Austin Medical Times
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Hospital News St. David’s CareNow Urgent Care teams with American Airlines to offer COVID-19 rapid testing for travelers
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t. David’s CareNow® Urgent Care is now offering convenient pre-flight COVID-19 rapid testing to American Airlines guests traveling to 13 international destinations throughout Central America and the Caribbean, as well as domestic destinations, including Hawaii. The partnership provides convenient COVID-19 testing to the carrier’s guests at 15 CareNow clinics across Central Texas. St. David’s CareNow Urgent Care locations in Central Texas are offering COVID-19 pre-travel testing for American
Airlines passengers traveling to: • Aruba • Bogota, Colombia • Belize • Guatemala • Hawaii, United States • London, England • Montego Bay, Jamaica • Nassau, Bahamas • Roatan, Honduras • San Salvador, El Salvador • San Pedro Sula, Honduras • Santiago, Chile • St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
VA’s Rapid Naloxone Initiative Recognized in Fight Against Opioid Overdose Deaths
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life-saving initiative developed by the Department of Veterans Affairs is recognized as the 2020 recipient of the John M. Eisenberg National Level Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality Award by The Joint Commission and the National Quality Forum. The award acknowledges the
national impact of VA’s advancements in preventing opioid overdose deaths and improving the quality and safety of care that patients receive. The VA Rapid Naloxone Initiative provides free Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution to Veteran patients at risk for opioid overdose. This also includes stocking
Age Well, Live Well Support for Older Adult Survivors of Abuse By Shelby Enman, Texas Health & Human Services Commission
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omestic violence (DV) is a widespread issue that can impact anyone. DV includes the use of emotional, physical, financial or sexual violence by a person to gain control of an intimate partner, family member or other loved one. In Texas, 37.7% of women and 26.8% of men experience DV over the course of their lifetime. Older adults can be abused as well. According to the National Council on Aging, about one in 10 adults ages 60 and older nationwide have experienced abuse. Elder abuse is defined as any intentional or neglectful act that causes harm or risk of harm, including self-neglect. This type of violence can include elements of DV but is specific
July 2021
to abuse of vulnerable adults. A vulnerable adult is defined as any adult who has a disability or who is age 65 or older. Adult Protective Services (APS) investigates allegations of abuse that vulnerable adults experience. Everyone 18 and older in Texas is required by law to report suspicions of elder abuse to APS. If you suspect that an older adult you know might be experiencing abuse, call APS at 1-800-252-5400 or visit txabusehotline.org. Many older adults in Texas seek help from their local family violence program. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) Family Violence Program oversees crisis centers and domestic violence programs across Texas that support people who have experienced abuse.
St. David’s CareNow Urgent Care locations can administer on-site rapid tests or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) lab send-out tests. Rapid test results are ready in less than 15 minutes. Travelers can visit any Central Texas location for COVID-19 tests prior to their trip to ensure results will be delivered within the travel destination’s required timeline. The cost for testing is $139. Travelers may schedule an appointment by utilizing Web Check-In at CareNow.com and selecting one of three options: • American Airlines Rapid Test (Hawaii) specifically for Hawaii passengers due to state-specific form requirements • American Airlines Rapid (International) for approved
destinations that allow a rapid COVID-19 test • American Airlines PCR lab send out (International) for approved destinations that require a laboratory send-out COVID-19 test After completing a rapid test, patients will receive a physical and electronic copy of their test results before leaving the clinic. Patients taking a PCR lab send-out test will receive an electronic-only copy of results. Travelers should provide proof of their test during check-in or via the VeriFLY app to show travel readiness based on completed COVID-19 requirements. Visit AA.com for more information on local COVID-19 requirements and destinations served by American Airlines. For more information about COVID-19 testing and other CareNow services, visit CareNow.com.
Automated External Defibrillator cabinets in high risk areas with naloxone and VA Police having speedy access to it for administering when necessary. “Naloxone is used to reverse opioid overdose and its timely administration during an overdose saves lives,” said, VA National Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution Coordinator Elizabeth M. Oliva, Ph.D. “VA is at the forefront of this fight, changing lives every day through the Rapid Naloxone Initiative, the Opioid Safety Initiative, Substance Use Disorder Treatment and our Whole Health approach to improving overall well-being.”
VA established the first national Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution program in May 2014. Based on a Diffusion of Excellence Promising Practice from the VA Boston Healthcare system, VA formally launched the Rapid Naloxone Initiative in September 2018. This concerted approach has equipped 291,841 VA patients, 3,552 VA police officers, and 1,095 AED cabinets with naloxone. VA’s efforts have resulted in more than 1,950 opioid overdose reversals, with 136 additional opioid overdose reversals facilitated by VA Police and 10 with AED cabinet naloxone.
Of the 64,623 people served by an HHSC-funded family violence program in 2020, about 9% identified themselves as age 50 and older and 785 identified as age 65 and older. “Family violence programs understand the complex issues that survivors of domestic violence face,” said Cody Rothschild, program and policy specialist with the HHSC Family Violence Program. “They offer trauma-informed support services to help people create safety plans and gain access to resources to help them
live lives free of abuse. Any survivor of domestic violence can access these services for free.” Although DV and elder abuse are serious, widespread issues, there are resources and services available to help survivors. If you or someone you know are experiencing abuse, please connect with the following resources below to find support. National Domestic Violence Hotline: call 900-799-SAFE or chat online at thehotline.org
• Tegucigalpa, Honduras
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