In 2022, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra implemented actions to improve maternal health and reduce health disparities, and this year, the BidenHarris Administration has continued to champion policies to improve maternal health and equity.
Vice President Kamala Harris convened a meeting with Becerra and other Cabinet leaders amplifying a whole-of-government approach to reducing maternal mortality and morbidity.
On Monday, April 10, President Biden issued another proclamation to begin Black Maternal Health Week. The president called the week a reminder that so many families experience pain, neglect, and loss during what should be a joyous occasion. Biden called it urgent that all act.
Black women in America are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women,
the president remarked.
“This is on top of the fact that women in America are dying at a higher rate from pregnancy-related causes than in any other developed nation.”
He insisted that tackling the crisis begins with understanding how institutional racism drives these high maternal mortality rates.
Studies show that Black women are often dismissed or ignored in hospitals and other health care settings, even as they suffer from severe injuries and pregnancy complications and ask for help, the president reminded.
He said systemic inequities are also to blame.
“When mothers do not have access to safe and stable housing before and after childbirth, they are at greater risk of falling ill,” Biden exclaimed.
“When women face barriers traveling to the hospital for prenatal and postpartum checkups, they are less likely to remain healthy. Air pollution, water pollution, and lead pipes can have dangerous consequences for pregnant women and newborns. And when families cannot afford nutritious foods, they face worse health outcomes.”
He claimed his administration has penned the blueprint for addressing the maternal health crisis, an agenda that lays out specific actions the federal government would take to improve maternal health and secured funding from Congress to help implement it.
“Vice President Kamala Harris has been a leader on the issue of maternal mortality for years and led the charge to improve maternal health outcomes, including by issuing a call to action to address disparities in maternal care,” Biden stated.
“She continues to elevate the issue nationally, convening State legislators, medical professionals, and others so all mothers can access the care they need before, during, and after childbirth.”
The president continued:
“Additionally, my American Rescue Plan gave States the option to provide a full year of postpartum coverage to Medicaid beneficiaries — up from just 60 days of coverage.
“As a result, my Administration has approved requests from 30 States and Washington, D.C. to provide women with Medicaid coverage with a full year of postpartum coverage, and we have made this option permanent for every State that extends Medicaid postpartum coverage.
“My Administration has helped facilitate Medicaid expansion in four States since I took office, and I continue to call on the Congress to close the Medicaid coverage gap.
“We are also working to expand and diversify the maternal health workforce, helping health care providers hire and train diverse and culturally competent physicians, certified nurse midwives, doulas, and community health workers to support women during pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum care.”
The president’s budget includes $471 million to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity rates, improving access to care in rural communities, expanding implicit bias training for health care providers, and further supporting the perinatal health workforce.
“This week, as we continue our work to make pregnancy and childbirth safe, dignified, and joyful for all, let us remember that health care should be a right and not a privilege,” Biden continued.
“Let us give thanks to the extraordinary maternal health care workforce, which serves its patients and their families every day. And let us join in common cause to end the tragedy of maternal mortality once and for all.”
Source: NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
First responders handle the most high-risk, urgent, and dangerous events in their communities. Police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), paramedics and other public health workers all fall under the category of first responders, and the nature of their jobs can take a toll on their overall well-being. They often experience high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicidal ideation, anxiety and depression.
Lexipol - a leader in policy, training and wellness support for first responders and public servants - is dedicated to helping public safety leaders promote mental health and wellness for their personnel. While there are many reasons to proactively address first responder wellness, the company has highlighted four reasons why public safety decision-makers should invest in mental health and wellness programs for first responders.
It’s difficult for anyone to perform well at work when dealing with mental health issues. For first responders, mental illness can lead to critical mistakes and poor decision-making that impact them and the community. Firefighters, for example, regularly suffer from sleep disorders that can lead to poor cardiovascular health and vehicle crashes, two leading causes of line-of-duty death among firefighters.
For law enforcement agencies, poor decision-making stemming from mental health issues increases costs associated with personnel complaints, lawsuits and settlements.
According to a 2020 study, workers who experienced psychosocial stressors at work had higher rates of sick leave because of mental health issues. Increasing incidences of sick leave or disability due to PTSD or other mental illness can make it difficult for first
responders to continue in their profession. Also, from a financial standpoint, public safety agencies and departments rack up overtime costs when personnel take sick or disability leave.
Because first responders are tasked with handling dangerous and complicated situations, they often experience stress that has real physical impacts. Stress isn’t just a mental health issue. It can also have physical side effects, including cardiac issues, diabetes, obesity, substance abuse and sleep issues. These health conditions make it difficult for first responders to function in their day-to-day lives both on and off the clock, and these conditions can follow them for years to come.
While many agency and local government leaders want to support first responders’ mental health by providing policies, training and resources, the cultural stigma around mental health has prevented many officers from seeking help for emotional and behavioral issues.
Another issue is that many agencies are new to wellness and lack the internal expertise and resources to create confidential wellness support tailored specifically for public safety employees. They often don’t have an existing culture or framework to support first responders’ mental health. Also, Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) often don’t meet the real needs of first responders. For example, a recent survey of firefighters who used wellness resources through an EAP found that 63% of respondents didn’t find the EAP program helpful. While there are no easy solutions to mental health crises among first responders, Lexipol has created the Cordico wellness app to help agencies invest in and promote personnel wellness.
A study from Utah State University found that 70% of first responders reported not having enough time to recover from the traumatic events they experienced on the job. Without enough time to recover and a lack of access to mental health resources, many first responders experience burnout and leave the profession altogether. This means departments must spend more on recruiting, training, equipping new personnel and other turnover costs when first responders choose to leave the agency due to chronic stress or feeling unsupported.
Cordico is an award-winning tech-forward wellness product that delivers high-quality tools, resources, and assessments to public safety workers. Using this app, first responders can learn about behavioral health, build, and maintain resilience and connect with therapists and peer support team members. The app does not collect personal data, ensuring anonymity, and offers a one-touch crisis response for users. To learn more about how this wellness solution can help enhance first responders’ overall wellness, visit Cordico.com.
Source: BrandPoint
According to a study by Pew Research in 2016, only eight percent of Black Americans are vegan. While still growing, more Black Americans identify as strict vegan or vegetarian than the rest of the U.S. population.
Another observance in studies indicates that while men are more likely to exercises for competitive purposes, women do so based on overall functioning. However, when it comes to altering diets – are men less prone to commit to change? When it comes to choosing a vegan lifestyle, women make for the win.
Vegetarian diets are often lower in saturated fat and cholesterol, which can lower the risk of heart disease. Studies have shown that vegetarians may have a lower risk of certain cancers, including prostate cancer. The diet can also be a helpful tool for managing weight because it often includes more fiber-rich foods and fewer calorie-dense foods.
After a conversation with fitness fanatic and vegan advocate, Bryant Henderson, he educated us at d-mars. com as to how to motivate men to rethink their diets and those trips to the grocery store.
“I’ve been a vegetarian for two-and-a-half years now,” he said. “I didn’t have negative experiences as I transitioned away from meat. I honestly only saw the positive improvements.”
A vegan excludes all animal-derived and honey, from their diet and lifestyle. and wool clothing as well.
A vegetarian typically excludes include eggs, dairy, and other animal-derived PLANT-BASED
A plant-based diet is one that emphasizes derived from plants, such as fruits, and minimizes or excludes animal
There’s a handful of experts that gives information about being a vegan and being more in line with a healthy weight. However, it comes with its own complexities and subdivisions.
You can actually lose weight from a vegan diet due to its produce-rich and high in fiber, which helps you feel up during a meal and stay fuller, for longer, between meals. And, yes, produce often contains high amounts of water, which also helps with fullness.
Obesity physician, Spencer Nadolsky, D.O. says there is fulfillment in the lifestyle,
“A whole food plant-based diet can be very satiating and filling with fewer calories than a standard American diet.” To put it mildly, you become fuller on the good stuff while intaking fewer calories throughout your day. You’ll also have sustainability for a caloric deficit contributing to weight loss.
In 2022, a survey that was published in the Obesity Science and Practice discovered that those who went on a low-fat, vegan diet for 16 weeks did “decrease body weight, body composition, and insulin sensitivity,” per Men’s Health.
vegan, vegetarian or using a plant-based diet remedial style:
animal-derived products, including meat, dairy, eggs, lifestyle. This includes things like leather, fur,
meat and fish from their diet, but may still animal-derived products.
emphasizes whole, minimally processed foods fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, animal products.
When it comes to protein, we all know how important it is to obtain enough for maintenance. So, in case you’re not hip on how to obtain that, Henderson says choose legumes (e.g., lentils, chickpeas, beans), nuts and seeds (e.g., almonds, pumpkin seeds), whole grains (e.g., quinoa, brown rice), soy products (e.g., tofu, tempeh), seitan (wheat-based meat substitute), dairy products (e.g., milk, cheese) and of course, eggs. These are good alternatives to avoid the temptation of chicken, beef, and other meat-based products.
“It’s important for vegetarians to consume a variety of protein sources to ensure that they are getting all the necessary amino acids for their body’s needs,” he says.
“Additionally, combining certain plant-based foods together, such as consuming beans and whole grains in the same meal, can create a complete protein source.”
• Bean and rice burritos
• Lentil soup
• Vegetable stir-fry with tofu
• Chickpea curry
• Veggie burgers or patties
• Spaghetti with marinara and veggies
• Vegetarian chili
• Quinoa salad with roasted vegetables
• Grilled cheese with tomato soup
• Baked sweet potato topped with black beans and salsa.
“These meals are not only budget-friendly but also healthy and delicious,” the vegan enthusiast claims. While the physical aspects of a vegan diet are good in thought, make sure to ask yourself why you want to change? Try not to focus on weight loss but instead aim towards the better body you want and the emotional aspects that come with it.
The diet alone is already a bit restrictive with what you can eat and could be more restrictive if you opt for more low-calorie foods.
When people are likely already making their pool of options smaller to focus on weight loss, a vegan diet likely minimizes the pool of choices even moreBy Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
The ruling comes because of a lawsuit brought by a group of insurers who argued that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) exceeded its authority by requiring them to cover certain preventative care services without being able to charge co-payments or deductibles.
In a big blow to health insurance in the U.S., a federal judge has ruled that insurers no longer have to pay for preventive care services like cancer and heart disease screenings.
The ruling comes as a result of a lawsuit brought by a group of insurers who argued that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) exceeded its authority by requiring them to cover certain preventative care services without being able to charge co-payments or deductibles.
The Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, was signed into law in 2010 to make it easier for millions of Americans to get health insurance.
One of the law’s key provisions was the requirement that insurance companies cover certain preventative care services without cost-sharing, including immunizations, blood pressure screenings, and mammograms.
However, the recent ruling by U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor of the Northern District of Texas has effectively invalidated this provision of the ACA.
In his ruling, Judge O’Connor wrote that the ACA’s requirement for insurers to cover preventative care services “exceeds the powers of Congress under the Commerce Clause” of the U.S. Constitution.
The ruling is likely to significantly affect health insurance in the U.S., especially for people who
already have health problems like cancer or heart
disease.If insurance companies weren’t required to cover preventive care services, patients might be less likely to get the screenings and tests that could catch these health problems early.
Experts said this could lead to serious health problems and higher healthcare costs.
“The President is glad to see the Department of Justice is appealing the judge’s decision, which blocks a key provision of the Affordable Care Act that has ensured free access to preventive health care for 150 million Americans,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated.
“This case is yet another attack on the Affordable Care Act – which has been the law of the land for 13 years and survived three challenges before the Supreme Court.”
Jean-Pierre continued:
Preventive care saves lives, saves families money, and protects and improves our health. Because of the ACA, millions of Americans have access to free cancer and heart disease screenings. This decision threatens to jeopardize critical care. The Administration will continue to fight to improve health care and make it more affordable for hard-working families, even in the face of attacks from special interests.
Critics of the ruling include healthcare advocacy groups and politicians. They say it will make it more complicated and expensive for millions of Americans to get health insurance. In a statement, Dr. Patrice Harris, president of the American Medical Association, called the ruling “a clear step backward for our health system.”
“Preventative care is a cornerstone of good health,” Dr. Harris said. “It’s critical that patients have access to these services without cost-sharing to stay healthy and catch health problems early before they become more serious and more costly to treat.”
The ruling is also likely to face legal challenges in the coming months. Several states and healthcare advocacy groups have already said they will appeal the decision. They say that the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) requirement that insurers cover preventive care services is a crucial part of the law’s goal to make more people eligible for health insurance.
In the meantime, patients and healthcare providers alike are left to grapple with the uncertain future of healthcare coverage in the U.S. Without the assurance of coverage for preventative care services, and patients may be forced to choose between paying out-of-pocket for these services or foregoing them altogether, potentially putting their health and wellbeing at risk.
“Once again, an extreme activist judge is taking a monumental swing at the Affordable Care Act, which has saved millions of lives and made Americans healthier for the last 13 years,” Congressional Black Caucus Chair Steven Horsford (D-Nevada) stated. “The preventative care provisions in the law have ensured that, without concern for cost, Americans have been able to get screened for things like diabetes, breast cancer and heart disease.
“It also puts the brakes on critical preventative treatments like immunizations and PrEP for HIV.
“The impact of this ruling, especially on working Nevadans and communities of color, will result in the loss of lives, increased costs for treatment of preventable illnesses, and increased inequities in our already unbalanced health care system.”
Source: NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent