Category Archives: Preventative Medicine

For a country that has had one of the most notorious revolutions in the world, every citizen has access to quality healthcare.

Cubas health care is a basic human right entrenched into the countrys constitution with nine doctors to a 1,000 citizens, according to Telesur.

The highest recorded in Cubas history and its all thanks to the country continually improving its health sector. Whereas many health practitioners and medical training institutions pay attention to finding the cure to many ailments, Cuban doctors are trained to focus on preventative medicine.

So, they can curb the illness even before it develops. They also train doctors to prevent further complications in an already existent illness. Universal healthcare and free education make healthcare facilities readily accessible to its citizens.

There have also been new development programs such asprecisionmedicine, healthinformatization, roboticmedicine and nanomedicine.

Fidel Castro heavily invested into the health sector and today the country has a higher life expectancy compared to the United States. Life expectancy of women is 81 years and men are 77 years.

Mark Keller, a Cuba expert at the Economist Intelligence Unit said, Cuba has a really well-educated population and a surfeit of doctors.

It is no hidden knowledge that Cuban doctors are held in high regards internationally and in high demand in developing countries, especially in smaller African and Caribbean countries.

More recently, after Mozambiques cyclone Idai which killed more than 400 people and injured many citizens,Cuba sent a field hospital, with full staff and apparatus to the country. The doctors stayed for 63 days and the Cuban delegation attended to a total of 22,259 patients, according to Telesur.

Sadly, doctors do not earn much in Cuba as their economy is struggling. However, doctors are a big export and huge earner for the country. When you have a very well-educated population but also shortages of cash and goods, you want to find a way to monetize it, said Keller.

Though most of the monies made abroadgoes to the government the amount earned by the doctors on their missions ismore than they could earn if they were working in their home country.

The Caribbean island makes around $11 billion each year leasing doctors to foreign countries than it makes through tourism. There are approximately 50,000 Cuban doctors working in 67 countries around the world, notably referred to as an army of white coats by Cuban officials.

Some say its a form of PR for the totalitarian regime to send its doctors on humanitarian missions to gain favours or lets say votes from the countries in need when the time is right.

For smaller African or Caribbean countries, who cant necessarily afford to pay for the doctors, it gets them on Cubas side, Keller noted. Theyll be more lenient towards Cuba when theyre under international pressure from Europe and the United States [to oppose it].

Jose Angel Portal Miranda, head of the Ministry of Public Health (Minsap) said there were about 35,787 foreign students from 141 countries who graduated from Cuban universities, mainly from Africa and Latin America.

Of the 10,000 medical professionals who graduated from Havana, 1,535 of them are from foreign countries. No other small developing countries has achieved such a feat, Miranda added.

Cubas doctors are still very much sought-after the world over. Cubas doctors-for-export business isnt going anywhere. This is a massive program, Keller opined. Its one of the main things Cuba has to offer to the world.

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Cuba's biggest exports are doctors adjudged one of the best in the world. Here's why - Face2Face Africa

Renae Moomjian pretty much gets the same reaction from everyone she tells about her new business, NipLips.

In fact, it's the same reaction she had when her teenage daughter Helena Moomjian first told her about the concept.

"I was driving my daughter home from school, and she was reading something called 'Uncle John's Bathroom Reader'" Moomjian recalls. (Uncle John's Bathroom Reader, by the way, is a trivia book). "And it was very quiet, and then all of a sudden, she said, 'Hey, Mom. Did you know your perfect lipstick color is your nipple color?'"

To which Moomjian responded. "WHAT?"

Renae Moomjian, left, and her daughter Helena started NipLips.

Intrigued, Moomjian went home and tested the theory with the lipsticks in her makeup drawer. None of them matched.

"So I was like, 'Let's take pictures and go to Walgreens' ... so we are walking around Walgreens, looking at our phones secretly and putting lipstick in our cart," Moomjian says. "It was about $110 worth of lipstick, and we went home and found our perfect match and one shade darker. And we both loved it."

Neither would have normally selected those colors.

"And I said to Helena, 'Maybe there's something to this,'" Moomjian says. That was in May 2018.

When the internet went crazy

The beauty trend seems to have taken off in spring 2017 when a segment on the talk show "The Doctors" made the connection between a person's nipple color and her ideal nude lipstick. The internet went crazy, and beauty magazines including Marie Claireand Refinery 29tried it out, with mixed results. Some people loved the lipstick shade they picked and others, not so much.

Margarita Potts GoDiva, a hair and makeup artist of more than 20 years and owner of I Do Hair and Makeup Artistry, says that the idea of using your body as a reference has been around for way longer.

"The rule of thumb has always been, nature knows best," says Potts GoDiva, who does celebrity, print, film and TV makeup. The inner cheek and upper lip are go-tos for her when color matching.

"For us in the TV world, you know if you're going with the inner cheek or upper lip or body, it's going to be a good match on camera," she says. "It makes people look fresher, youthful and more alive."

Matching to your nipple color is the same premise.

"Beauty trends come and go, but you can always come back to yourself," Potts GoDiva says, adding that it's also case-by-case. Getting too matchy-matchy can actually wash you out or make you look flat, she says. Plus, sometimes you just want to wear a bright, bold color.

There's an app for that

A few months after Moomjian and her daughter did their own experimenting, Moomjian asked 20 friends to give it a try. She wanted to know if matching your lipstick color to your nipple was actually a thing. She says 80 percent of her friends loved their exact match and all of them liked one shade darker.

The mother-daughter duo launched NipLips at the beginning of 2019to help women find a nude lipstick that flatters their skin tone.

Right now, NipLips has eight colors with Tucson-inspired names, such as Prickly Pear, Purple Agave or Burnt Adobe. Using the NipLips app, you can scan a close-up of your nipple to get matched to the closest color for you.

"Nothing is ever saved on your phone or uploaded to us," Moomjian says. "I was very clear that there could never be any invasion of someone's privacy. The only thing we save is the color."

Moomjian also owns a medical device consulting business, which is why after she and Helena took their Walgreens field trip, sneakily checking their phone photos as they shopped, she knew tech could make the process easier. Hence the color-matching app.

Eventually, NipLips hopes to customize colors specifically from your scan, but they'refundraisingfor that right now.

Ada Trinh, a makeup artist in Los Angeles, is a brand ambassador for NipLips and loves the product. As someone who has seen plenty of beauty trends come and go, Trinh says the tech part of NipLips sets it apart.

"You're not just talking about it," says Trinh, a celebrity, film, TV and print makeup artist. "They have an app that can actually show people that this is how it works."

Keeping it au naturel

Moomjian has also made a point to make NipLips a clean beauty business because that's the way she lives her life.

"Because I bring new medical technologies to the market, I deal with very sick people ..." she says. "I feel like preventative medicine is the best medicine so I live clean and I eat clean."

Moomjian says clean beauty means no synthetic or toxic ingredients. The NipLips website clarifies that products have "no parabens, phthalates, DEHP, SLS, petrolatum, talc, synthetic fragrances or colorants or silicons." So even if you're not keen to match your nipple color or use the app, the lipstick is worth checking out, at $22.50 each.

"I've used it on a couple of clients," Trinh says. "On set, I couldn't do the nipple scan ... but I could tell them about the concept ... and use the product on them without the scan."

Trinh says she has also used it on set to go from a day look to a night look just by adding another layer.

"A lot of the colors are really poppy, but the app gives you choices if you don't want to be as poppy, you can use one that's more natural," she says. "The pigment is great and buildable, or you can use it almost as a nice tint that doesn't go on too harsh."

The cosmetics are made locally, by the same lab that makes Sia Botanics, using some naturally-sourced Sonoran Desert ingredients such as prickly pear seed and jojoba oil. The next, soon-to-be-released NipLips collection a glosswill take its inspiration from the ocean. The one after that, the rainforest. The goal is to package all of it sustainably.

NipLips helps women find the right lipstick shade by matching it to their nipple color.

As the business grows, Moomjian wants to eventually support nonprofits that work in women's health issues, specifically heart disease and breast and ovarian cancers all diseases that have impacted her family. In the meantime, Moomjian says they will gift lipstick to any woman with breast cancer or a mastectomy.

Potts GoDiva adds that if you're checking your nipple color, it's also a great time to do a self breast exam.

"That, to me, is a great reason for this," she says.

A mother-daughter business

Before launching NipLips, Moomjian says she mostly wore bright reds and pinks. Helena, a student at University High School, mostly wore dramatic makeup for theater productions.

"I'm not a big makeup person," Helena, 16, says. "But putting the right lipstick on is a boost of self confidence."

The whole experience has been a ride, she adds.

"When I was younger and imagined my life in the future, I never ever would have imagined such a wild thing," Helena says with a laugh.

Although school keeps Helena busy, Moomjian says working together on the business has been one of the sweetest parts.

"We do a lot together," she says. "And to see her excitement and input along the way has been really fun, and for us to work together like this has been very special."

Try it out

Besides shopping online, you can try NipLips at upcoming markets including the Made in Tucson Market on Sunday, Dec. 1 and Cultivate on Saturday, Dec. 7. A privacy booth will allow you to use the app to find your best shade. You can also buy the lipsticks and try samples of the NipLips Desert Botanical matte collection at English Salon Spa, 27 N. Scott Ave., downtown.

"For Helena and me, it's about looking within to define your beauty and who you are and speaking from that place," Moomjian says.

More:
A Tucson business is helping women find the perfect lipstick ... by matching their nipple color - Arizona Daily Star

Personalised nutrition startup Atlas Biomed claims to be the only company in the world offering both DNA and microbiome testing kits for a holistic picture of health and now it is launching a phone app allowing people to discover what foods will best improve their gut health with the simple snap of the camera.

Sergey Musienko, bioinformatician andfounder of the UK-based firm launched in 2014, says the app differs from all other diet apps on the market as it will allow customers to genuinely learn how to modulate their microbiomes through their diet choices by teaching them about diet variety and fibre intake.

He tells NutraIngredients: Itallows the customer to take a photo of their meal and the special algorithm allows us to identify the specific ingredients in the meal and based on their latest microbiome test results the app provides a scoring system for each ingredient, showing how beneficial they are to the users microbiome composition.

The whole idea behind this is to help people gamify the process and better understand what ingredients can be harmful or beneficial to their gut bacteria.

The entrepreneur points out that research has shown that the majority of the population in Europe and the US are not eating enough fibre - a nutrient essential for a healthy microbial diversity.

He points out that therecommended daily intake is 30 grams but according to the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, UK adults are only eating around 18 grams per day.

He says people should ideally be eating at least 30 different sources of fibre each week in order to keep their microbial diversity up and the app helps people achieve this.

Believe me, its harder than you would imagine to reach this number. I think when I first checked I was getting maybe 20 on a good week.

There are a lot of apps out there that help people track their calories or their macros but this is the first to concentrate of fibre as well as some vitamins, polyphenols and sugar which also have an impact on microbiome composition.

This will help people to discover the best fibre sources for them and it will help people to diversify their diets. We really want to help people to live healthy lives for longer and as soon as you have a basic understanding its quite easy to stay on track its like learning to ride a bike!

Musienko graduated from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology before going on to join theSilicon Valley think tank, at Singularity UniversityCaliforniain 2011,where they train entrepreneurial minds on how to apply technology into projects that can improve the lives of people around the world.

There I had a chance to meet lots of visionaries and entrepreneurs around health technology."Musienko explains, "I spoke to lots of researchers and shared ideas with them and discussed whats the future of preventative medicine. Thats when I had the idea which would lay the foundation for Atlas Biomed taking a personalised proactive approach to health care by predicting conditions and doing everything we can to prevent them.

Back then, in 2011, companies were offering affordable genomics tests but these tests were in their really early days and there was a lot of criticism that they couldnt tell you in a precise way whats likely to happen to the persons health. Of course with all these common but complex issues, like chrones disease, diabetes, obesity, lifestyle has a huge impact as well as genes.

I realised if we want to personalise healthcare or nutrition in an accurate manner it has to be a combination of different factors and thats how we came up with the concept of multiple tests a saliva test for genes and a stool sample test for the microbiome which covers changes in diet and lifestyle.

The company launched its DNA and microbiome tests commercially in Europe in 2017 and since then it has quickly expanded with sales in 17 countries across Europe as well as Canada with hopes to establish itself in the US soon.

Read the original here:
Startup 'gamifies' gut health with diet app aimed at long-term change - NutraIngredients.com

Is it just me, or have you noticed how we seem to go straight from Halloween to Christmas, almost bypassing Thanksgiving altogether? That is unfortunate because not only is Thanksgiving an important American holiday that reflects our heritage, but individuals, families and churches need one day set aside for the purpose of giving thanks to the Lord and acknowledging that all that we have is from Him.

Is the giving of thanks only on this one day enough? Certainly it is not, but it is a good place to start.

There are numerous benefits to the giving of thanks. Please allow me to mention only a few.

First, the giving of thanks to the Lord is preventative medicine for developing a critical spirit. One with a critical spirit is constantly criticizing others. He tends to see what others are doing wrong and not right, and is constantly finding fault. A person with a critical spirit can always do anything and everything better than the one he is criticizing.

Instead of finding faults in others, why not begin to thank God for them and pray for them. It is difficult to criticize someone you are thanking God for, whether it be government officials, church leaders and even family and friends.

Those that were closest to the late Billy Graham said they never heard him speak a critical word about anyone. Does that mean that Dr. Graham never observed something in others that could not be criticized? I suspect that a man who lived so long and traveled so extensively encountered those he could have criticized, but he chose to keep those observations to himself.

Another benefit of giving thanks is that of learning to be content with what we have. By the time you read this, the collection week for Operation Christmas Child will have just concluded. This ministry of Samaritans Purse collects literally millions of shoeboxes filled with small toys, school supplies, hygiene items, etc. The reports indicate that the kids who receive them are absolutely overwhelmed with joy, appreciation and thanksgiving.

Now, imagine how the average American child would react if one of these shoe boxes was all he or she received for Christmas. I suspect most would complain and be very ungrateful. And why is this? Perhaps one reason is that so many kids have been spoiled and been trained to expect lavish gifts at Christmas time. Many of them have not been raised to be thankful and thus content.

There are many reasons the Greatest Generation is considered to be such. One of those is that they were grateful for what they had. That generation, who is slowly ebbing away, lived through the Great Depression when millions were out of work, and poverty was the norm of the day from rural areas to metropolitan cities. They learned to be grateful just to have something to eat and a roof over their heads.

That generation also survived WWII. Those stateside had to deal with rationing of almost everything. And of course those called into service had to cope with the horrible conditions that go with war. Those who survived were grateful just to be alive. That generation knew how to get by on what they had and were thankful for what they had.

We all could learn a lesson from that generation about being thankful instead of complaining. Instead of complaining about not having a bigger and more up to date house, we should be thankful that we have a house period. We should appreciate the fact that we have a roof over our head, not to mention indoor plumbing and electricity. Instead of complaining that we dont have a newer and nicer car, we should give thanks for the car that we do have, and that it is paid for.

Career missionaries to foreign nations and those who have done short term mission work can testify that some of the happiest people in the world are those who have very little in the way of material possessions. I suspect they have learned the secret of contentment and to give thanks in all things.

Parents, are you teaching your children to be thankful? It starts with the small things like saying thank you, or even writing a thank you note for a gift or some act of kindness shown by another. Does your family take time to say a prayer of thanks to the Lord when you sit down to a meal, whether at home or in a restaurant?

Is one day of giving thanks a year enough? Of course not, but it is a good place to start.

For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. I Timothy 6:7-8.

Chip Warren is the past president of the Albertville Ministerial Fellowship.

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Chip Warren: One day of giving thanks isn't enough, but it's good start - Sand Mountain Reporter

Some people might not see a connection between ballet and football, but a sports medicine doctor at University Hospitals knows just how similar dancers and football players are.

In fact,Dr. James Voos, chair of UH'sorthopedics department, says treating dancers as athletes can help prevent injuries and lengthen dancers careers.

Contact athletes such as football players and our performing artists such as ballet dancers put an incredible force on their body, day in and day out, Voos said. While you may be moving more gracefully in ballet, those stresses on the body are very significant, so the ability to maintain flexibility, to put together a preventative program, is just as important in both sports.

This season is the first year the Cleveland Ballet is partnering with the sports medicine department at UH, giving the dancers more opportunities to receive preventive care. And the partnership means Voos and physical therapists are treating both the Cleveland Ballet and the Cleveland Browns.

Dancer Madison Campbell says taking care of their bodies is one of the most important things about ballet.

Our bodies are our instrument. Those are our tools. Thats the same as football players, theyre using their bodies as an instrument, as a tool, to get to where they need to be in the game, Campbell said. The amount of stress you put on your body, day in and day out, the amount of agility and stamina if thats not an athlete, I dont know what you call it.

The physical therapists working with the dancers know how to treat the artists as the athletes they are, says 16-year-old Marla Minadeo, the youngest dancer in the Cleveland Ballets history.

Im so young, but obviously if Ive been dancing professionally, like Im dancing all day, every day, my body doesnt feel young, Minadeo said. I think that if I keep on going to physical therapy, the life of my dance career will be a lot longer.

Its Minadeos first season as a professional dancer. Her mom, Gladisa Guadalupe, is the artistic director for the Cleveland Ballet. An injury sent Guadalupe into retirement as a dancer, which she thinks could have been prevented.

The career of a dancer is very short. But if you take care of your body now, in a professional environment and with professionals in the medical field that understand the wear and tear, and how to prevent it, they could have careers up to 45 and 50 [years old], why not? Guadalupe said. And thats what we want. We want to give them tools that they understand their limitations, they understand their assets, they understand how far they can go with their bodies.

Proper training and physical therapy help professional dancers like Minadeo, but treating dancers as athletes is also important information for young dancers and parents.

This is particularly close to me, having young dancers at home, Voos said.

He recommends flexibility and strength training for dancers between practices.

Audiences often dont recognize the athleticism of dance because the dancers try to hide it, said dancer Lauren Stenroos said.

Our job is to make it look easy on stage, and were not supposed to show that its difficult, she said.

Guadalupe hopes that in the future, audiences will recognize that while it takes months to rehearse for a production, but it takes decades for dancers to train their bodies for ballet.

I dont think people understand. They just see the beauty. The curtain goes up, and they just see the end product. They dont see the sweat and the hard work, she said. And thats my hope, that as much as I would like the audience to enjoy which they do enjoy the performance that they understand what this artist goes through and respect the profession.

Read more from the original source:
Is Ballet A Sport? Doctors And Dancers Think So - ideastream

Almost a third of doctors and nurses do not feel confident enough on sun safety to advise their patients on how to avoid harmful UV rays, research suggests.

A study of more than 1,500 medics in the US found just under 30 per cent do not believe they have the knowledge to keep the public sun safe.

As a result, less than half of those surveyed regularly advise their patients to wear sunscreen, sit in the shade and avoid tanning beds.

Scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn most skin cancer cases come about due to UV rays from the sun or indoor tanning.

Nearly five million adults are treated for skin cancer every year in the US, the researchers wrote in the journal Preventative Medicine.

And in the UK, there were 15,970 diagnoses of melanoma, the deadliest form of the disease, between 2014 and 2016, Cancer Research UK statistics show.

There has been a recent push in the US for doctors to promote skin cancer prevention and sun safe behaviours, the researchers wrote.

The latter includes using sunscreen, wearing protective clothing, sitting in the shade and staying indoors at midday, which is when UV rays are typically at their most intense.

In 2012, the US Prevention Services Task Force (USPSTF) released its first set of recommendations on clinical counseling on skin cancer prevention.

Sunburn increases a persons risk of skin cancer.

It can happen abroad or in the UK.

To stay sun safe, experts recommend people:

Source:

The researchers, led by the behavioural scientist Dawn Holman, set out to uncover how many doctors in the US advise their patients on sun safety.

They analysed data from the online 2016 survey DocStyles.

This includes information on skin cancer prevention counseling practices for 1,506 GPs, internists, paediatricians and nurses.

Results revealed just under 30 per cent of those surveyed do not feel confident in their ability to provide advice about sun protection.

As a result, less than half (48.5 per cent) of the medics regularly advise their patients on sun safety.

And only just more than a quarter (27.4 per cent) recommend people avoid indoor tanning.

Of those who do give out advice, most only counsel patients with fair skin.

While people with pale complexions, light hair and freckles are more at risk of skin cancer, people with darker skin tones can also burn and develop the disease, the researchers warned.

The results further revealed most UV advice centres on wearing sunscreen, ditching sunbeds, avoiding the midday sun and wearing protective clothing.

However, the medics were less likely to advise patients to seek shade and check the UV index. This identifies the strength of the suns radiation at a given place on a particular day.

The researchers stress providing a range of sun safety options allows patients to find an approach that fits their preferences and activities.

The study also found the medics were more likely to give advice if they had been practicing for more than 16 years, had treated sunburn in the past 12 months or were familiar with theUSPSTF guidelines.

Barriers to counseling included a lack of time (58.1 per cent), more urgent concerns (49.1 per cent) and patient disinterest (46.3 per cent).

To overcome the time issue, future studies should look for ways of engaging other members of the medical team, such as health educators, in counseling efforts, the researchers added.

Continued here:
Almost a THIRD of doctors and nurses are not 'confident enough to advise patients on sun protection' - Denton Daily

Briefs

WINN-DIXIE REOPENS: Winn-Dixie reopened its remodeled store at 36348 State Road 54 in Zephyrhills on Nov. 3. The store includes an updated farm-fresh produce department, improved deli with expanded grab-and-go meals and wing bar, upgraded meat case and floral department, and a new Dollar Shop section.

LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PRESIDENT NAMED TO INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL: The Board of Directors of the International Economic Development Council has elected Bill Cronin, president and CEO of the Pasco Economic Development Council, to serve on its board of directors. The nomination took place during the International EDCs 2019 conference in Indianapolis Oct. 13-16. Cronins term begins Jan. 1.

BABY ITEMS DRIVE: Butash and Donovan Law is hosting a Baby Stuff Drive through the end of November at its office at 23554 State Road 54, Lutz. The drive is to benefit GuidingStar of Tampa, a womens healthcare practice offering medical and educational services, as well as ongoing support for women. Items needed include: gently used or new baby clothing for boys and girls, sizes newborn to 4T; newborn diapers; baby wipes, baby shampoo, baby soap and other toiletries; gently used maternity clothes; and small- and medium-sized stuffed animals. For information, call (813) 341-2232.

GRAND RE-OPENING OF HOSPITAL WOUND CARE CENTER: Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point held a grand re-opening of its Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Center on Nov. 13. The center underwent a $500,000 renovation that took six months and included renovations of everything from podiatry chairs to updating all the furniture. Hyperbaric chambers were added, and the wound care center has been expanded to two suites, totaling 3,865 square feet.

HOSPITAL NAMES NEW CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: Medical Center of Trinity has appointed William Bill Killinger, MD, as its new chief medical officer. Dr. Killinger is a third-generation Florida physician. He was trained in cardiothoracic surgery, and was in private practice for 27 years in Raleigh, N.C. He is completing work on his healthcare executive masters degree with Brandeis University.

NEW DQ GRILL & CHILL OPENS: American Dairy Queen Corporation announced its new DQ Grill and Chill restaurant has opened in Hudson, at 14671 State Road 52. The restaurant is owned by Carlos and Pam Saenz. The Saenzes have been owners of a DQ Grill and Chill since 2016, with their first location in Land O Lakes. Carlos served five years in the U.S. Air Force, and still serves as a Reservist. Pam is also an elementary school teacher.

ALARM COMPANY MOVES TO PASCO: AFA Protective Systems recently relocated to a 5,800-square-foot facility in the West Pasco Industrial Park off State Road 54 in Odessa. The company designs, installs and monitors fire, safety and security systems.

CARES NAMES NEW DIRECTOR: Community Aging and Retirement Services (CARES) has named Melissa Kehler its new director of community engagement. Kehler has more than 20 years experience in nonprofit leadership roles, most recently serving as executive director of Chinsegut Hill Retreat and Museum in Hernando County.

HEALTH SEMINAR: AdventHealth will host a seminar, Treating Pain without Pills, from noon to 1 p.m. Dec. 3 at AdventHealth Zephyrhills, 7050 Gall Blvd. The speaker is Kamal Patel, MD, a fellowship-trained pain specialist who is double-board certified in preventative and occupational medicine. Reservations are required. RSVP to 877-534-3108.

HOLIDAY PARADE: The Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce will host its 43rd-annual Holiday Parade on Dec. 14. The deadline for sponsorships and to enter a company float is Dec. 3. For details, contact the Chamber at (727) 842-7651.

Trinity Positive Business Network: 8:30 a.m. Mondays at Oasis Coffee Spot, 9213 Little Road, New Port Richey. Call Kelly Steen at (813) 388-8726.

Womens Connection of New Port Richey: 11:30 a.m. the second Monday of each month (September through May) at Spartan Manor, 6121 Massachusetts Ave., New Port Richey. Cost is $15 and includes lunch and a speaker. To RSVP, call Linda at (727) 856-4042 or Betty, (727) 807-6760.

BNI Overachievers Chapter: 7 to 9 a.m. Wednesdays at Myrtle Lake Baptist Church, 2017 Reigler Road, Land O Lakes. Call (813) 317-5556 or visit facebook.com/bnioverachievers.

BNI Outlook to Success: 7:30 a.m. Tuesdays at Verizon Event Center, 8718 Trouble Creek Road, New Port Richey. Cost is $10 and includes breakfast. Call (727) 815-7744.

Suncoast Women in Networking: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month at Beef O Bradys, 5546 Main St., New Port Richey. Suncoast WIN is a group of professional businesswomen. Membership is $10 per year. Call Linda McFarland at (727) 863-6151.

Rotary Club of Lutz: 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays at Heritage Harbor Golf and Country Club, 19502 Heritage Harbor Parkway, Lutz. Cost is $12, includes lunch and speaker. Call (813) 857-7089 or visit lutzrotary.org.

West Pasco Business Association: Monday Lunch Chapter, noon to 1 p.m. Mondays, Johnny Bruscos, 10730 State Road 54, Trinity. Tuesday Breakfast Chapter, 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Hampton Inn, 1780 State Road 54, Odessa. Tuesday After Hours Chapter, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays, FlameStone Grill Trinity, 10900 State Road 54, Trinity. Thursday Lunch Chapter, noon to 1 p.m. Thursdays, Giovannis Fresh Italian Kitchen, 37611 U.S. 19, Palm Harbor. Friday Breakfast Chapter, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Fridays at the Oasis Coffee Spot, 9213 Little Road, New Port Richey. The group is made up of professionals who promote each others businesses. Each chapter is seat-specific. Contact Maria Johnson, maria@wpba.biz or (727) 934-0940. Visit wpba.biz.

Coffee First: 8 to 9 a.m. the fourth Tuesday of the month at First National Bank of Pasco, 23613 State Road 54, Lutz. The event is hosted by the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce in partnership with First National Bank of Pasco. Free and open to the public. (813) 607-2555.

East Pasco Networking Group: 7:30 p.m. the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at IHOP, 13100 U.S. 301, Dade City. Annual dues are $25. Nils Lenz, (813) 782-9491.

Trinity Business Association: 6 to 7:30 p.m. the first and third Tuesdays of each month at Fox Hollow Country Club, 10050 Robert Trent Jones Parkway. Networking begins at 5:30 p.m., meeting starts at 6 p.m. Guests welcome. Cost is $12. Call Ginny Pierce at (727) 433-4073.

BNI Platinum: 7:15 a.m. Wednesdays at Heritage Harbor Golf & Country Club, 19502 Heritage Harbor Parkway, Lutz. Call Bob Nixon at (813) 263-5632.

Pasco Business Connections: 7:30 a.m. Wednesdays at the Broken Yolk, 3350 Grand Blvd., Holiday. Email noworries@tampabay.rr.com.

Wednesday Morning Networking Group: 7:30 a.m. the first Wednesday of each month at Hungry Harrys Family Bar-B-Que, 3116 Land O Lakes Blvd. A short networking presentation will be followed by a chance for all attendees to do a 30-second commercial. Cost is $7 in advance for members, $10 for guests, and includes breakfast. Call the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce at (813) 909-2722.

Keep It Local-Trinity Chapter: 8 a.m. Wednesdays at Havana Dreamers Cafe, 3104 Town Ave., Trinity. (813) 405-7815.

Pasco Aging Network: 8 to 10 a.m. the second Wednesday of each month. Location changes each month. For information or to RSVP, visit pascoagingnetwork.org. PAN is a coalition of agencies and private providers of elder services in Pasco.

Keep It Local-Wesley Chapel Chapter: 8:30 a.m. Wednesdays at Lexington Oaks Golf & Country Club, 26133 Lexington Oaks Blvd., Wesley Chapel. (813) 405-7815.

Keep It Local-Christian Womens Network Chapter: 9:30 a.m. Wednesdays at the Direction Connection, 2632 U.S. 19, Holiday. (813) 405-7815.

Free Networking International: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays at Cantina Laredo, 2000 Piazza Ave., Building 4, Suite 170, Wesley Chapel (at the Shops at Wiregrass). Attendees pay for their own lunch. Call Martine Duncan at (813) 929-6816.

Keep It Local-New Port Richey Chapter: 11:30 a.m. Wednesdays at the Direction Connection, 2632 U.S. 19, Holiday. (813) 405-7815.

Keep It Local-Odessa/Trinity Chapter: 11:30 a.m. Wednesdays at Seven Springs Golf & Country Club, 3535 Trophy Blvd., Trinity. (813) 405-7815.

BNI Eagles: 7:15 a.m. Thursdays at Spartan Manor, 6121 Massachusetts Ave., New Port Richey. Cost is $10 and includes breakfast. Call Clay Henderson at (727) 534-5191.

BNI Referral Connection: 7:15 to 9 a.m. Thursdays at Vallartas Mexican Restaurant, 22948 State Road 54, Lutz. Call Rob Hamilton at (813) 431-5887.

Christian Business Connections of Central Pasco: 7:45 to 9:15 a.m. Thursdays at Quail Hollow Golf Club, 6225 Old Pasco Road, Wesley Chapel. Cost of $9 per meeting, includes breakfast and beverages. Annual membership dues are $100. Call Rene Van Hout at (813) 300-7511.

Trinity/West Pasco Chapter of NPI: 7:45 a.m. Thursdays at The Grand Plaza Caf, 4040 Little Road, New Port Richey. Call Rob Marlowe at (727) 847-2424.

Networking For Your Success: 8 a.m. Thursdays at Lexington Oaks Country Club, 2615 Lexington Oaks Blvd., Wesley Chapel. Cost is $5 and includes a continental breakfast. Annual membership is $79. Call Matt at (813) 782-1777.

Women-n-Charge: 11:30 a.m. on the first Friday of each month, Plantation Palms Golf Club, 23253 Plantation Palms Blvd., Land O Lakes. The cost is $15 for members and $18 for guests who RSVP by Monday prior to the meeting. Tuesday and after, the cost is $20 for members and $23 for guests. To RSVP, visit women-n-charge.com/meetings/. For information, call Judy at (813) 600-9848.

Women of Wesley Chapel (WOW): 7:30 to 9 a.m. first Friday of each month, Beach House Assisted Living and Memory Care at Wiregrass Ranch, 30070 State Road 56, Wesley Chapel. WOW is the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerces women only networking group. The cost is $5, includes breakfast and networking. To RSVP, call (813) 994-8534 or email office@northtampabaychamber.com.

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Remodeled Winn-Dixie opens in Zephyrhills, and other Pasco business news - Tampa Bay Times

by Gray Gautereaux

Tuesday Nov 26, 2019

President Donald Trump. Photo: Courtesy ABC News

During his 2019 State of the Union address President Donald Trump revealed his administration's new 10-year plan to "end the HIV epidemic in America", with a goal of reducing diagnosis rates to less than 3,000 per year. The plan is ambitious and calls for the diagnosis of all people with HIV/AIDS as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, the Trump administration has already actively subverted these goals through to implementation of a 2017 gag rule on Title X family planning that effectively withdrew $600 million in global health assistance and prohibited supplemental funds to domestic providers that recommend or provide abortion services. But, as is often the case in American abortion policy, the withholding of these funds intended to curb abortion rates include extensive and detrimental impacts on a wide variety of community health services including access to HIV and cancer screenings by underprivileged communities.

Conceived by Congress in the 1970s, Title X was originally influenced by President Richard Nixon's promise to enhance women's access to family planning. Title X is the sole federal program committed to providing family planning, contraceptive, and preventative health services. Title X has proved to be integral in making health care more accessible to millions of low-income Americans. According to an Elsevier study published last year, one-third of publicly funded clinics in the United States receive money through the national Title X family planning program. The same study reports "six in 10 women (61%) visiting Title X-funded clinics for contraceptive and related services report that the clinic is their usual source for medical care." These data are especially significant to HIV/AIDS prevention efforts as 2016 data () from the Department of Health and Human Services revealed "one in five new HIV diagnoses in the United States are women. Women of color, especially black/African American women, are disproportionately affected by HIV infection compared with women of other races/ethnicities."

Gray Gautereaux. Photo: Courtesy Gray Gautereaux

Title X-funded clinics are required to provide, at minimum, HIV/AIDS testing, either on site or by referral, as well as prevention education. Title X clinics have also been integral to increasing access of at-risk populations to pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, a daily medicine that reduces at-risk patients' chances of contracting the disease. Initiatives to extend access of Title X clinics have been pushed by both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and HHS since 2016, but the gag rule has already become a barrier for policy- and research-based accessibility initiatives.

The gag rule has caused a tidal wave effect as health care providers opt to withdraw from Title X funding rather than compromise their values in providing a full range of options to patients seeking pregnancy counseling. Since the implementation of the ban, seven state governments, as well as Planned Parenthood, have elected to withdraw from the Title X program and a number of other clinics nationwide have been forced to close their doors as they face mounting legal and financial barriers to providing affordable health to low-income areas. As a result, America is now plagued with regional droughts in minority patients access to general community health provisions. A September report from Kaiser Health News found that, as of 2019, "nearly 80% of the rural U.S. has been designated as 'medically underserved,'" meaning about 20% of Americans may not have access to a health care provider for hundreds or thousands of miles. And the options left over from the wave of Title X withdrawals has left a vacuum that the Trump administration has been filling with a very specific and ineffective form of clinic.

As more and more clinics withdraw from the Title X funding program, those that remain have tended to harbor a striking similarity: religious affiliation and abstinence-only family planning policies. A writer for Mother Jones, Stephanie Mencimer, published an investigative report () this year on how the Trump administration has begun channeling Title X funds into anti-abortion clinics run by Christian pregnancy centers. One of these centers, a Southern California-based chain called Obria, was awarded $5.1 million in Title X funds in March to provide contraception and family planning services to low-income women over three years. But Mencimer's investigation revealed "Obria's founder is opposed to all FDA-approved forms of birth control and has privately reassured anti-abortion donors that Obria will never dispense contraception, even as she has aggressively sought federal funding that requires exactly those services." Not exactly a prime environment to maximize health providers ability to "diagnose HIV as early as possible" as the Trump administration now proposes to do.

Given the obvious limitation forced upon providers and communities by the gag rule, the executive administration's efforts to end the HIV epidemic are unrealistic and insensitive of the limitations they have set which are already limiting patients access to their normal avenues of health care. If HIV/AIDS diagnoses are to be reduced to levels that effectively end the epidemic it is obvious the Title X gag rule must be acknowledged for what it is a pawn in the political game of abortion rights that goes too far and works against the interest of the policy's intent. In addition, while integral to the political and medical vitality of Americans, abortion policy needs to be teased apart from general health issues by both the left and right to prevent a type of collateral damage that contributes to increases subpar levels of medical accessibility for millions of Americans. The gag rule in conjunction with the "Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America" initiative is a trivializing contradiction of policies that flaunts goals of aiding public health while simultaneously undercutting the means to serve those most in need. While it is unlikely the Trump administration will revoke the rule it will be imperative for health providers and political constituencies to demand and organize the resources they need- the future of health for millions of Americans is on the line.

Gray Gautereaux is a senior at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon and is a recipient of one of the Pedro Zamora Young Leaders scholarships awarded by the National AIDS Memorial Grove.

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Guest Opinion: Trump's Title X gag rule is detrimental to HIV/AIDS health care - Bay Area Reporter, America's highest circulation LGBT newspaper

The biggest game of the season looms this weekend for the Dallas Cowboys. But as they get ready to travel north and east to face the New England Patriots, many Cowboys players have been down and out with the flu.

Temperatures are expected to be in the low 40s at kickoff with rain and snow in the forecast. Some Cowboys players are getting past the flu, some are in the beginning stages and quarterback Dak Prescott is taking preventative medications, according to Calvin Watkins, beat writer for The Dallas Morning News.

"Flu bug has swept the Cowboys this week," Watkins tweeted. "Joe Thomas and Ben Bloom have it. Justin March has a respiratory infection, Jordan Lewis and Xavier Woods just recovered from it. Cowboys gave Dak Prescott some medicine as a precaution for any issues."

The Dallas Cowboys are 6-4 on the season, but none of their wins have come against teams with a winning record. Only the Philadelphia Eagles are among the teams they have beaten that don't have a losing record, as they are 5-5.

The Patriots are 9-1 and hold the best record in the AFC. Led by quarterback Tom brady, the Patriots have won 21-consecutive games in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

With six games remaining in regular season and holding just a one-game lead over the Eagles, every game is importantand beating the Patriots would give Dallas not only a much-needed win to stay ahead, but beating New England would likely give them a push through the final stretch toward the playoffs.

"I just think it's important to lock in on the task at hand every week. The best teams are able to do that," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said in another Morning News report. "It's one day of preparation for that week's ballgame. That's what we try to instill around here. We don't do a lot of reflecting during the year on signature wins or this kind of a win or that kind of a win."

The schedule does not get easier for the Cowboys after their trip to New England. They host a 7-3 Buffalo Bills squad on Thanksgiving Day, and then travel to face the 4-6 Chicago Bears that allow just 17 points a game.

The Cowboys finish the last three regular-season games with the Los Angeles Rams (6-4), who was last year's NFC champion, at Philadelphia for perhaps the NFC East title on the line, and the Washington Redskins at home.

Then there's Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott, having his best season so far as a professional. Prescott has passed for 3,221 yards and 21 touchdowns in 10 games, including 444 yards last week against the Lions. He is on ace to surpass the 5,000-yard mark this season, which has never been done in Dallas' illustrious history.

Prescott has been given the flu preventative medication before the upcoming New England trip. Now is time for the travel, time change and temperature drop before kickoff.

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Dallas Cowboys Battle the Flu Ahead of Their Biggest Game of the Year in Chilly New England - Newsweek

A look at the Radio City Rockettes training room with Elaine Winslow-Redmond, Director of Athletic Training and Wellness for the Rockettes, and Dr. Melody Hrubes of Rothman Orthopedic Institute, the Rockettes' new medical director, Nov. 18, 2019 at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan. Tania Savayan, tsavayan@lohud.com

On a Monday afternoon, just days before opening night, Emily King, 22, a Radio City Rockette, dropped by an office at Radio City Music Hall.

King, who is in her second season as one of the famed dancers, came to see Dr. MelodyHrubes, the new medical director for the Rockettes, andElaine Winslow-Redmond,the director of athletic training, for a consultation.

It just provides a lot of security for us as performers," King said. "We know that if anything goes wrong, like they have our back and they are going to provide help where it's necessary.

November 6, 2019: Dress rehearsal for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring the Radio City Rockettes.(Photo: Zack Lane, Zack Lane/MSG Photos)

King,who is from Michigan and has a bachelor's degree in Commercial Dance from Pace University,is one of 80Rockettesknown for their signature eye-high kicks and a precisiondance technique that requires both artistry and athleticism.

Hrubes and Winslow-Redmond make surethe Rockettes are in top shape as they ascend the Radio City Music Hall stage multiple times a day to perform the Christmas Spectacular.

Dr. Melody Hrubes of Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, left, the Radio City Rockettes' new medical director, and Elaine Winslow-Redmond, Director of Athletic Training and Wellness for the Rockettes, give Rockette Emily King a pre-screening Nov. 18, 2019 at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan.(Photo: Tania Savayan/The Journal News)

While they range in height from 5-foot-6 to 5-10, the dancers succeed in creating the illusion that they are kicking at the same height through a combination of formation (tallest woman in the center) and technique.

They perform up to 16 times a week and can kick up to 650 times a day. Each 90-minute performance requires 160 kicks in high heels.Theunforgiving routine can put considerable strain on their bodies.

For Hrubes, that means preventing injuries before they happen.

Elaine Winslow-Redmond, Director of Athletic Training and Wellness for the Radio City Rockettes, left, talks about the program as Dr. Melody Hrubes of Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, the Rockettes' new medical director, looks on Nov. 18, 2019 at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan.(Photo: Tania Savayan/The Journal News)

What is so interesting to me about dance is that it's choreographed, so there's a lot of biomechanical and overuse injuries that happen, said Hrubes, who practices with RothmanOrthopedic Institute, which opened a location in Harrison last month and is the official provider of orthopedic services to the Rockettes.

That's why we're so interested in how to prevent that, since they're doing the same thing over and over again.

October 22, 2019: The Radio City Rockettes rehearse for the Christmas Spectacular at the St. Paul the Apostle Church in New York City.(Photo: Carl Scheffel, Carl Scheffel/MSG Photos)

A lot of what she sees with the Rockettes also applies to other athletes, said Hrubes, a specialist in sports medicine who has previously worked as a team physician for the United States Soccer Federation and with United States Gymnastics.

A lot of young athletes aren't taught to listen to their bodies;they think that if there's no pain, theres no gain. If I'm hurting, that means I'm just working hard enough, said Hrubes, talking about injury prevention. And actually pain is your body's way of saying something is wrong. So learning the difference between soreness and pain is super valuable because then they could actually learn to listen to their bodies.

Dr. Melody Hrubes of Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, left, the Radio City Rockettes' new medical director, and Elaine Winslow-Redmond, Director of Athletic Training and Wellness for the Rockettes, give Rockette Emily King a pre-screening Nov. 18, 2019 at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan.(Photo: Tania Savayan/The Journal News)

That philosophy dovetailswith what Buchanan resident Winslow-Redmond has sought to do with the Rockettes since 2005.

A former Rockette who performed for 11 seasonsfrom 1994-2005,Winslow-Redmond said she was frustrated when, in her first season,she sought treatment for a shin splint a kind of stress fractureand found doctors who didnt fully understand what she did.

They would say things like, 'There's no hopping in tap dancing.' And I thought to myself, I don't think they understand what I do if they don't think I'm hopping while I'm tap dancing, she said."They didn't understand that I needed to stay in the show. I couldn't like just take a few weeks off.

November 7, 2018: Dress rehearsal for the upcoming Radio City Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.(Photo: Carl Scheffel, Carl Scheffel/MSG Photos)

She was eventually helped byan athletic trainerwho taught Winslow-Redmond how to prevent injury through her next 10 seasons. And she learned firsthand how important it is to focus on recovery after a show.

So I had great longevity and I was able to dance injury free for the rest of my seasons, she said.

Winslow-Redmond said she was bothered by the fact that the Rockettes didnt have an in-house trainer or doctor. So, whilecontinuing to dance as a Rockette, Winslow-Redmond, who hasa bachelor's in dance, took advantage of a tuition assistance program available to Rockettes to transition to other careers.

She got masters in physiology and nutrition at Columbia University and eventually became the Rockettes' trainer in 2005.

As part of herthesis, she analyzed five years worth of Rockette injury reports andshowed that the majoritywere preventable overuse injuries.

"Overall the choreography has gotten more difficult," she said. "So as we're challenging the Rockettes and they're rising to a higher level, their injuries are decreasing. Theres been a 78% decrease in injury. So that's the impact.

Her advice for current and aspiring dancers?

They should pair their dance training to incorporate a strength element so that they strengthen the muscles that tend to be weak on dancers.

She also emphasizes recovery. I push hard on recovery because I really understand the impact of many shows in one week," she said. Understanding the level of fatigue that I experienced and being able to teach them the necessary steps on how to recover and that pushing through is not always the way to go.

Rockette Emily King in the athletic training and wellness room at Radio City Music Hall Nov. 18, 2019 in Manhattan.(Photo: Tania Savayan/The Journal News)

For Rockette Emily King, working with Winslow-Redmond and Hrubeshas been helpful. Just in a preventative sense, the pre-screening is so helpful," she said. "They give us exercises to help prevent injuries that are specific to us, like things that we are susceptible to, which is incredible.

Dr. Hrubes and Winslow-Redmond offered advice for athletes on preventing injury:

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Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy covers women and power for the USA Today Network Northeast. Write to her at svenugop@lohud.com

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Keeping the Radio City Rockettes on their toes, with help from Westchester - Lohud