Even before birth, all human beings bear the image of God, and their lives cannot be destroyed without effacing his glory,” Parker said.

    Justice Greg Cook, who filed the only full dissent to the majority opinion, said the 1872 law did not define “minor child” and was being stretched from the original intent to cover frozen embryos.

    “No court — anywhere in the country — has reached the conclusion the main opinion reaches,” he wrote, adding the ruling “almost certainly ends the creation of frozen embryos through in vitro fertilization (IVF) in Alabama.”

    The Alabama Supreme Court decision partly hinged on anti-abortion language added to the Alabama Constitution in 2018, stating it is the “policy of this state to ensure the protection of the rights of the unborn child.”

    Supporters at the time said it would have no impact unless states gained more control over abortion access. States gained control of abortion access in 2022.

    White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the Alabama decision reflected the consequences of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and blamed Republican elected officials from blocking access to reproductive and emergency care to women.

    “This president and this vice president will continue to fight to protect access to reproductive health care and call on Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade in federal law for all women in every state,” Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One.

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    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Advocates concerned about Alabama ruling’s impact on fertility treatments

    Advocates concerned about Alabama ruling’s impact on fertility treatments

    [ad_1]

    The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law, a decision critics said could have sweeping implications for fertility treatment in the state.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that frozen embryos created during fertility treatments should be considered children under state law

    • Justices issued the ruling Friday in a pair of wrongful death cases brought by couples who had frozen embryos destroyed in an accident at a fertility clinic

    • Justices said an 1872 state law allowing parents to sue over the death of a minor child “applies to all unborn children, regardless of their location”

    • The ruling brought a rush of warnings from groups and advocates who said it would have sweeping implications for fertility treatments in the state

    The decision was issued in a pair of wrongful death cases brought by three couples who had frozen embryos destroyed in an accident at a fertility clinic. Justices, citing anti-abortion language in the Alabama Constitution, ruled that an 1872 state law allowing parents to sue over the death of a minor child “applies to all unborn children, regardless of their location.”

    “Unborn children are ‘children’ … without exception based on developmental stage, physical location, or any other ancillary characteristics,” Justice Jay Mitchell wrote in Friday’s majority ruling by the all-Republican court.

    Mitchell said the court had previously ruled that fetuses killed while a woman is pregnant are covered under Alabama’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act and nothing excludes “extrauterine children from the Act’s coverage.”

    The ruling brought a rush of warnings about the potential impact on fertility treatments and the freezing of embryos, which had previously been considered property by the courts.

    “This ruling is stating that a fertilized egg, which is a clump of cells, is now a person. It really puts into question, the practice of IVF,” Barbara Collura, CEO of RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, told The Associated Press Tuesday. The group called the decision a “terrifying development for the 1-in-6 people impacted by infertility” who need in-vitro fertilization.

    She said it raises questions for providers and patients, including if they can freeze future embryos created during fertility treatment or if patients could ever donate or destroy unused embryos.

    Sean Tipton, a spokesman with the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, said at least one Alabama fertility clinic has been instructed by their affiliated hospital to pause IVF treatment in the immediate wake of the decision.

    Dr. Paula Amato, president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, said a decision to treat frozen fertilized egg as the legal equivalent of a child or gestating fetus could limit the availability of modern health care.

    “By insisting that these very different biological entities are legally equivalent, the best state-of-the-art fertility care will be made unavailable to the people of Alabama. No health care provider will be willing to provide treatments if those treatments may lead to civil or criminal charges,” Amato said.

    Gabby Goidel, 26, who is pursuing IVF treatment in Alabama after three miscarriages, said the court ruling came down on the same day she began daily injections ahead of egg retrieval.

    “It just kind of took me by by storm. It was like all I could think about and it was just a very stressful thing to hear. I immediately messaged my clinic and asked if this could potentially halt us. They said we have to take it one day at a time,” Goidel said.

    She said her clinic is continuing to provide treatment for now, but said it will let her know if they have to change course.

    Goidel said she turned to IVF and preimplantation genetic testing after the multiple miscarriages related to genetic issues.

    “Without IVF, I would have to probably go through several more miscarriages before I even had an option of having a baby that is my own,” she said.

    The plaintiffs in the Alabama case had undergone IVF treatments that led to the creation of several embryos, some of which were implanted and resulted in healthy births. The couples paid to keep others frozen in a storage facility at the Mobile Infirmary Medical Center. A patient in 2020 wandered into the area and removed several embryos, dropping them on the floor and “killing them,” the ruling said.

    The justices ruled that wrongful death lawsuits by the couples could proceed. The clinic and hospital that are defendants in the case could ask the court to reconsider its decision.

    Michael Upchurch, a lawyer for the fertility clinic in the lawsuit, Center for Reproductive Medicine, said they are “evaluating the consequences of the decision and have no further comment at this time.”

    An anti-abortion group cheered the decision. “Each person, from the tiniest embryo to an elder nearing the end of his life, has incalculable value that deserves and is guaranteed legal protection,” Lila Rose, president and founder of Live Action said in a statement.

    Chief Justice Tom Parker issued a concurring opinion in which he quoted the Bible in discussing the meaning of the phrase “the sanctity of unborn life” in the Alabama Constitution.

    “Even before birth, all human beings bear the image of God, and their lives cannot be destroyed without effacing his glory,” Parker said.

    Justice Greg Cook, who filed the only full dissent to the majority opinion, said the 1872 law did not define “minor child” and was being stretched from the original intent to cover frozen embryos.

    “No court — anywhere in the country — has reached the conclusion the main opinion reaches,” he wrote, adding the ruling “almost certainly ends the creation of frozen embryos through in vitro fertilization (IVF) in Alabama.”

    The Alabama Supreme Court decision partly hinged on anti-abortion language added to the Alabama Constitution in 2018, stating it is the “policy of this state to ensure the protection of the rights of the unborn child.”

    Supporters at the time said it would have no impact unless states gained more control over abortion access. States gained control of abortion access in 2022.

    White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the Alabama decision reflected the consequences of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and blamed Republican elected officials from blocking access to reproductive and emergency care to women.

    “This president and this vice president will continue to fight to protect access to reproductive health care and call on Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade in federal law for all women in every state,” Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One.

    [ad_2]

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Tampa General Hospital 4th in nation for transplants

    Tampa General Hospital 4th in nation for transplants

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    TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa General Hospital is marking a milestone as it celebrates 50 years of organ transplants.

    TGH now ranks fourth in the nation for transplants by volume, setting a new record with 756 transplants performed in 2023. The hospital also now ranks second in the nation for kidney transplants and first in the state of Florida for the largest living kidney donor program.

    What You Need To Know

    • Tampa General Hospital ranks 4th in nation for transplants by volume, 2nd for kidney transplants specifically
    • Manatee County resident Cynthia Knowles was on the waitlist for a kidney match before meeting Christine Cyburt, who donated to her 
    • Knowles and Cyburt now consider each other family
    • See below for the top 5 hospitals in the U.S.

    “A living kidney lasts longer, can be done in a timely fashion, expedited fashion,” said Dr. Pranjal Jain, Medical Director for the Living Donor Program and Chief of Nephrology at TGH. “As you know, there are more than 100,000 people waiting on the waitlist and there’s a lag time to get a transplant from a deceased donor, which depending on your blood type, can be three to five years.”

    Cynthia Knowles from Manatee County waited two years for a match, one she found through a mutual friend. Both women are recovering well after their October kidney transplant procedures.

    “I met this angel, I call her the angel, at a birthday party of a mutual friend of my husband’s,” said Knowles of her kidney donor, Christine Cyburt.

    “I thought, ‘I have two and can’t try or she could die? I have to try,’” said Cyburt. “I did what I’m supposed to do on this earth, that’s how I feel.”

    The women have kept in touch since surgery, making sure to meet at least once a month. A life-saving compatibility, going beyond a medical match to a personal connection.

    “I think she’ll forever be a part of our extended family now,” said Knowles. “I’m just forever grateful and there’s not a day I don’t think about it.”

    “I feel honored, seriously, to be part of her journey,” said Cyburt.

    Knowles is grateful for her journey is full of emotional support and she finds new physical strength in getting back to doing what she loves, including pilates.

    “I just notice a big difference week to week in terms of my strength, the strength in my abdomen and the scar is healing very well,” said Knowles, who is excited for her future. “I have this gift of time that I’m going to fully going to take advantage of, and I’m taking each day as it comes, and just enjoying the day and not getting stressed about anything. I just feel so blessed. Now I have a granddaughter, so now I feel like I have the opportunity to continue to give back and be a part of my family.”

    “How life-changing it is to many people, families that might not have tomorrow?” said Cyburt. “Unbelievable.”

    The top 5 hospitals in 2023 include:

    1. Mayo Clinic Hospital of Arizona 
    2. University of California San Francisco Medical Center 
    3. The Cleveland Clinic Foundation 
    4. Tampa General Hospital 
    5. Vanderbilt University

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    Melissa Eichman

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  • Hunt For the Cure: Manatee family raises money for childhood cancer research

    Hunt For the Cure: Manatee family raises money for childhood cancer research

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    ANNA MARIA ISLAND, Fla. — Creating good out of tragedy is a Manatee County family’s mission after losing their 9-year-old daughter to cancer. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Grace Irwin, 9, died from rhabdomyosarcoma, a soft tissue cancer, in July 2023

    • The Grace Irwin Memorial Fund is dedicated to funding childhood cancer research

    • Saturday Feb. 17, her family is launching the Hunt for the Cure Scavenger Hunt on Anna Maria Island

    • To donate, click here. 

    That’s why for the past few weeks, family members of little Grace Irwin have been going to businesses from Bradenton to Anna Maria Island collecting donations for Saturday. 

    Her uncle, Scott Viehman, stopped by the Shiny Fish Emporium to get a gift basket to auction. 

    “Hey guys. Oh look at this,” he says upon seeing the basket.

    Inside are items Grace would have loved. 

    “Little mermaid dolls, ukuleles, sunglasses, beach goggles,” said Rebecca Preston, the Shiny Fish Emporium owner.

    Viehman is collecting these and other donations for the Hunt for the Cure Scavenger Hunt.

    “It is kind of helping us keep her name alive,” he said. “She passed at such a young age, that was one of our worries. Is she going to be remembered? What is she going to be remembered for? And if she was still, she would be wanting to help as many people as she can.”

    Said Preston: “She was just a sweetie pie, a sweet heart,”

    Grace was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a soft tissue cancer, in 2022, right before Christmas. 

    Viehman said doctors put her on an aggressive chemo and radiation plan, but the cancer spread. 

    “They were forced with the almost impossible task of deciding: Do we continue treatment, and extend life for another couple weeks? Or do we take her home and make her comfortable?” said Viehman. 

    Her family brought her home and filled her remaining days with as much fun and laughter as possible. 

    Grace died in July 2023 at 9 years-old. 

    “Basically, we looked at this situation as the worst tragedy that has ever happened to our family. But we knew in all the darkness we had to find the light,” said Viehman. 

    In the time following, the family started the Grace Irwin Memorial Fund, with the goal to raise money for childhood cancer research. 

    The first big event is the Hunt for the Cure Scavenger Hunt. 

    “This is going to be the event space,” said Viehman in the Anna Maria Island Community Center. “We are going to have some live entertainment. We will have complimentary beverages, we will have a food truck right outside. And a huge silent auction.” 

    The money raised during the scavenger hunt will go to the Children’s Cancer Research Fund. 

    People can still sign up, with the event kicking off at 11 a.m. on Saturday Feb. 17.

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    Erin Murray

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  • Newly hired licensed social worker enhancing Community Paramedicine Program

    Newly hired licensed social worker enhancing Community Paramedicine Program

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    CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. — The Citrus County Paramedicine program has a new hire among its ranks.

    Thanks to an approval of funds from opioid settlements, Citrus County’s Community Paramedicine program has hired a licensed clinical social worker, Sunshine Arnold.

    It’s a role that requires people skills.

    What You Need To Know

    • Citrus County’s Community Paramedicine program is expanding with the hiring of a licensed clinical social worker

    • Part of that job is meeting people in the community face-to-face and helping set them on the right path

    • The new position comes after an approval of funds from opioid settlements

    “So many of these families are struggling,” Arnold said. “They need help and they don’t know how to ask for it.”

    On the busy Gulf To Lake Highway, Arnold goes for a drive. Her destination — the homes of those who may be struggling emotionally or financially in Citrus County.

    “I am pretty much every day going to different houses to see how I can help these individuals,” said Arnold.

    Arnold is the newly hired licensed clinical social worker with Citrus County Fire Rescue. The role was created under the county’s community paramedicine program.

    “We’ll check in on their needs, see what I can help with,” Arnold said. “Either any mental health needs or if there’s other resources in the community I need to help them tap into to help them through the time they’re going through right now in crisis.”

    Part of Arnold’s job is meeting people face-to-face and doing her best to help set them on a good path.

    “Being able to just give them that hand up slogan everybody says,” said Arnold. “I don’t mind holding their hands sometimes for a brief period to get them connected. And within a week we’re able to take care a lot of the immediate needs they had.”

    The role also has its excitement, as a call comes in for EMS. After all, she’s not alone during her calls. She works alongside her paramedic partner, Gronn Morgan.

    “I came to support them so that they can really focus on the medicine, what they love and what they’re good at and I can come in and support the person and the family with everything else,” she said.

    It’s been more than a decade since Arnold worked in the field as a social worker, she says. But maybe now more than ever her skills are needed.

    “I’d like to say that 100% of the people we make contact with are going to access the resources and the help they need so that they can improve their own life,” said Arnold. “That’s probably really optimistic but if I get to have a hope and a dream, that would be it.”

    Making for one dynamic duo.

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    Calvin Lewis

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  • CDC investigating a stomach illness on cruise ship Queen Victoria

    CDC investigating a stomach illness on cruise ship Queen Victoria

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    SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating an outbreak on a luxury cruise ship where more than 150 people have reported gastrointestinal illness, including diarrhea and vomiting.

    The Queen Victoria, operated by Cunard Cruise Line, departed San Francisco Wednesday on its way from Florida to Hawaii. The ship is carrying 1,800 passengers and 970 crew members.

    The cause is unknown. Cunard told the CDC that the ship increased cleaning and disinfection, and isolated ill passengers and crew.

    The reported cases are totals for the entire voyage and do not represent how many people are actively sick at any one time, the CDC said.

    The company did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking more details.

    The ship originated in Germany Jan. 9 and departed Florida Jan. 22, according to ship tracker Cruise Mapper. Its next stop is Honolulu, Hawaii, on Feb. 12 and ends in Australia next month.

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    Associated Press

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